week 8- Indigenous Flashcards
Terminology
- Indigenous Peoples
- Aboriginal Peoples
- First Nations
- Métis
- Inuit
- Indian (legal designation) status or non- status - Indian act ; on-reserve or off reserve
- NATIVE (avoid)
Why is Indigenous health policy important?
- Indigenous populations experience
disproportionate health challenges - Historical policies have long-term effects on health outcomes.
- Understanding policy helps address systemic inequities and promote Indigenous self-determination
what is the root cause of all indigenous health disparities
colonialism
What is Colonialism?
- Policy or practice of acquiring full or partial control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically
- Ongoing system of power that perpetuates the genocide and repression of Indigenous peoples
and cultures
What has been one of the
main weapons allowing the
process of colonization?
Policies & legislation
Historical policies and their health impacts (canada)
- the constituion act (1867)
- the indian act (1876)
- residential schools (1880s)
- Treaties (1600s-present)
The Constitution Act (1867)
The one that started it all –
introduced the concept of Indian title to land, the invention of this ‘title’ also came with a process for relinquishing that title.
Canada’s health care system is largely organized by
the Canadian constitution
The Indian Act (1876):
The most racist piece of legislation
still in effect today. Defines Indigenous identity, impose restrictions on cultural practices (this has since been
amended), created the reserve system. Essentially makes Indigenous peoples wards of the state in exchange for land.
Residential Schools (1880s-1990s)
Forced assimilation,
forced attendance through Indian Act and enforced by Indian Agents, caused intergenerational trauma
Treaties (1600s – Present):
Treaties created under duress
facilitate the dispossession of lands so colonial governments can utilize the land for natural resource extraction and development. At the expense of Indigenous Peoples sovereignty and traditional ways of life
How have these policies contributed to current Indigenous
health disparities?
- Traumatic events & intergenerational trauma
- Negative impacts on access to many social determinants of health (housing, education, income, food security, etc.
- Dispossession of land
- Breakdown of the family & community
Dispossession of land
disruption to traditional
subsistence practices (i.e. hunting, fishing, gathering, agriculture), disruption to local Indigenous economies, pollution and degradation
of land
Breakdown of the family & community
Intergenerational trauma & negative effects on mental, emotional & spiritual health; loss of sense
of purpose, identity, belonging and connection, leads to hopelessness and coping through health risk behaviours
Contemporary Challenges
- Underfunding of Indigenous health programs
- Jurisdictional disputes (federal vs. provincial)
- Limited access to culturally appropriate care
- Higher rates of chronic disease, mental health issues and
addiction. - Geography/remoteness
- Individual and structural racism
- Lack of culturally safe care
How do Indigenous People in
Canada Access Healthcare?
- Provincial/territorial healthcare systems
- Federal government
- Self-governance and community-directed initiative
Provincial/territorial healthcare system
- Physicians and hospitals
- Non-Indigenous specific community health centers
- Indigenous programming at mainstream organizations
Federal government; access health care
- Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB)
- Indigenous Services Canada funding for First Nations and Inuit community health programs
- Public Health Agency of Canada & Health Canada funding
Self-governance and community-directed initiative
- On-reserve services and programs
- Urban Indigenous health centers
- BC First Nations Health Authority
Indian Hospitals in Canada from the 1920s to the 1980
- Indian Hospitals were segregated healthcare facilities operated by the federal government for Indigenous people
- These underfunded and poorly staffed institutions were part of a broader system of colonial medical control, often characterized by neglect, mistreatment, and forced medical experimentation
- patients were confined against their will, subjected to substandard care, and separated from their
families for extended periods
legacy of Indian Hospitals
continues to impact
Indigenous health and trust in the healthcare system today
brain sinclair
- referred to energy room because of UTI
- he went and he wanted help and he waited for days ER and passed away in the waiting room
- they thought he was homeless and wanting to stay warm
Jordan River Anderson
- born with alot of health problems
- development
- lived his entire life in hospital even at the age of 2 he could’ve gone home but family needed extra help but the government couldn’t give the extra money to family and live with his family for the last years of his life
Systemic Racism in the Canadian
Healthcare System Today
Whether it be the implicit effects of stereotyping in triage, the jurisdictional disputes between federal and provincial government or the active racism
and discrimination leading to dismissal of a patient trying to communicate their needs – systemic racism is alive and well in the Canadian healthcare
system
Cultural Safety
An approach that considers how social and historical contexts, as well as structural and interpersonal power imbalances, shape health
and health care experiences.
where does promoting cultural safety start
with the Policy Level
As a culturally safe practitioner
you are self-reflective and self-aware with regards to their position of power and the impact of this role in relation to patients
Cultural Safety is an
OUTCOME. It results in an
environment where people feel safe when receiving health care and other services.
The aspect of “Safety
is defined by those who
receive the service, not those who provide it.2
Cultural Safety Best Practices
- Clients are engaged
to identify whether their
care has been culturally
respectful. - Staff is trained to have the skills,
knowledge and behaviours to provide
culturally safe care and services. - . Leadership is committed to supporting a culturally safe organization
- Cultural safety is embedded throughout the health and social
services system, from policies to practice - . A more diverse workforce reflects the population it serves
6.The physical nature of health services facilities include design features that honour and integrate
traditional knowledge and healing approaches
Indigenous- Led Health Initiatives
- Wholistic and culturally grounded health services and programs. (ex. Traditional healing integrated
with Western medicine). - Self-governance models
- Community-led health interventions (ex. Land- based healing programs, language and cultural revitalization efforts)
