On this page
Overview
Indigenous Peoples are the fastest growing population in Canada.
In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada called upon the “federal, provincial, territorial and Aboriginal governments to acknowledge that the current state of Aboriginal health in Canada is a direct result of previous Canadian government policies, including residential schools, and to recognize and implement the health-care rights of Aboriginal people as identified in international law, constitutional law, and under the Treaties.”
There has been little systemic effort to address Indigenous health disparities safely in healthcare settings, however.
What we did
This research, produced for Wellesley Institute by an Indigenous-led research team at Unity Health Toronto, in line with OCAP® principles, explores the intersecting barriers and enablers to accessing healthcare for Indigenous Peoples in Ontario.
The study involves a review of Canadian grey and academic literature, coupled with narrative interviews with Indigenous community members, Elders and Indigenous patient navigators to honour the storytelling and knowledge sharing tradition in many Indigenous communities.
Key findings
The research unearthed five key themes around healthcare access for Indigenous Peoples:
- Challenges in hospital environments.
- The need to “brace for racism” when accessing care.
- That Indigenous Traditional Knowledge is minimized in hospital environments.
- The need for systemic education reform.
- The need for effective policies to address care gaps.
Key recommendation
The barriers to Indigenous healthcare are not only in individual actions. The most significant deficits are the still-ongoing colonial systems that are the foundation of healthcare and education.
Western-based training alone for healthcare providers will be unsuccessful in enabling access to health for Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous education that enriches and fosters empathy through common humanity is required.
We are grateful for funding from the Ministry of Health of the Province of Ontario, which enabled this study.