The Challenges of Recruitment and Retention in Remote and Northern First Nations
Building local capacity among northern First Nations is the only way to sustainably address staffing crises and improve access to health and education services. Due to the colonial nature of the reserve system and the history of forced relocations in much of Canada, First Nations are disproportionately located in remote and isolated areas away from […]
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and Calls to Action for Indigenous Health
Introduction and History In operation from 1879 to 1997, Canada’s Indian Residential School (IRS) system remains one of nation’s most shameful colonial legacies. It is believed more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded schools during this period. IRS attendees suffered abuse, neglect, dangerous living conditions, and cultural […]
Federal Indian Hospitals in Canada: A Brief History
Background In the early twentieth century, the Canadian federal government established a sprawling system of racially segregated medical institutions to treat First Nations and Inuit peoples across the country. Prior to this, little – if any – Western medical care was available to Indigenous peoples outside the traditional missionary or church settings. The introduction of […]
Remoteness Costing: Considerations for Remote, Isolated, and Northern First Nations Communities
What is a Remoteness Quotient and Why is it Important? Remote or isolated communities face increased costs for the same quality and quantity of goods and services found in larger Canadian urban centres. Consequently, measuring remoteness and associated cost is important to provide remote or isolated First Nations and Northern communities with the goods and […]
Jordan’s Principle
What is Jordan’s Principle? Named in honour of Jordan River Anderson, Jordan’s Principle describes Canada’s legal obligation to ensure First Nations children receive necessary services when required. It mandates that whichever government agency is first contacted to provide care for a First Nations child must do so, postponing any jurisdictional disputes between governments for later […]
The Promises and Pitfalls of Canada’s Approach to Co-Developing Distinctions-Based Health Legislation
In 2019, the Government of Canada committed to codeveloping, along with Indigenous peoples, distinctions-based health legislation that addresses systemic racism and promotes Indigenous health equity and self-determination in Canada. The government reaffirmed this commitment in the 2022 budget. This legislative approach provides important opportunities for Indigenous-led health transformation and has been cautiously but enthusiastically embraced […]
Federal Responsibility and a Treaty Right to Health
The federal government of Canada, before and after the advent of Canada’s Medicare system, approached First Nations healthcare in a patchwork way rife with gaps for jurisdictional confusion. In the decade after Medicare, the long-term goal was devolving First Nations healthcare to the provinces. Canada has shifted from that position but has yet to acknowledge […]