Indigenous Health
Kim Khanh Do, Amy Qu , Tiffany Tang, Cindy Tea, Yvonne Vu, and Winni Yeh
06/04/2023
History
- 80 residential schools
- Cultural genocide
- Kill the Indian inside them
- More than 150,000 children
- Physical, sexual abuse, and diaseae widespread
History
Proximal
Direct impact on health
Healthy behaviours
- poor compare to non-Indigenous people
- ↑ risk of developing health problems
Physical environment
- big impact for those living on reserves
- ovecrowded + lack of ventilation
- respiratory problems
Social Determinates
of Health
Intermediate
Origin of Proximal -
Income & employment
- denied access to resources to help their SES
- high poverty = ↓ mental health & ↑ suicide rates
- long waitlist = needs unmet
- isolation + location = economic barriers
Distal
Upstream effects on health
Include:
- Colonialism
- Racism
- Social exclusion
Must consider historical context of colonial violence, oppression, and erasure.
- residential schools isolated, assimilated, and erased Indigenous identity
- current education and reserve systems perpetuate colonial policies.
Distal
Nursing Roles
History
Nurse Practitioner (NP) acted as the primary physician
- But need to shift more focus to take on the social justice lens
Development
TRC's Call to Action
Nursing Roles
Importance of Nursing Involvement
- Need to decolonize Nursing Profession
- Nursing is built upon colonial roots leading many indigenous people to face health inequities
- Ethical duty of a nurse to recognize how vulnerable groups are systemically disadvantaged and take actions to overcome barriers to health
- Nurses are the primary healthcare providers working with Indigenous people
- 58% of health care services in remote locations are led by a nurse-in-charge
- Understanding impacts of residental schools allows for Cultural Sensitive care
Interventions
- Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion
- Healthy public policy & reorientation/decolonization of health services
- Macro advocacy
- TRC Calls to Action & Joyce's Principle
- Education & training
- WHO Closing the Gap
- Inequitable distribution of power and resources & promoting health equity
- Indigenous leadership, collaboration, and decision-making
- Funding for health services/workers to rural reserves
- Trauma and mental health screening