June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to honour and celebrate the stories and experiences of Indigenous people. We encourage all of our faculty, staff, and students to recognize this occasion and to consider taking action in the spirit of celebration and solidarity.
In particular, we want to highlight an important report about racism in British Columbia’s health care system: In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care
The Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) worked with a review team to address racism in the health care system within B.C, and published this informative summary report. Since Métis people make up one-third of the Indigenous population in the province, it was important for them to be recognized and included in health policies and planning. Acknowledging their identity was crucial for the mental health and well-being of Métis individuals. Although MNBC started connecting with health authorities, they faced challenges because of a lack of resources.
In the report, you will come to understand how crucial it is for the Métis Nation to receive the support needed to take part in discussions about health disparities and to advocate for their community’s needs in the future.
Below are some key initiatives and resources from the Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM), UBC, and the Government of BC. We encourage everyone to use these resources to learn more about the Indigenous community.
Initiative Highlights
Kwiis Hen Niip
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) teamed up with Dr. Jim Christenson, DEM Professor, to improve emergency care in four remote Nuu-chah-nulth communities. This project, Kwiis-hen-niip, which means “change”, focuses on supporting first responders, preparing the community, improving patient transport, and enhancing communication, all based on the needs identified by the communities.
Watch cardiac arrest teaching video filmed in collaboration with Nuu-chah-nulth Nations.
Engaging Physicians in Indigenous Cultural (EPIC)
The Engaging Physicians in Indigenous Cultural (EPIC) Safety Task Group focuses on improving Indigenous cultural safety in healthcare. Dr. Kendall Ho, DEM Professor, collaborates with various health leaders and organizations to create educational resources and training for medical staff on how to effectively apply Indigenous cultural safety principles.
Learn more about this initiative.
Resources
Provincial Reports
- Addressing Racism: An independent investigation into Indigenous-specific discrimination in B.C. health care
- In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care
UBC Resources
DEM Provincial Grand Rounds
- It’s Not Knowledge We Lack: Edifying Cultural Safety, Humility and Humanity
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Why it matters to all of us in Emergency Medicine
- Cultural Safety and Anti-Racism in Healthcare: How can Emergency Medicine Contribute?
- Understanding & Supporting EM Care in Remote Indigenous Communities
DEM Publications
- Digital storytelling and dialogue to support culturally safe health care for Indigenous patients in British Columbia
- First Nations Peoples’ perspectives on telehealth physiotherapy: a qualitative study focused on the therapeutic relationship
Webinars
interCultural Onlline Health Network (iCON) Indigenous Health Rounds
Led by Dr. Kendall Ho, DEM Professor, the interCultural Onlline Health Network (iCON) has partnered with Vancouver Coastal Health Indigenous Health to develop Indigenous Health Rounds, which serve as a series of webinars to bring Indigenous voices to health-care providers, policy makers and health administrators for knowledge sharing, dialogue, and brainstorming solutions to combat racism and foster culturally safe health-care settings for Indigenous patients and families.
Watch past Indigenous Health Rounds here.
We have created this webpage to serve as a resource for initiatives and educational material. If you would like to have anything added to this webpage or to provide feedback, please contact Michelle Ho, Communications and Marketing Specialist.