Introduction
The call to justice selected is section 3.2 under the “Calls for Justice for All Governments: Health and Wellness.” It calls for all governments across Canada to provide equitable, stable, adequate, and ongoing funding to indigenous-centered and community-based health and wellness services that are both accessible and culturally appropriate while meeting the needs of 2SLGBTQQIA people, girls, and women of indigenous descent. This call notes that due to the absence of these services, individuals from these communities have often been compelled to relocate to obtain them. Accordingly, it appeals to governments to ensure that health and wellness services are made available and accessible within these communities wherever they live. In this paper, a background to this call will be given, an investigation of the proposed change will be conducted, and then the barriers to implementing the change will be explored using a feminist lens.
Background
Before the entry of the Europeans, Canada was intact, with indigenous people having access to health, food, and other essential resources (March 7). Grandmothers, Elders, and other Knowledge Keepers established community-based trauma-informed programs for survivors of trauma and violence. They also offered healthcare for different situations, such as diarrhea, vomiting, malaria, etc. When the Europeans came, they fought the Aboriginal people and discriminated against them. This discrimination continues to this day, with these people lacking health services as well as other basic amenities. Compared to the non-indigenous people, indigenous people have experienced and continue to experience long-standing disparities (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2018; Loppie & Wien, 2022), including issues with access to healthcare which have been exacerbated by the severe shortages in healthcare physicians across the country (Angus Reid Institute, 2022). This limited access to healthcare has been evidenced by issues such as poorer mental and physical health status among the Aboriginals and a higher prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma as well as disabilities (Hahmann et al., 2019; Hahmann & Kumar, 2022). The average life expectancy of the First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities is also significantly lower than that of the rest of Canadians. It is for these reasons that the above call has been made.
Investigation of Proposed Change
This proposed change calls for increased government funding to improve indigenous people’s health and wellness. The funding is supposed to be equitable, stable, adequate, and ongoing for the wellness and health needs of the 2SLGBTQQIA, girls and women of indigenous descent. The Canadian Government has indeed been providing less funds to the indigenous people as compared to the rest of the Canadians. Unsurprisingly, the Government was ordered to pay $23 billion to the families and kids of these communities for the many years of underfunding (CBC, 2023). Further pressure has also seen small efforts by different government officials to bring in more funds. For instance, recently, the Honorable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board and on behalf of the Minister of Health Honorable Jean-Yves Duclos, announced that 2.5 million will be set aside for two projects to be led by the First Peoples Wellness Circle (FPWC) (Government of Canada, 2023). Nonetheless, this is very little, and much more must be done.
Barriers to Implementation of the Change
Implementing the above call to justice is still yet to be done. This is because of various barriers that are bedeviling it. Some of these include:
Patriarchy and the Colonialism Legacy
Among the issues that continue to stagnate the implementation of this call to justice are patriarchy and colonialism. Canada was colonized by Europeans, who exposed indigenous women to various human rights injustices. Different systems that were put in place by males, such as the Indian Act, residential schools, and other assimilation policies, had significant impacts on indigenous women. The Indian Act needed all indigenous women to be assimilated into the non-indigenous society. It prohibited the people from First Nations communities from expressing their identities through culture and governance. This legacy of colonialism and patriarchy continues to this day. For instance, the Indian Act has been in place since 1876. While girls, women, and 2SLGBTQQIA people continue to suffer marginalization, cultural erosion, and intergenerational trauma, Canadian males continue to neglect them. The patriarchal systems in place continue to undermine the agency and self-determination of these women, which has significantly contributed to their increased vulnerability. This is also likely to hinder the implementation of this call to justice.
Gendered Effects of Health Inequities
In the First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people, the role of gender in attaining health is very significant. Various health challenges are faced by girls, women, and 2SLGBTQQIA peoples as a result of the effect of intergenerational trauma, lack of access to reproductive healthcare, and high rates of violence. When funding comes in, it does not explicitly address these issues, thus limiting how much they can access the required healthcare services. This could also be an essential issue in implementing this call to justice.
Inadequate Infrastructure and Lack of Expertise
Among the First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people, the education level is significantly lower than that of the rest of the Canadian population. Even with increased funding, there may be significant challenges in access to the healthcare services intended by the call to justice. The lack of doctors of First Nations descent may mean that systemic racism continues to happen even in their facilities. Another challenge is the lack of infrastructure required to bring these services to girls, women, and 2SLGBTQQIAs. These must be availed to implement the above-stated call to justice.
Implementation of Eurocentric Health Services
Eurocentric healthcare services have often been prioritized in Canada over the Aboriginal ones. This is likely a result of the colonialism in the country. As previously stated, indigenous people used to have their own systems of health, which ensured that girls, women, and 2SLGBTQQIA people had access to the best services. Prioritization of European health care needs over their own will not only ensure the lack of achievement of this call to justice but could also jeopardize possible healing that may have been started.
Inadequate Representation of Female First Nations, Inuit, and Metis People in Government
Another possible challenge to implementing this call to justice is the lack of enough representation of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people in Government. For women, the situation becomes only worse. With over 1.2 million aboriginal peoples in Canada, only seven Members of Parliament represented 2.3 percent (Greiner, 2013). Of these seven, none of them was a woman. Only forty-nine self-identified indigenous MPs and 25 self-identified indigenous members have been in the Senate. This implies that even with the will, there may not be enough legislative power for the Aboriginals to pass this Call to Justice. The rest of the Canadians must join hands in pushing for increased funding of indigenous and community-based healthcare services.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the inequitable distribution of healthcare services among First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people is something that has been going on in Canada for a long time. The call to justice explored in this paper seeks to overcome this. However, there will be various challenges in its implementation. Some of these include patriarchy and colonialism, underrepresentation of the Inuit, Metis, and First Nations people in parliament, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of expertise. These must be overcome first for the smooth implementation of the call to justice.
References
Angus Reid Institute. (2022). Doc Deficits: Half of Canadians either can’t find a doctor or can’t get a timely appointment with the one they have.
CBC. (2023). Canada to Compensate First Nations Families After Years of Discrimination. https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/canada-to-compensate-first-nations-families-after-years-of-discrimination#:~:text=The%20federal%20government%20has%20been,and%20other%20forms%20of%20help.
Government of Canada. (2023, July 21). Government of Canada Announces $2.5 Million for Projects to Improve Mental Health Supports for Indigenous Peoples. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2023/07/government-of-canada-announces-25-million-for-projects-to-improve-mental-health-supports-for-indigenous-peoples.html
Greiner, E. (2013, January 21). Natives are Under-represented in Parliament – And for Women and Youth, It’s Even Worse. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/natives-are-under-represented-in-parliament-and-for-women-and-youth-its-even-worse/article7573722/
Hahmann T., & Kumar, M. (2022). Unmet health care needs during the pandemic and resulting impacts among First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit. StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada. (45-28-0001). Ottawa, Canada: Statistics Canada.
Hahmann, T., Badets, N., & Hughes, J. (2019). Indigenous people with disabilities in Canada: First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit aged 15 years and older. (89-653-X2019005). Ottawa, Canada: Statistics Canada.
Loppie, C., & Wien, F. (2022). Understanding Indigenous health inequalities through a social determinants model (nccih.ca). National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health.
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2018). Key Health Inequalities in Canada: A National Portrait. Pan-Canadian Public Health Network.
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