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- Resilience in Indigenous health research during COVID-19
Allen et al. highlight many ways that Indigenous-led partnerships can promote health [1]. At the time of their pre-pandemic publication, facilitating health research consultations with Indigenous Elders or Knowledge Keepers by videoconference would have been inconceivable. But COVID-19 has forced a shift to online formats, and Indigenous communities across North America have exemplified resilience by adapting cultural protocols to ensure that critical collaborations are not stalled.
In Canada, Elders’ gatherings have taken on new forms. At the Turtle Lodge discussed by Allen and colleagues, Elders have been conducting Full Moon Ceremonies from their homes guided by flexible instructions from one of the Lodge’s Grandmothers [2]. In the USA, the National Native Health Research Training Initiative operationalized adaptive protocols for the recording of ceremonies. Each session in their webinar series began with a prayer by a Knowledge Keeper or Elder that, with their consent, became part of the publicly available recordings [3].
Tobacco protocols have also been modified in both countries so that a giver can lay down a tobacco offering in front of a camera to be accepted virtually; a wire transfer is made in lieu of an honorarium and handshake.
Approaches differ across communities and contexts. Consistent among them is flexibility paired with a commitment to recover lost in-person time when it is safe to do so again. It is important for the medical commun...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.References
- 1. Allen L, Hatala A, Ijaz S, Elder Courchene D, Elder Bushie B. Indigenous-led health care partnerships in Canada. CMAJ 2020; 192 (9): e208-e216.
- 2. Turtle Lodge, 2020. Full Moon Ceremony (In our Homes): Wednesday September 2, 2020. Available at: <http://www.turtlelodge.org/event/full-moon-and-healing-ceremony-at-turtle-lodge-wednesday-september-2-2020/>.
- 3. National Native Health Research Training Initiative, 2020. 3rd Annual National Native Health Research Training Initiative Webinar Information. Available at: <http://www.nnhrti.org/>.
- RE: Is it Time for a Change in Western medicine?
Western medicine has always been our gold standard, all-encompassing way of life in the healthcare world. It is referred to as mainstream medicine, biomedicine, conventional medicine, and even orthodox medicine. Western medicine is seen as the be-all and end-all, however, taking in the trends towards traditional medicine, it is time to be open to change.
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This article identifies the benefits regarding Western medicine and traditional healing practices when they are used together. However as healthcare providers, we are also confronted with barriers to simply implementing this into our Canadian healthcare system with lack of research in this area being a common reason for this absence of widespread implementation[1]. Much of the research that does exist on Indigenous persons in healthcare points to culturally unsafe experiences reported by this population, and a lack of trust in the Western healthcare system[4]. On the other hand, Western-taught healthcare providers are yearning to be more culturally aware and inclusive of Indigenous people[1,4,5]. So, what can we do to bridge this gap in acute care?
Upon admission to the hospital, healthcare is focused largely on the medically acute needs of the patient. These hospital-like settings are intimidating for many Indigenous persons as many of their traditions are not able to be performed, they have had to leave their community to seek care, and the hospital is associated with uncomfortable treatments, disease, and de...Competing Interests: None declared.References
- Allen, L., Hatala, A., Ijaz, S., Courchene, E. D., & Bushie, E. B. (2020). Indigenous-led health care partnerships in Canada. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 192(9), E208-E216. doi:10.1503/cmaj.190728
- Cudjoe, J., D’Aoust, R., Delva, S., Ford, A., Han, H., Hughes, V., …Turkson-Ocran, R. (2020). Not missing the opportunity: Strategies to promote cultural humility among future nursing faculty. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36(1), 28-33. doi:10.1016/j.p
- Doucette, E., Fansia, N, Fu, C., Kim, E., Lo, K. P., Malhi, P., Sawatsky, T., & Sanzone, L. (2019). Indigenous approaches to healing in critical care settings: Addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Report’s call to action. Canadian Journal of Critical C
- Fulbrook, P., Jessup, M., & Mbuzi, V. (2017a). Indigenous cardiac patients’ and relatives’ experiences of hospitalisation: A narrative inquiry. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26, 5052-5064. doi:10.1111/jocn.14005
- Fulbrook, P., Jessup, M., & Mbuzi, V. (2017b). Indigenous peoples’ experiences and perceptions of hospitalisation for acute care: A metasynthesis of qualitive studies. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 71, 39-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu
- RE: The Importance of Challenging Anti-Indigenous Rhetoric - We Must Do Better
The CMAJ runs a monthly print version of their weekly online journal, and this excellent analysis deservedly ran as the cover story for their June 2020 issue. I was moved to see this timely analysis of systemic anti-Indigenous oppression and the early steps taken towards eradicating anti-Indigenous barriers in modern Canadian health care on the cover of the national medical journal. And yet, I was shocked. What lay before me was an obstructed view of the cover photo; an Indigenous Elder’s face exactly blocked by a permanent half-cover pharmaceutical ad for Lixiana. Not only have drug companies historically failed our most marginalized communities in Canada, they also represent an antithesis to traditional knowledge, therapies, and healing practices. This construct of Indigenous practices as scientifically inferior continues to influence deeply held stereotypes that perpetuate discriminatory health inequities against Indigenous peoples. What ensued was an attempted correspondence between myself and the editor-in-chief, Dr. Andreas Laupacis, to acknowledge and reconcile this oppressive handling of an important analysis. Although Dr. Laupacis insisted the permanent half-advertisements had been cancelled in March, I argued for the importance of public accountability as a means of creating space for owning discriminatory harms and resolving to strengthen anti-discrimination policies. Notwithstanding expressed support from the authors of this analysis to publish my response, Dr....
Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.References
- Lindsay Allen, Andrew Hatala, Sabina Ijaz, Elder David Courchene, Elder Burma Bushie. Indigenous-led health care partnerships in Canada. CMAJ Mar 2020, 192 (9) E208-E216.
- RE: Indigenous-led health care partnerships in Canada
The analysis has shown the disparity in health access between indigenous peoples and the general population in Canada.
Reviewing the brazilian literature on this topic, we find a similar situation: the predominantly biomedical approach does not fully meet the needs of the indigenous population, distancing them from this basic right not only by not including practices and rituals inherent to their ethnicity, but also because of the absence of interpreters that allow their communication with the health team and even due to discrimination by some professionals[1]. In an attempt to overcome these obstacles, governmental measures were implemented to allow greater indigenous participation in the management of the health services offered to their communities. Among these measures there is the establishment of councils formed equally by indigenous peoples and workers involved in the administrative and medical part of the service[2] (aiming to discuss and better meet the demands of the native patients), and the creation of the role of indigenous health agent[3], a native-born professional who work not only as a translator but also promotes the integration between the knowledge of his tribe and the biomedical science, acting in a similar way to the Indigenous-led health care partnerships. However, unlike the Canadian initiative, the projects applied here offer little autonomy to the indigenous people, since they are previously established by the State (which determines from...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.References
- , , , et al. RE: Indigenous-led health care partnerships in Canada. 2020;:-.
- 1. Gomes SC, Esperidião MA. Acesso dos usuários indígenas aos serviços de saúde de Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brasil. Cad Saúde Pública 2017;33:e00132215.
- 2. Cruz KR, Coelho EMB. A saúde indigenista e os desafios da particip(ação) indígena. Saude soc 2012;21:185-198.
- 3. Langdon EJ, Diehl EE, Wiik FB, et al. A participação dos agentes indígenas de saúde nos serviços de atenção à saúde: a experiência em Santa Catarina, Brasil. Cad. Saúde Pública 2006;22:2637-2646.
- RE: traditional medicine integrated with western medicine
Dr Jack Bailey was one of the pioneers of this integrative model in Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reservation. He dedicated his life’s work collaborating with Ron Wakegijig of Wikwemikong. A traditional healing lodge was included in the Wikwemikong Health Center on the reserve in the 1994. Later the Noojmowin Teg Health Center on the island included both a traditional healer and a psychologist. This center served all seven First Nations in the area. Many members of these First Nations had choices for their healing journey and much success was attributable to this integrative model
Competing Interests: None declared.