Indigenous Cultural Safety Training in Health, Education, and Social Service Work

Background: Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) training is a growing field of study; however, little consensus exists about how ICS is conceptualized and operationalized. This lack of consistency can lead to misinterpretation and misappropriation of Indigenous knowledges and histories that can further perpetuate colonial harms. Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to explore and characterize the academic literature related to the conceptualization and operationalization of ICS training within the fields of health, social services, and education. Methods: This scoping review protocol employs the Joanna Briggs Institute’s three-step search strategy to identify articles in the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, ERIC, and ASSIA. This protocol follows the PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews (Joanna Briggs Institute, 2015; Tricco et al., 2018). Discussion: This review will add new knowledge by offering insights into the historic and contemporary approaches to defining and operationalizing ICS training in the health, education and social services fields. The results produced will be of interest to scholars and health, social services, and education providers looking to apply the most current and appropriate concepts and practices of ICS

Is There Self-Determination in Canada’s First Nations Communities?

What is self-determination? How was the definition created? Examining First Nations health care systems has shown that definitions of self-determination for First Nations leaders and communities are different from those provided by federal and provincial governments. To ensure First Nations survival in the long term, it is important for First Nations people, leaders and communities to collaboratively develop definitions of self-determination in an Aboriginal context. This paper reviews perceptions of self-determination in health care by First Nations, and provincial and federal governments, and how relationships between these three groups are affected by differing perceptions. The impacts of colonialism are examined and discussed as they pertain to perceptions of self-determination in health care in First Nations communities. To survive, First Nations must establish firm definitions and boundaries to prevent further oppression and colonization, and to navigate control of their health and health care for future generations

The Impacts of Health and Education for Children and Families Enrolled in Aboriginal Head Start Urban and Northern Communities in Ontario

Aboriginal Head Start Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC) Initiative in Ontario provides an early childhood development program specifically for urban Aboriginal children between 3 and 5 years old. Twenty-nine families from Waabinong Head Start in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, completed two questionnaires given four months apart covering a range of health and education topics. The completed surveys supported a trend toward healthier lifestyle choices, improved education of the children, upward mobility in employment, increases in self-perceived general and mental health of primary and second caregivers, and decreases in smoking, illegal drug use, and alcohol use. Families reported an increased sense of pride in being Aboriginal shown by their children, plus learning of culture and Ojibwe language, which has lead to improvement in all of the child’s skills and abilities.MAS

Early Learning for Aboriginal Children: Past, Present and Future and an Exploration of the Aboriginal Head Start Urban and Northern Communities Program in Ontario

This article provides some key findings from a case study of the Aboriginal Head Start Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC) Program in Ontario. Some of the key findings were improved self-reported health status, commitment to cultural and linguistic revitalization, reduced tobacco use, improved knowledge of healthy living practices among Aboriginal children and their families. The number of off-reserve Aboriginal children that can experience AHSUNC is limited by funding and availability of space and human resources. The participants in this study have shown improved knowledge, interaction with their children, and increased understanding of their biculturedness within Ontario. Therefore it is important to increase this funding and continue to conduct research with AHSUNC projects across Ontario to document and highlight their successes as a model for other provinces/territories and early childhood programs.Keywords: Aboriginal, First Nations, early childhood development, early childhood, Canada, Ontario, program

Early Learning for Aboriginal Children: Past, Present and Future and an Exploration of the Aboriginal Head Start Urban and Northern Communities Program in Ontario

This article provides some key findings from a case study of the Aboriginal Head Start Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC) Program in Ontario. Some of the key findings were improved self-reported health status, commitment to cultural and linguistic revitalization, reduced tobacco use, improved knowledge of healthy living practices among Aboriginal children and their families. The number of off-reserve Aboriginal children that can experience AHSUNC is limited by funding and availability of space and human resources. The participants in this study have shown improved knowledge, interaction with their children, and increased understanding of their biculturedness within Ontario. Therefore it is important to increase this funding and continue to conduct research with AHSUNC projects across Ontario to document and highlight their successes as a model for other provinces/territories and early childhood programs

Self-determination in Health Care: A Multiple Case Study of Four First Nations Communities in Canada

The perceived level of self-determination in health care in four First Nations communities in Canada is examined through a multiple case study approach. Twenty-three participants from federal, provincial and First Nations governments as well as health care professionals in the communities of Blood Tribe, Lac La Ronge, Garden Hill and Wasagamack First Nations provided insight into the diversity of perception of self-determination in First Nations health care. The difference in definition between Aboriginal and the federal and provincial governments is a factor in the varying perceptions of the level of control First Nations communities have over their health care system. Participants from the four First Nations communities perceived their level of self-determination over their health care system to be much lower than the level perceived by provincial and federal government participants. The organization and delivery of health care is based on the location of the community, the availability of the human resources, the level of communication, the amount of community resources, and the ability to self-manage. The socio-political history including impact of contact, residential schools, and integration of Aboriginal worldview are factors in the organization and delivery of health care as well as the perceived level of self-determination that the community sees. The duration and intensity of contact influences how health care is organized as the communities become more familiarized with the biomedical model that most Canadians use. Having a holistic health care system that includes acknowledging the socio-political history, culture, language, worldview and traditional medicines is important to the four First Nations communities, but this has not been fully embraced in any of the communities. Despite their differences, all four communities are working toward self-determination that hopefully would result in an ‘ideal’ First Nations health care system which is holistic, cultural, spiritual, and interdisciplinary and ultimately lead to full management of the health care system.Ph

Aboriginal Knowledge Infusion in Initial Teacher Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto

Knowledge of the Aboriginal socio-political history in Canada has historically been excluded from public education. In Ontario, public school children learn about Aboriginal people at specific times in the curriculum. However, teachers frequently only teach the bare essentials about Aboriginal people in Canada because they do not have adequate knowledge or feel that they lack the ability to teach about this subject. The Ontario Institute of Studies in Education at the University of Toronto has implemented the Deepening Knowledge Project to provide teacher candidates with an increased awareness and knowledge about Aboriginal history, culture, and worldview for their future teaching careers. This article will provide insight into the project and the curriculum developed for working with teacher candidates

Editorial

Since 2004 the International Journal of Indigenous Health has published Indigenous open access research and it is time to self-evaluation

Editorial

In parts of the world, death and dying are considered taboo subjects; mainstream media covers death and dying as sensational dramatic event(s), or as entertainment, but rarely as a part of life and the life cycle. Many businesses and health care services rely on people attempting to avoid death by slowing the aging process (such as anti-wrinkle creams, hair dyes, cosmetic surgeries, etc.), which seems to lead people into a comfortable avoidance of the reality that dying is an imminent and intrinsic part of living

Death and Dying: Healing and supporting journeys

In this issue, we explore three articles about Indigenous knowledge, ceremonies and experiences about the effects of death and dying on Indigenous people. Articles included describe different point of views on a topic that is considered "taboo", however death and dying affect all of us in different ways. These articles are intended to open space for conversations Indigenous death and dying