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Final Exam
Veronica Adebayo (0415199)
Department of Indigenous Social Work.
ISWK 2006: Indigenous Social Welfare Issues.
Prof. Michelle Kennedy.
July 23, 2022.
2
Part One
Tribal Culture
Indigenous Peoples are unique social and cultural groups with historical ties to the lands and
resources they live (Mercredi & Turpel, 1993).
Cultural Genocide
The deliberate eradication of culture is referred to as cultural genocide. It need not involve
murder or violence against members of the target group. Cultural genocide, for instance, might
affect the destruction of cultural practices, artifacts, languages, and traditions (Encyclopedia,
2020).
Heterophobia
Heterophobia refers to early settlers' fabricated dread and hostility toward Indigenous
peoples because they were perceived as "different from the norm." The colonizers used
stereotypes of the native peoples as untamed, subhuman, and animalistic to foster a
discriminatory mentality (Neufield & Therrien, 2005).
Diversity
Diversity is the intentional inclusion of individuals from various racial, gender, and
religious backgrounds in a group or activity. Indigenous peoples come from a diverse range of
geographical locations, political systems, cultural traditions, racial groups, and, in modern
times, even residence styles, including rural and urban. The diversity of Indigenous Peoples is
a crucial heritage from a time when all human communities were diverse and tribal
(Champagne, 2018).
3
Assimilation
Assimilation can be defined as the process of integrating a person or group into the
dominant group of society so that any prior disparities are no longer readily apparent.
Assimilation is a practice based on the idea that once contained, Indigenous peoples will
adopt Western customs and be absorbed into Canadian society (
Commission on Aboriginal
Peoples, 1996).
Enfranchisement
Enfranchisement is a procedure that is required by law to remove an individual's Indian
status and grant them full Canadian citizenship. The Canadian federal government's
assimilation policy toward Indigenous peoples included enfranchisement as a fundamental
component. It was one primary means to promote assimilation (
Mawhiney, 2001).
Royal Proclamation
The Royal Proclamation was a document that provided instructions for European settlers in
what is now North America's Indigenous regions. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 declared
that the government would buy any unclaimed land deemed suitable for settlement and
acknowledged the rights of Indigenous people to that land (Neufield & Therrien, 2005).
Population Health
Population health refers to the health status and outcomes within a group rather than
concentrating on one person's health at a time. Indigenous peoples have disproportionately
high rates of HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, malnutrition, maternal and newborn
mortality, and other infectious diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis (United Nations).
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Holism
Holism is the concept that a whole is greater than the sum of its parts due to the intricate
connections between its legs. It prohibits them from existing independently of the whole or
being understood without reference. Holistic conceptions of well-being incorporate health's
spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental facets. To sustain one's health and well-being, as
well as that of their family and community, one must maintain balance within these four
dimensions (Bhattarcharjee & Maltby, 2017).
Allyship
Allyship is when a person of privilege works in solidarity and cooperation with a
marginalized group of people to assist in dismantling the systems that threaten that group's
fundamental rights, equal access, and ability to flourish in our society. By becoming an ally,
you acknowledge settler cultures’ advantages and take them for granted. Additionally, it
indicates that you oppose and seek to remove impediments that continue to harm Indigenous
populations (Laurentian University, 2022).
Decolonization
Decolonization is the process of eliminating colonial conceptions that Western ideas and
methods are superior and preferable. It is a healing process transitioning from a place of
resentment, sadness, and loss to one where Indigenous Peoples flourish (Indigenous Corporate
Training, 2017).
Indian Act
The Canadian federal law, the Indian Act, regulates issues relating to Indian status, bands,
and reservations. It is the main piece of legislation that the federal government employs to
5
oversee the management of reserve lands, local First Nations governments, and Indian status.
It also explains the government’s responsibility to the First Nations people (Parrott, 2020).
Self-Government
Indigenous communities may control the management of their people, territory, resources,
and related programs and policies through agreements with the federal and provincial
governments through the legal structure of indigenous self-government (Henderson, 2020).
Mainstream Concept of Health
The mainstream concept of health is a system in which medical doctors and other
healthcare professionals use medications, radiation, or surgery to treat symptoms and diseases
(including nurses, pharmacists, and therapists), also known as Western medicine, allopathic
medicine, biomedicine, conventional medicine, and orthodox medicine (National Cancer
Institute).
Indigenous Definition of Health
A holistic term that encompasses physical, social, emotional, cultural, and spiritual welfare
for the individual and the community, good health is more than the absence of sickness or
illness. Indigenous health practices frequently include a holistic view of wellness that
emphasizes a harmonious coexistence of the four dimensions of wellness—physical,
emotional, mental, and spiritual (National Collaborating Center for Aboriginal Health, 2013).
6
Part Two
Numerous variables influence the outcome of people's health. Environmental factors that
affect health outcomes are known as social determinants of health (World Health
Organization, 2012). A group of social and economic variables that affect someone's income,
education, or employment are referred to as social determinants (Government of Canada,
2020). This essay will address the social determinants of health, the impact of colonialism on
Indigenous health, and the western and Indigenous approaches to healing.
Social Determinants of Health Model in Contrast to Indigenous Determinants of Health
Framework.
The primary determinants of Canadians' health are not their use of pharmaceuticals or lifestyle
choices but rather the circumstances of their daily existence. The term "social determinants of
health" is now used to describe these problems. Social determinants have varied effects on
Indigenous people's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of health. These
determinants include income and social status, education, employment and working conditions,
health services, food insecurity, housing, social inclusion, safety net, identity, and early
childhood development. The key tactic for improving Canadians' well-being is adopting
governmental policies that foster an atmosphere conducive to healthy living. Several affluent
industrialized nations, the majority of which are not as wealthy as Canada, have successfully
implemented public initiatives that would raise the bar for the social determinants of health
(Mikkonen & Raphael, 2010).
The Historical and Ongoing Impact of Colonialism on Indigenous Health and Wellness.
Colonization and imposed genocidal
practices have collectively split and transformed
Indigenous people by seeking to stifle and discard their voices and knowledge. Indigenous
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peoples in Canada have historically used healing techniques that are location-based and
influenced by the requirements of the local populations. For instance, the Inuit received several
remedies for hypothermia and frostbite. Their surrounding environment influences indigenous
peoples' knowledge of medicine and medication use. Indigenous wellness and health approaches
had to work under colonial frameworks. Late 19th- and early 20th-century changes to the Indian
Act
made Indigenous healing techniques illegal and ineffective. Indigenous peoples' health
suffered greatly due to these restrictions, terrible living circumstances, poverty, racism, land loss,
and decreasing access to food supplies. Smallpox and influenza were among the strange diseases
brought to North America by European settlers, straining Indigenous medical systems.
Colonization in Canada contributed to the circumstances that resulted in disproportionately
worse health outcomes for Indigenous peoples. For instance, Indigenous groups have more
excellent rates of food insecurity than the general population. The housing conditions of
Indigenous people have an additional impact on their health. Compared to Indigenous homes off-
reserve, on-reserve homes are three times more likely to require substantial repairs, and non-
Indigenous dwellings are six times more probable. Decolonization
in policy would show a more
all-encompassing method of treating Indigenous communities' health issues. (Burnett, 2020).
Differences Between Indigenous and Western Approaches to Healing.
Indigenous healing encompasses a wide range of treatment interventions in Canada's several
Indigenous cultural belief systems. For thousands of years, Indigenous people have used
traditional healing techniques. Indigenous healing relies heavily on the medicine wheel.
It conveys how closely life, health, and the values of an individual and their community are
intertwined. Several Indigenous peoples have unique teachings and beliefs regarding the
medicine wheel. The main subjects of the medicine wheel's education are the four sacred
8
directions of north, east, south, and west. Each embodies a different aspect of how we live. The
medicine wheel's circle shape symbolizes the interconnectedness of all things. It represents
holistic healing (holism),
which embodies the four pillars of whole health. Participating in
ceremonies, learning about the tradition, and investigating one's spiritual background are all
aspects of spiritual wellness, education, knowledge of the historical and cultural achievements of
Indigenous peoples, and taking part in activities that boost self-confidence are all part of
maintaining mental health, Maintaining mental health includes receiving an education, being
aware of the historical and cultural contributions made by Indigenous peoples, and engaging in
activities that increase self-confidence (Hicks, 2002). The mainstream concept of health
—a
system that uses medicine, biomedicine, conventional medicine, and even orthodox medicine—is
used in the Western approach to healing. It is a system where medical doctors and other
healthcare workers (including nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) use different medical
procedures to treat symptoms and ailments. To fight infectious infections, western medicine was
created. This focus on infectious diseases is becoming less crucial due to improvements in the
detection and treatment of infectious agents and the increasing burden of complex chronic
disorders on modern healthcare systems. Western medicine is thought of as the be-all and end-all,
but with the rise of traditional medicine, it's time to be flexible (Thieme-Burdette, 2021).
Social Determinants of Health Model that Recognizes Indigenous Worldviews
In the western healing model, the government decides on the appropriate form of medical
treatment without considering Indigenous peoples' knowledge, beliefs, traditions, or practices.
This undermines the sovereignty, self-determination, and self-government
of the Indigenous
people. Even though indigenous people may have access to western medical care, they will
maintain their culture and resist assimilation.
For many indigenous people, the almost total
9
disregard for culture as a determinant of health and the lack of access to care that is attentive to
their cultural needs are upsetting and alienating. Patients respond better to therapy when it is
culturally acceptable, cooperation rises, and involvement in the health system is more likely
early in the disease, when treatment may be less complicated and more affordable (George et al.,
2019). Education is one of the social determinants of health. Indigenous education, like the
Indigenous worldview, is holistic, emphasizing the development of all facets of the individual.
This is how it differs from western education, which only emphasizes a person's intellectual
growth. Elders play an important role in Indigenous education. Indigenous children are
frequently uncomfortable with the instructional teaching methods used in the western system,
which places a focus on student achievement and competitiveness. Indigenous children often
struggle in a system where educators do not understand the cultural norms of Indigenous children
or the distinctions between Indigenous and mainstream society (Kennedy, 2022).
Conclusion
The social and economic conditions that impact people's health outcomes are known as social
determinants of health. These include safety net, employment and working conditions, education,
health care, housing, early childhood development, social inclusion, identity, and food security.
These factors all impact health outcomes and are caused by oppression and discrimination. Due
to colonization and pressure, all these variables hurt the native population's well-being. The
government can solve this issue by enacting laws that make discrimination and intimidation
illegal; heterophobic
acts should be condemned, and allyship
should be formed with the
Indigenous people to achieve good health and self-confidence. Indigenous people must also
overcome their past to have a good and happy life; they must find a balance to take pleasure in
mino-pimatisiwin.
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References
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(2017). The University of Waterloo.
What does ‘holism’
mean in Indigenous mental health?
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Champagne, D. (2018). Indian Country Today
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