Heads You Win, Tails I Lose: The Paradox of Canada's Lack of Support for First Nations' Traditional Healers

Michael Hankard,John Charlton

doi:10.13189/sa.2017.051205

Abstract

Historical First Nations – Canadian relations are marked by a range of contradictions—places where opposition, inconsistency and tension dictate how the state regulates First Nations everyday life. Lack of support for traditional healers is one paradox in this relationship. Tacit denial of recognition and support for traditional healing in Canada constitutes a hidden paradox not evident to those on the sidelines of this daily life. Even though practiced for thousands of years before European contact, First Nations traditional healing practices have yet to gain full support from the government of Canada. There is a contradiction between Canada's support for international initiatives such as the World Health Organization's (WHO) Social Determinants of Health model and its lack of support for traditional healers within First Nations at home. This article explores this paradox and critiques it from an Indigenous knowledge (IK) perspective through an articulation of the holistic First Nations worldview.

Highlights

While one may expect support for traditional medicine, healers and Elders in light of Canada’s support for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Social Determinants of Health model, this is often not the case
There is the fact that former Prime Minister Stephen Harper asserted to the developed world, while attending the September 2009 G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, PA that, “we [in Canada] have no history of colonialism...” [2]
What is so difficult about accepting this utterance is that, the very same Prime Minister, just over a year previously, in June of 2008, formally apologized on behalf of the Government of Canada for the Indian Residential School system [3]

Summary

Introduction

While one may expect support for traditional medicine, healers and Elders in light of Canada’s support for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Social Determinants of Health model, this is often not the case. This should not come as much of a surprise considering. Canadian-First Nations relations have been described as rife with contradictions between the state and Indigenous people [4] Even institutions such as the academy, which ostensibly exist for and in support of the promotion of knowledge and its acquisition, often operate as extensions of the Canadian colonizing apparatus. Heads You Win, Tails I Lose: The Paradox of Canada's Lack of Support for First Nations’ Traditional Healers

The Social Determinants of Health

Seeking Balance or Balancing the Books?

This has included Elders such as the late Emma King of Wauskasing

Conclusions