In the eyes of Indigenous people in Canada: exposing the underlying colonial etiology of hepatitis C and the imperative for trauma-informed care.

Abstract

The distribution of hepatitis C (HCV) infection in Canada signals a widening gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Current evidence demonstrates that the rate of HCV infection among Indigenous people is at least five times higher than the rest of Canada. This analysis provides a reconciliatory response, which exposes the colonial etiology of the HCV gap in Canada and proposes potential anti-colonial approaches to HCV wellness and health care for Indigenous people. This analysis applies Two-Eyed Seeing as a reconciliatory methodology to advance the understanding of HCV burden and identify the key elements of responsive HCV care in the context of Indigenous nations in Canada. The analysis underlines the colonial distribution of HCV burden in Canada, highlights Indigenous perspectives on HCV infection, hypothesizes a clinical pathway for the underlying colonial etiology of HCV infection, and identifies Indigenous healing as a promising anti-colonial conceptual approach to HCV wellness and health care among Indigenous people. In the eyes of Indigenous people, HCV infection is a colonial illness that entails healing as an anti-colonial approach to achieving wellness and gaining health. Future empirical research should elaborate on the colonial HCV pathway hypothesis and inform the development of a framework for HCV healing among Indigenous people in Canada.