Using the TCP data to study Indigenous households’ living arrangements at the turn of the 20th century: Challenges and opportunities

BackgroundIndigenous peoples in Canada have higher prevalence of modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The relative importance of these risk factors on AD risk management is poorly understood.MethodsRelative risks from literature and prevalence of risk factors from Statistics Canada or the First Nations Regional Health Survey were used to determine projected population attributable risk (PAR) associated with modifiable risk factors for AD (low education and vascular risk factors) among on- and off-reserve Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada using the Levin formula.ResultsPhysical inactivity had the highest PAR for AD among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada (32.5% [10.1%–51.1%] and 30.5% [9.2%–48.8%] respectively). The PAR for most modifiable risk factors was higher among Indigenous peoples in Canada, particularly among on-reserve groups. The greatest differences in PAR were for low educational attainment and smoking, which were approximately 10% higher among Indigenous peoples in Canada. The combined PAR for AD for all six modifiable risk factors was 79.6% among on-reserve Indigenous, 74.9% among off-reserve Indigenous, and 67.1% among non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. (All differences significant to p < .001.)ConclusionsModifiable risk factors are responsible for the most AD cases among Indigenous peoples in Canada. Further research is necessary to determine the prevalence of AD and the impact of risk factor modification among Indigenous peoples in Canada.

BACKGROUND:For Indigenous Peoples in Canada, birthing on or near traditional territories in the presence of family and community is of foundational cultural and social importance. We aimed to evaluate the association between Indigenous identity and distance travelled for birth in Canada.METHODS:We obtained data from the Maternity Experiences Survey, a national population-based sample of new Canadian people aged 15 years or older who gave birth (defined as mothers) and were interviewed in 2006–2007. We compared Indigenous with non-Indigenous Canadian-born mothers and adjusted for geographic and sociodemographic factors and medical complications of pregnancy using multivariable logistic regression. We categorized the primary outcome, distance travelled for birth, as 0 to 49, 50 to 199 or 200 km or more.RESULTS:We included 3100 mothers living in rural or small urban areas, weighted to represent 31 100 (1800 Indigenous and 29 300 non-Indigenous Canadian-born mothers). We found that travelling 200 km or more for birth was more common among Indigenous compared with non-Indigenous mothers (9.8% v. 2.0%, odds ratio [OR] 5.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.52–8.48). In adjusted analyses, the association between Indigenous identity and travelling more than 200 km for birth was even stronger (adjusted OR 16.44, 95% CI 8.07–33.50) in rural regions; however, this was not observed in small urban regions (adjusted OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.37–2.91).INTERPRETATION:Indigenous people in Canada experience striking inequities in access to birth close to home compared with non-Indigenous people, primarily in rural areas and independently of medical complications of pregnancy. This suggests inequities are rooted in the geographic distribution of and proximal access to birthing facilities and providers for Indigenous people.

Inadequate death investigations for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) in Canada are a growing problem. Despite several government initiatives and specialised police task forces, Indigenous families continue to report that investigators fail to conduct complete investigations into their loved ones’ deaths. At the centre of many of these concerns is the role that police play, or do not play, in fulfilling standard investigative procedures. This paper presents a thematic analysis of concerns made by Indigenous people about MMIP investigations in Canada, including three in-depth case studies from Prince Rupert, B.C. and 53 family testimony transcripts from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Women and Girls. Three themes on primary investigative concerns in Indigenous cases emerged including (1) police discrepancies and biases at the time of report intake, (2) failures to collect evidence and information during investigations, and (3) lack of officer communication and support for bereaved families. The discussion throughout identifies the role of the police within these investigative concerns and incorporates cautions from academic literature. The study includes both professional and community recommendations for policing institutions to improve future investigations into the deaths of Indigenous people and support the well-being of the bereaved.

This chapter sheds light on social work’s troubled past with Indigenous peoples in Canada. It aims to discuss ‘troubled histories’ of complicity, oppression and assimilation in an ongoing process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and preservation of social work memory. Social work’s troubled past with Indigenous Peoples in Canada is one of the profession’s darkest moments in the 20th century, starting with the residential schools created to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian society, and pursued through the Sixties Scoop, comprising policies and practices to remove Indigenous children from their communities and place them in foster care or adoption by White families. In the early 19th century, when colonial settlement in Canada intensified, Indigenous peoples were subjugated to British colonial rule through the imposition of a policy called the Indian Act that aimed to ‘protect’ Indigenous people from European settlers. Such policy and practices were intended primarily to ‘civilise the Indians’ in the name of Christianisation, and involved imposing assimilation strategies and practices, supported by the ideological biases of politicians, administrators and wider society. Such practices of settler colonialism towards Indigenous peoples used child welfare as an approach to solving the ‘Indian Problem’. By the late 1940s the social work profession was already playing a direct role in the child welfare system concerning Indigenous children. Social workers became directly involved in the removal of Indigenous children from Indigenous families and communities.

This chapter sheds light on social work’s troubled past with Indigenous peoples in Canada. It aims to discuss ‘troubled histories’ of complicity, oppression and assimilation in an ongoing process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and preservation of social work memory. Social work’s troubled past with Indigenous Peoples in Canada is one of the profession’s darkest moments in the 20th century, starting with the residential schools created to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian society, and pursued through the Sixties Scoop, comprising policies and practices to remove Indigenous children from their communities and place them in foster care or adoption by White families. In the early 19th century, when colonial settlement in Canada intensified, Indigenous peoples were subjugated to British colonial rule through the imposition of a policy called the Indian Act that aimed to ‘protect’ Indigenous people from European settlers. Such policy and practices were intended primarily to ‘civilise the Indians’ in the name of Christianisation, and involved imposing assimilation strategies and practices, supported by the ideological biases of politicians, administrators and wider society. Such practices of settler colonialism towards Indigenous peoples used child welfare as an approach to solving the ‘Indian Problem’. By the late 1940s the social work profession was already playing a direct role in the child welfare system concerning Indigenous children. Social workers became directly involved in the removal of Indigenous children from Indigenous families and communities.

Access to Cardiovascular Care for Indigenous Peoples in Canada: A Rapid Review

Food Security Status of Indigenous Peoples in Canada According to the 4 Pillars of Food Security: A Scoping Review.

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the health of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA, as reflected in the growing literature. However, Indigenous...

Homelessness among Indigenous peoples in Canada: The impacts of child welfare involvement and educational achievement

Background:Substantial health inequities exist for Indigenous Peoples in Canada. The remote and distributed population of Canada presents unique challenges for access to and use of surgery. To date, the surgical outcome data for Indigenous Peoples in Canada have not been synthesized.Methods:We searched 4 databases to identify studies comparing surgical outcomes and utilization rates of adults of First Nations, Inuit or Métis identity with non-Indigenous people in Canada. Independent reviewers completed all stages in duplicate. Our primary outcome was mortality; secondary outcomes included utilization rates of surgical procedures, complications and hospital length of stay. We performed meta-analysis of the primary outcome using random effects models. We assessed risk of bias using the ROBINS-I tool.Results:Twenty-eight studies were reviewed involving 1 976 258 participants (10.2% Indigenous). No studies specifically addressed Inuit or Métis populations. Four studies, including 7 cohorts, contributed adjusted mortality data for 7135 participants (5.2% Indigenous); Indigenous Peoples had a 30% higher rate of death after surgery than non-Indigenous patients (pooled hazard ratio 1.30, 95% CI 1.09–1.54; I2 = 81%). Complications were also higher for Indigenous Peoples, including infectious complications (adjusted OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.13–2.34) and pneumonia (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.58–3.19). Rates of various surgical procedures were lower, including rates of renal transplant, joint replacement, cardiac surgery and cesarean delivery.Interpretation:The currently available data on postoperative outcomes and surgery utilization rates for Indigenous Peoples in Canada are limited and of poor quality. Available data suggest that Indigenous Peoples have higher rates of death and adverse events after surgery, while also encountering barriers accessing surgical procedures. These findings suggest a need for substantial re-evaluation of surgical care for Indigenous Peoples in Canada to ensure equitable access and to improve outcomes. Protocol registration:PROSPERO-CRD42018098757

Background The oral health of Indigenous peoples in Canada is lacking compared with their non-Indigenous counterparts. This scoping assessment aimed to investigate the obstacles of providing and using oral healthcare among Indigenous peoples in Canada. Methods The scoping review took place between December 15, 2021 and January 10, 2022. Five key databases were examined: PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Embase, and PROQUEST. The data were analyzed using NVIVO software to facilitate understanding of the major themes, subthemes, and codes provided. Results Seven major themes and eighteen subthemes were identified as impacting the oral health provision and utilization of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The major themes are individual characteristics, affordability, availability, accessibility, accommodation, acceptability, and public or government policy. Thus, to improve the oral health of the Indigenous peoples in Canada, an integrated approach is required to address these obstacles. Conclusions To address the oral health disparities among Indigenous peoples in Canada, policymakers should adopt an integrated approach.

According to systemic approach, the study of education of Canadian indigenous peoples justifies the necessity to analyse the specificity of academic possibilities in different periods of lifelong learning. In the article, the specificity of academic programmes for indigenous children in the period of early childhood has been studied. The purpose of the article is to analyse the peculiarities of early childhood academic programmes and determine their pros and cons. The authors present the results of the analysis of scientific and pedagogical literature, which highlights distinct aspects of the problem under research. They analyse the normative documents, which regulate the development and implementation of education and learning in early childhood for indigenous peoples in modern Canada. The study shows, that the modern system of education and learning in early childhood for indigenous peoples in Canada presents an integrity of theory and practice of early childhood learning and comprises social, cultural, historical specificity of indigenous peoples’ lifestyle. This system is characterised by such factors as cognitive (improvement of intellectual and cognitive performance of young children), social (adaptation to society and development of skills necessary for establishment of relationships with other individuals), health-saving (provision of regular medical examinations on the basis of the school), family (ensuring a favourable environment at home, involving parents in active participation in the education of their children). The main goal of the mentioned academic programmes is defined as preparing children for schooling and life in the modern multicultural society of Canada. The authors make conclusions about the positive influence of the academic programmes for indigenous children in the period of early childhood and formulate the prospects for future research of the problem of indigenous peoples’ education development in Canada.

Under international law, birth registration is considered a human right because it determines access to important legal protections as well as essential services and social supports across the lifespan. Difficulties related to birth registration and the acquisition of personal identification (PID) are largely regarded as problems specific to low-income countries. For Indigenous people in northern and rural Canada, however, lack of PID, like birth certificates, is a common problem that is rooted in the geography of the region as well as historical and contemporary settler colonial policies. This communication elucidates the complicated terrain of unregistered births for those people living in northern Ontario in order to generate discussion about how the social determinants of health for Indigenous people in Canada are affected by PID. Drawing on intake surveys, qualitative interviews and participant observation field notes, we use the case study of “Susan” as an entry point to share insights into the “intergenerational problem” of unregistered births in the region. Susan’s case speaks to how unregistered births and lack of PID disproportionately impacts the health and well-being of Indigenous people and communities in northern Ontario. The implications and the need for further research on this problem in Canada are discussed.

The advancement of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada has had a significant impact on the approval of energy projects since the introduction of section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. The legal concepts of consultation, accommodation, and consent have pushed the boundaries of our existing regulatory regimes and challenged the way we think about administrative processes. The move toward the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Canada, including the concept of “free, prior and informed consent,” is certain to further push those boundaries as governments advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. In canvassing current legislative, proposed legislative, and policy developments across Canada — in particular, recent legislative changes in British Columbia — there appear to be different models developing for incorporating UNDRIP into Canadian law. These models range from express requirements in relation to Indigenous consent on major project approvals, to more flexible frameworks that will enable governments to address UNDRIP incrementally over time. Ultimately, many important questions remain with respect to how UNDRIP will impact energy development in Canada.

In 2015, the Liberal Party of Canada formed a majority federal government on a platform that included prioritizing Nation-to-Nation relationships with Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) peoples in the country and re-asserting global leadership in climate change action by moving away from fossil-fuel based extraction and toward renewable energy initiatives. It may be argued that addressing both of these issues, advancing Indigenous–Settler reconciliation, and mitigating climate change, can be done in the same space. Indeed, though Indigenous peoples in Canada and elsewhere have recently moved forward with renewable energy initiatives within their Territories, there has been very little critical analysis on just how such projects have been operationalized and whether renewable energy can or even should be considered a vehicle for reconciliation efforts. In this paper, we present a systematic review of Canadian literature (spanning from 1980 to 2017) concerning Indigenous peoples’ involvement in renewable energy to better understand the stated motivations and desires of Indigenous peoples in Canada taking leadership, partnering in, and (or) participating in the renewable energy sector. Using a series of keyword search strings across three academic databases, two theses databases, and a grey literature search, we retrieved literature (n = 980) that was subjected to four exclusionary forms and then thematically analyzed the included literature (n = 26). Our findings suggest Indigenous peoples’ experiences and motivations are varied, yet many are developing renewable energy in their Territories to: break free of colonial ties, move towards energy autonomy, establish more reliable energy systems, and reap the long-term financial benefits that clean energy can provide. Despite the apparent advantages seen throughout most of the literature reviewed here, we suggest further research in this area is necessary before this kind of positive rhetoric of renewable energy in Indigenous communities builds enough momentum that proponents become blind to possible shortcomings. We conclude with a broader discussion of the interactions between Indigenous–Settler reconciliation in the context of renewable energy projects as well as offering indicators for future research to fill current knowledge gaps.