Taking a new path forward: A focus on Indigenous allyship and culturally safe care

Press Release

December 2, 2024

In September, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) apologized for its role, and the role of the profession, in past and ongoing harms to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in the health system.

But as CMA President Dr. Joss Reimer said, “An apology in and of itself is just words.” The CMA’s ReconciliACTION plan outlines our next steps to build a health system free of anti-Indigenous racism and inclusive of Indigenous traditions and values.

As part of this work, the CMA Foundation is supporting large-scale initiatives like The Winds of Change Opens in a new window, the recently announced Indigenous-led national cultural safety and humility standard in development with the Health Standards Organization.

We are also supporting individual physicians on the path to reconciliation. On Nov. 25, Dr. Reimer moderated a virtual panel and discussion on Indigenous allyship and culturally safe care — the second in a series.

Read the highlights from our June event on Indigenous allyship

Here are some highlights, which touched on the importance of considering social determinants of health, as well as the needs of individual communities:

‘It’s different for Indigenous Peoples’: Understanding the inequitable distribution of services

Dr. Ojistoh Horn is Kanienkeha:ka (Mohawk) from the Kahnawake and Akwesasne communities. She is medical director of clinical care in the department of health in Akwesasne, where she works as a family physician and resident supervisor.

“We are now so unhealthy. And so we’re talking about access to general things like transportation, communications, sustainable healthy food, healthy clean water, access to health care services, education — most communities do not even have a high school in their communities — and waste management [as well as] things like economic development.

[These are] all things that Canadians do not actually pay attention to as to how those services are provided to them, [but] it’s different for Indigenous Peoples. So, if we do understand how Canada is set up, then we can start understanding the inequitable distribution of these services and why we have the persistent problems we have today.”

‘Indigenous Peoples and communities are disproportionately harmed’: How environmental racism impacts cultural safety

Dr. Melissa Lem is a Vancouver family physician who also works in rural and northern communities. She is president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and director of PaRx, Canada’s national nature prescription program.

“We need to be aware how important those ecological determinants of health, which include clean air, clean water, unpolluted food and a stable climate, are for all of our health. If the lands and waters that your family has been connected to since time immemorial are polluted, or if a wildfire evacuates your reserve … the social determinants of health like education, income, housing and your ability to access health care are severely harmed.

This is why the World Health Organization calls climate change the greatest threat to health of the 21st century, and why Indigenous Peoples and communities are disproportionately harmed.”

‘It’s all about developing relationships’: Making mistakes is part of the process

Dr. Sarah Lespérance is a rural generalist physician, who currently practises in the region of Mi’kma’ki that is Nova Scotia, in Nunavut, and recently in the Northwest Territories, on the traditional lands of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.

“Every community is different, so there’s not one answer [to how to build relationships] … the solution is going to depend on the situation, and every one is unique. Working in rural communities, there’s a phrase we use that ‘if you’ve seen one rural community, you’ve seen one rural community.’ I think this is the same reality; it’s all about developing those relationships [in a way that works for the community].

We need to recognize [allyship] isn’t always a comfortable road to travel, but it doesn’t make the journey not worthwhile … when you’re trying to be an ally, be humble and look with kindness at those around you who may also be trying to do some of this work, because we will make mistakes.”

IHT4