Creating impact through Indigenous health journalism – CMA

June 12, 2025

Living on Treaty 1 Territory in Winnipeg’s north end, which has a significant Indigenous population, Lenard Monkman has witnessed the health impacts of centuries of systemic racism, be it the high rates of diabetes affecting family, friends and community members, or more recently, deaths and overdoses from increased drug use.

“I see the effects of the drug crisis every single day,” he says. And behind that there are health impacts like HIV, which are the offshoot of the drug crisis, which is the offshoot of colonialism.”

Monkman — an award-winning Anishnaabe journalist — has also seen how Indigenous Peoples can be blamed for their health problems, and how they are often minimized or even ignored when seeking care; people like Brian Sinclair, who died after waiting 34 hours in a Winnipeg emergency department without being seen, from what was considered a treatable condition.

Read More: https://www.cma.ca/latest-stories/creating-impact-through-indigenous-health-journalism