Aboriginal Population in Canada
In Canada, the Indian act was used as a way to control the majority of the First Nation population. The policy isolated the aboriginals from other Canadian citizens. As a result, they could not access basic needs like food like their non-aboriginals counterparts. What is more, their living has continuously deteriorated since they could not access critical social services like healthcare (Barron 2000). In that, the Aboriginal populations were forced out of their ancestral land for urbanization, and they were forced out of their properties. Therefore, the challenges that the First population is facing in Canada are the outcomes of speculation due to the Indian Act. As a result, this paper illustrates how the Canadian government fails to satisfy the needs of the Aboriginal population by pointing out inaccessible social services as a significant challenge. All in all, it calls for the action of the government and other vital human resource institutions to implement strategic policies in a bid to close the social disparity gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.
During the implementation of the Indian Act, the main intention was to eliminate their cultural practices and make them follow Canadian ideologies. Maybe it was good for the whole nation; however, the mode implementation indicated otherwise. In that, there forceful evictions and discrimination; to make matters worse, even Aboriginal kids were isolated by getting enrolled in specific residential schools where they could not interact with other kids at all (National Association of Friendship Centers, 2005). In the long run, the social disparity between the First Nation population and other Canadian citizens grew extensively. Due to the cruelty and harshness of the Indian Act, the aboriginals are continuously moving from the act. And this motive has led to the development of the Aboriginal self-government, which aims at achieving the goals of Aboriginal peoples. Some of these goals include the equal provision of employment opportunities and access to vital services. Since the Indian Act does not favor the Aboriginals, self-government enables the implementation of an indigenous form of government which operates under the policy of the Canadian government.
Self-government within the Aboriginal population is meant to restore rights and restructure leadership to enable the indigenous communities to live a life free of discrimination just like they deed for multiple decades before the implementation of the European Act. In other words, it is all about the reconciliation of the pre-existence of aboriginal societies with the sovereignty of the Crown (National Association of Friendship Centres, 2005). And this means that the Aboriginal citizens, the government, and the non-Aboriginal citizens should have a mindset of reconstruction, which ensures that the current policies are changed to favor pre-existing indigenous rights, include an integrated self-governing system. Aboriginal self-government will achieve the goals of Aboriginal people in various ways; first of all, according to the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, self-governing should be an essential right for the Aboriginals. And this indicates the significance of this leadership system. To be more precise, it will enable self-determination, control, and freedom, especially concerning a wide range of aspects relating to local social affairs. The government of Canada is not doing enough to support the indigenous in terms of resource and service distribution.
Aboriginal self-government will achieve the goals of Aboriginal people by enabling them to implement a wide range of self-sustaining local financial and social service support systems. Since it will eliminate resistance and foster unity, the federal government of Canada understands and acknowledges the importance of self- government for indigenous people, non-Aboriginal citizens, and Canada as a whole. And this means that Aboriginal self-government will fasten the process of gradual decolonization in line with the government’s regulations and policies, and this will be very critical for the future of Canada. For over millennia, before the arrival of the Europeans in Canada, the Aboriginal populations were self-governing. What is more, they incorporated a wide range of traditional ideologies and social values combined with wisdom, training, and development from the elderly. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples insists that by social rights, aboriginals should freely determine their political, social, and cultural frameworks to ensure they can independently develop and access social resources, which the government of Canada has failed to deliver. The challenges that the First population is facing in Canada are the outcomes of speculation due to the Indian Act. Self-governing will counter the effects of the full range of challenges faced by Aboriginals. And this justifies the significance of self-government
Most of the Aboriginals do not have sustainable employment opportunities, and if they do, then the working conditions are deplorable and present high risk to their health status. Traditionally, the indigenous populations in Canada holistically view healthcare and medical requirements, through various spiritual and emotional dimensions. On the same note, the social determinants of Indigenous health are generally interconnected; for instance, collective health behaviors, relationships to their motherland, and political ideologies such as indigenous world views. In a bid to understand the threatening social determinants of healthcare among indigenous populations, it is appropriate to analyze from a political, social, social, and historical perspective. Due to the new discriminatory colonial structure in Canada, the indigenous populations have been assimilated into the dominant Euro-Canadian culture (Napoleon, Cameron, Arcand and Scott, 2008). After the implementation of the Indian Act, there was the forceful displacement of the First Nation groups into rural under-developed regions. Secondly, was excessive discrimination through the implementation of the Indian Act; also, there was the construction and forceful enrollment into residential school and inadequate social and inadequate economic development within the indigenous’ regions. These are some of the main colonial factors that have led to the prevalent threatening social determinants of health amongst the indigenous populations in Canada.
The indigenous populations in Canada face a wide range of challenges. However, one of the most prevalent problems is inadequate access to vital social services. During the last two decades, there has been a wide range of international initiatives aimed at ensuring the rights of the Aboriginals are met. To be more precise, some of these efforts include: fostering equality and improving rights, guaranteeing the First Nation communities participate in the development of various policies; and this is important because it provides the first-hand perspective of the changes that are supposed to be made in a bid to improve the lives of the indigenous population (Napoleon, Cameron, Arcand, and Scott, 2008). The Canadian government supports the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, but practically there is a vast social disparity between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. And this had led to various challenges, including lack of participation in the development and implementation of healthcare policies, a prohibition from using traditional forms of treatment and cultural ideologies and beliefs of well-being; also, inequality in the access of vital mental health services. In the long run, Aboriginals suffer unacceptable healthcare challenges; and this justifies the significance of ensuring social services that are equally and easily accessible.
Inadequate access to vital social services by the Aboriginal population impacts their health status (Belanger, 2008). In other words, since they cannot access critical mental medical facilities, there is a high rate of mental illness amongst the Aboriginal as compared to the non-Aboriginal community. In the long run, the indigenous population citizens are likely to die at a young age or experience disability at some point in their lives. According to a range of reports ranks as one of the best healthcare providers in the whole world, which is true, but it only applies to the non-Aboriginal communities. On the contrary, Aboriginals face countless healthcare challenges, which primarily result from poor living conditions. Social determinants of healthcare such as social structure, work environment, psychological and mental health are essential for every Canadian citizen. However, Aboriginals experience health-threatening challenges concerning social determinants of health are indigenous and racial minorities (Raphael, Ann and Toba 2010).In most cases, they live in poverty-stricken regions, with insufficient access to basic amenities like education, food, and shelter.
The prevalence of food insecurity, poor housing, family poverty, and increasing discrimination against the indigenous population has raised concerns from the United Nations. As a solution, global humanitarian institution collaborates with the world health organization in implementing various strategies that can improve the social determinants of health. To be more precise, they are focused on fostering different decision-making processes concerning healthcare policies (World Health Organization, 2020). Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) is strengthening international cooperation, improving medical care, and monitoring the impacts of various initiatives that have been implemented. The WHO is supporting member states like Canada to give attention to every citizen and improve the social determinants of health effects. As a result, it requires governments to align all sectors, irrespective of social status, in a bid to develop healthcare amenities with precise measurable outcomes. Also, the world health leaders will support member states in enhancing efficient access to a wide range of affordable healthcare services to reduce medical access inequalities.
Weak health systems pose a significant barrier to vital social determinants of health. Therefore, through continuous support and concerted effort, they will improve healthcare equity. The world health administration will maximize the level of collaboration and global governance (World Health organization, 2020). Increasing the ability of humanitarian agencies, donors, and international aid will support national healthcare actions and social determinants. Just like the inefficiency of the Canadian federal healthcare department to provide equal healthcare, global healthcare governance is not sufficient in addressing health inequities. And this means that international organizations like the world health organization and the United Nations must restructure their frameworks and policies. As a solution to this challenge, the world health organizers enables member states to easily access and attain technical support and financial resources that are useful in improving the social determinants of health. Canada is a theoretically recognized leader in developing, supporting, and implementing healthcare policies. However, the nation’s implementations of public systems to foster health are not sufficient. As a result, it is essential to collaborate with the world health organization and other healthcare players to improve the social determinants of health.
The history of the Indigenous peoples in Canada is vast and culturally rich. However, the population faced various challenges, especially after the invasion into their lands by the white Canadians. After the implementation of the Indian act, children were kidnapped and forcefully taken to residential schools. Secondly, their cultural practices were destroyed. Also, social inequality was prevalent, and it was significantly driven by discrimination and abuse. The indigenous populations played a significant role in helping shape the history of Canada. As a result, it calls for the action of the government and other vital human resource institutions to implement strategic policies in a bid to close the social disparity gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.
References
Barron, J., 2000. “In the Name of Solidarity: The Politics of Representation and Articulation in Support of the Labrador Innu.” Capitalism, Nature, Socialism, 11:3, pp. 87–112.
Belanger, Y. 2008. Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada: Current Trends and Issues, 3rd edition. Saskatoon: Purich Publishing.
Napoleon, V., A. Cameron, C. Arcand, and D. Scott. 2008. “Where Is the Law in Restorative Justice?” Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada: Current Trends and Issues, 3rd ed. edited byYale Belanger, pp. 348–372. Saskatoon: Purich Publishing.
National Association of Friendship Centres (2005). “Needs of Aboriginal People Living in Urban Centres Ignored on Agenda for First Ministers’ Meeting on Aboriginal Affairs” [press release]. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://mail.nafc.ca/PDF/NAFC%20News%20Release%20-%20English.pdf
Raphael, D. (2009). Social determinants of health: Canadian perspectives. Canadian Scholars’ Press, Third Edition.
Raphael, D., Ann C. S. and Toba B. (2010) “Barriers to addressing the social determinants of health.” Health promotion and quality of life in Canada: 251-261.
World Health Organization (2020). Social determinants of health: tracking to improve health equity. https://www.who.int/social_determinants/action_sdh/en/
