As we mark National Indigenous Peoples History Month in June, and celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, we want to pause and reflect on what it means to listen, and what it means to act.
Being in solidarity must always extend beyond words, statements and commitments. When we commit to action and hold ourselves accountable, change is possible. This month we’re focused on reaffirming our commitments to listening to the truth, and acting on oppression, reducing risks, harms and injustices by:
- Continuing to build an in depth understanding and emotional reflection on the truth, as embodied in the Truth and Reconciliation Reports, including the 94 calls to action, and a number of update reports. Without this foundation, we risk more colonial oppression and violence. With it, we have a powerful map for change.
- Continuing to build an in depth understanding and emotional reflection on the connection of historic oppression to current inequities and systemic racism, including in the justice, education, social and incarceration systems.
- Acknowledging the problem of passivity, of silent consent for continued inequities across health, social, justice systems, and advocating to create political awareness for change.
- Finding places to take actions, and taking them. This step is the hardest, but the most important: it requires that people be ready to be unsettled, unlearning and thinking differently.
Health care organization can access supports from the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, which has amazing resources to help organizations and individuals who are learning and practicing how to be in solidarity, how to offer more culturally safe care, including mental health care.
It’s also important for organizations and health leaders to consider how to be allies in helping to transform our system from a colonial one, into one that puts Indigenous health back into Indigenous health leaders hands, in every sense, from funding and development decisions, to education, to leadership and governance to health care delivery.
At the Alliance, we have seen the successes, and the research to back up those successes, across many Indigenous-led organizations. Governments must continue to support and help Indigenous health leaders to build on these successes and make truly culturally affirming care universally available to every Indigenous person.
During a time when human rights are under attack, pressure has increased on Indigenous rights as well, including the right to clean water where you live. The need for well articulated and committed solidarity matters at all levels of government in Canada.
It’s in that spirit that we stand in solidarity with Indigenous health leaders across Turtle Island this month, and commit to continuing advocacy work to ensure the diverse histories, cultures, knowledge and wisdom of First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities are at the heart of Indigenous health in Indigenous hands and Indigenous health systems and leadership.