Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual healthcare has increased significantly. With a grant obtained from Healthcare Excellence Canada, First Nations Health Authority, Fraser Health, and Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) are gathering community data and feedback on Indigenous Cultural Safety* in virtual care.
Survey responses will be one component in giving Fraser-Salish First Nations, Inuit, and Métis patients a chance to inform the care frameworks that will be used to provide them with safe and effective virtual care.
This work is funded by Healthcare Excellence Canada as part of their Partnering on Appropriate Virtual Care initiative.
For more information, please contact:
Lauren Redman, BA, BMW, RM (non-practicing)
Health Systems Advocate, Fraser Health
Métis Nation of British Columbia
lredman@mnbc.ca
*What is Cultural Safety?
Indigenous cultural safety is the process of making spaces, services and organizations safer and more equitable for Indigenous Peoples by considering current and historical colonial impact and seeking to eliminate structural racism and discrimination.
What is Cultural Wellness?
Cultural wellness is about creating a space in which Métis can be themselves and fully express their culture, without discrimination. At MNBC "we have shifted the focus from the term cultural safety to cultural wellness, in recognition that the term safety can cause triggers for people who have often felt unsafe because of oppression of their identity. The term cultural wellness conveys a feeling of strength and empowerment. It’s an invitation to contribute to a community that promotes wellness for all, and it resonates with concepts of healing and self-care. MNBC has developed the following description of what cultural wellness means to Métis people and how the general public can support cultural wellness. This statement was based on input from over 100 Métis Elders and Youth:
Cultural wellness is a sense of belonging and pride we feel when we are connected to our Métis families, communities, traditions and the land. It feels like home. We express cultural wellness by honouring the strength, determination, and traditions of our ancestors. We do this by telling our stories, using the Michif language, being on the land, and practicing and passing on traditions such as our music, jigging and art. Métis culture is a beautiful continuation of the strength and resiliency of our ancestors, the joy of family connection and the passing on of the
teachings and traditions of our Elders to future generations. Cultural wellness fosters balance in physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health for our Métis individuals, families and Communities. Embracing Métis heritage and culture honours each Métis person’s unique story and our distinct identity as Métis people in B.C. today." (MNBC, 2021, Kaa-Wiichihitoyaahk)
In our working group we aim to capture Métis voices and make the distinction between our communities’ experiences and those of other Indigenous groups.
At the end of the survey, you will have an opportunity to enter your email into a draw to win a prize. Your email will not be used for anything except the draw and will not be connected to your responses in any way.