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Treaty-based strategies are required to address the unique needs of Indigenous communities in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. A treaty-based approach should recognize provisions within the Numbered Treaties, including the Famine and Pestilence Clause and Medicine Chest Clause, agreed to during the signing of Treaty 6 in 1876. The Famine and Pestilence Clause established the Crown’s obligation to aid Indigenous Peoples within Treaty 6 Territory in the event of calamities such as locust raids, storms, starvation, and disease. The Medicine Chest Clause instituted the means through which the Crown would provide medical care for Indigenous Peoples within the jurisdiction. The Government of Canada has a legal obligation to invoke the Famine and Pestilence Clause and Medicine Chest Clause in a strategy to address the spread of COVID-19 in Indigenous communities.

Indigenous peoples around the world are concerned about the long-term impacts of industrial activities and natural resource extraction projects on their traditional territories. Environmental impact studies, environmental risk assessments (EAs), and risk management protocols are offered as tools that can address some of these concerns. However, these tools are not universally required in jurisdictions, and this Forum intervention considers whether these technical tools might be reshaped to integrate Indigenous communities’ interests, with specific attention to traditional knowledge. Challenges include unrealistic timelines to evaluate proposed projects, community capacity, inadequate understanding of Indigenous communities, and ineffective communicatio, all of which contribute to pervasive distrust in EAs by many Indigenous communities. Despite efforts to address these problems, substantive inequities persist in the way that EAs are conducted as infringement continues on constitutionally protected Indigenous rights. This article highlights challenges within the EA process and presents pathways for improving collaboration and outcomes with Indigenous communities.

The “Understanding from Within” (UFW) project was part of the National Health Population Study of Neurological Conditions (NHPSNC), a 4-year study aimed at better understanding the scope of neurological conditions in Canada, and funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The goal of the UFW project was to develop a better understanding of how Aboriginal people conceptualize neurological conditions and the impacts on their families and communities, and the resources and supports needed to provide culturally safe and appropriate care. The research was qualitative and used an Indigenous Research Methodologies (IRM) approach to guide the design, collection of data, and analysis. Two methods were used to collect information: in-depth interviews and research circles (focus groups). A total of 80 people participated in the research, 69 women and 11 men. In-depth interviews were undertaken with key informants (22), with Aboriginal people living with a neurological condition (18), and with Aboriginal people caring for someone with a neurological condition (40). This paper examines the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual impacts of neurological conditions on Aboriginal people, primarily women. It also examines other themes that emerged from the narratives, including recommendations to healthcare providers and cross-cutting themes that are relevant to culturally safe care and how it relates to neurological conditions.

Consultations with concerned stakeholders are a cornerstone to effective impact assessment, not only within Canada, but internationally as well. The environment is of paramount importance to Indigenous communities, as many continue to rely heavily on the land and natural resources for their subsistence, including their socio-economic, cultural, spiritual and physical survival. Indigenous communities want reassurances from governments and industry that negative impacts associated with projects, programs or policies in their territories will be minimized and that positive impacts will be maximized. Communities want to be involved in the development, implementation and interpretation of the impact assessment report to assure themselves of the environmental, social, spiritual and health impacts associated with the exploitation of the local natural resources. This paper presents efforts by the Environmental Health Research Division of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada, to assist Indigeno...

This paper examines the multiple oppressions faced by Aboriginal women as a result of Canada's sexist and racist colonial past. We explore the destructive affects of colonization on gender relations and societal structures and argue that Aboriginal women suffer higher rates of poverty, ill-health, violence and sexual exploitation than non-Aboriginal women as a result. The Sisters in Spirit Campaign (2004) and Amnesty International's “Stolen Sisters” report (2004) illustrate how violence is a result of the social and economic marginalization of Aboriginal women. Short term solutions focus on serious jail sentences and fines on those who procure, exploit and prepetrate crimes on girls and women while long term solutions must address the elimination of poverty among Aborignal women while simultaneously revaluing Aborignal women and their culture. Unless these underlying causes of poor health for Aboriginal women are addressed there is little chance of improvement.

The Southern Saskatchewan/Urban Aboriginal Health Coalition is an interdisciplinary, intersectoral team of researchers and communities dedicated to exploring what 'culturally respectful' care means in Aboriginal communities. Although the purpose of the research project was to examine this concept in an effort to improve health care service delivery and education for health professions, the members of the Coalition realized early in the process that one of the primary factors related to the success of the project would be the building and sustaining of relationships. This paper describes a relational process that was used to initiate, facilitate, and support a research partnership with the Aboriginal communities. Through a community-based process, two communities and the Coalition used sharing circles and workshops as a method to create relationships and begin a discussion about what constitutes key elements of culturally respectful health care and education. These elements have not yet been determined as the Coalition and community members have focused on fostering relationships which have been critical to building the partnership with the Aboriginal communities.

For community engagement to be successful, the interests of the community must be taken into account and researchers must become facilitators. Patience is required. Meaningful and sustainable relationships that have been developed over time promote mutual learning and capacity building among the partners (Elders, community members, health care providers, and researchers). In addition, community engagement leads to the sharing of available resources (eg, human, time, and financial) and to a sustained commitment by the partners. This mutual commitment makes future projects easier to develop and complete. Thus, authentic transformative health development, informed by participatory health research, becomes an ongoing process.

The Southern Saskatchewan/Urban Aboriginal Health Coalition is an interdisciplinary, intersectoral team of researchers and communities dedicated to exploring culturally respectful care in Aboriginal communities. Through a community-based research approach, the communities and the Coalition used sharing circles to determine the key elements that 2 Saskatchewan Aboriginal communities see as requisite for culturally competent care. Through triangulation and thematic analysis, 9 initial themes and 4 broad thematic groupings were derived. The lessons from this study could inform further research with these communities and other culturally diverse groups with respect to cultural competency in terms of both health-care providers and health services.