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Cultural Effects on Canadian Indigenous Peoples Health
Introduction
Health geography provides a valuable aid in studying medical practices. This discipline introduces knowledge about the peculiarities of healthcare and medicine, depending on the geographical information of the studied area, culture, and people. This topic is particularly significant for Canada since a local indigenous population has peculiar health treatments. Therefore, this research paper aims to gain knowledge about how the traditional culture of the indigenous people impacts their health methods and healing process. Ultimately, the geographic extent of the indigenous population and unique culture significantly affect the local medicine traditions.
Topic Overview
Health geography relates to the topic of healthcare, providing valuable information for public health policies and environmental health practices. Consequently, it shows how climatic conditions, territorial affiliation, culture, and customs determine how people struggle with diseases and other health-related problems (3). Greenwood et al. reveal that the Canadian healthcare system is complex and frequently challenged by overlapping jurisdictions and medical traditions (3). This issue leads to severe problems, including the unequal distribution of provided healthcare services.
Moreover, the indigenous populations geographic extent and the high environmental impact affect how medical services are arranged and implemented. The unique ethnic culture encompasses various traditions, rituals, beliefs, and healing methods, which might effectively combat multiple diseases and health complications (2). Nevertheless, this approach does not mitigate all challenges of unequal healthcare distribution, leading to higher disease rates and lower life expectancy (3, 6). Therefore, it is crucial to examine the existing medical methods of the indigenous Canadian population and the obstacles to equal healthcare to resolve the problem.
Considerations Concerning Indigenous Peoples Health in Canada
A distinctive feature of indigenous medical practices is the holistic approach aimed at healing the body and soul. Indigenous people believe that most diseases arise due to an imbalance between these two aspects (7). In this sense, some of the barriers between traditional medicine and equal healthcare distribution in Canada arise due to conflicting approaches. In other words, some indigenous people believe that innovative technologies might violate the balance of body and soul and only resort to traditional methods (3). It is one of the major considerations that should be considered in the current debate.
Nevertheless, it does not necessarily mean that unique indigenous culture is incompatible with modern healthcare. Most of the barriers still include various social determinants of health, including socio-economic, political, and environmental factors (1, 3). Many of the examined obstacles are specific to Canada due to the overlapping jurisdictions and associated issues (3, 6). In other words, the uniqueness and identity of the indigenous approach are vital considerations, but they are not the decisive factors in the problem. To demonstrate this point of view, it is crucial to examine some of the relevant medical traditions among the indigenous people in Canada.
Indigenous Medicine Overview
One of the distinctive and most well-known healing methods is group treatment. This long-established ritual is performed when people gather together and share their troubles. This practice aims at spiritual liberation by distributing the disease from one person to a community dissolving the negative effects of the sickness (5). Another method concerns sweat lodges that are used to cleanse the body of harmful toxins and treat them. Experts state that sweat lodge ceremonies have historically been an important part of Indigenous cultures throughout North America (5). This practice is considered a full-fledged part of medical methods of getting rid of toxins and harmful substances in the human body.
Of particular interest is the special distribution of parts of the medical circle that are related to health geography. Hence, the indigenous population considers it as a representation of the four cardinal directions with their main features (7). These include skin color, features of climatic conditions, and products manufactured in this area (7). For example, the indigenous population associates the north with white skin, winter, and animals. Thus, when applying the wheel of medicine, the indigenous population preserves its traditions and beliefs that everything in a person should be equal and in balance.
Topic Relevance
The discussion of unique medicine methods is relevant to the problem of unequal healthcare services in Canada since they mitigate and aggravate the issue at the same time. Traditional indigenous approaches are essential to the culture, and they might effectively prevent some diseases which inevitably emerge due to various social determinants of health (3). At the same time, the ingrained beliefs in some of the traditions might create additional barriers between indigenous and modern medicine. This problem emerges due to the high commitment of the indigenous population to the traditions and ethnic traditions of the people. Nevertheless, it is crucial to find the appropriate balance between the approaches to improve the health outcomes in the communities while preserving the unique culture.
Further Research
Further research is needed to establish the appropriate course of action and ensure the collaboration between the government and the indigenous communities. The Canadian government continually adopts policies that concern the health of this part of the countrys population. For instance, the Canada Health Act implies that all medically necessary services need to be covered for all eligible residents of the province or territory, including indigenous peoples (4). Nevertheless, the obstacles remain, and it is essential for all stakeholders to collaborate to find the most appropriate solution. Currently, overlapping jurisdictions and healthcare paradigms are relevant problems, and the country struggles to address this issue. As a result, further research is necessary to overcome the existing challenges and improve health outcomes among indigenous people.
Conclusion
The medical traditions in indigenous communities remain an effective method to prevent various diseases and preserve the unique culture, but they also contribute to the problem of unequal healthcare distribution. At present, there are multiple overlapping healthcare jurisdictions and paradigms in Canada, and it is crucial to address this issue. Ultimately, the government and indigenous communities should collaborate to find the appropriate solution to this problem and improve the health outcomes among indigenous people.
References
Carson B, Dunbar T, Chenhall RD, Bailie R, editors. Social determinants of Indigenous health. London: Routledge; 2020.
Ford-Ellis AG. How is the Medicine Wheel considered in therapeutic practice. Journal of Concurrent Disorders. 2019;1(3): 78-93.
Greenwood M, De Leeuw S, Lindsay N. Challenges in health equity for Indigenous peoples in Canada. The Lancet. 2018 Apr 28;391(10131): 1645-8.
Indigenous health care in Canada [Internet]. Canada: Government of Canada; Web.
Marsh TN, Marsh DC, Ozawagosh J, Ozawagosh F. The sweat lodge ceremony: a healing intervention for intergenerational trauma and substance use. International Indigenous Policy Journal. 2018 Apr 1; 9(2).
Tjepkema M, Bushnik T, Bougie E. Life expectancy of First Nations, Métis and Inuit household populations in Canada. Health Reports. 2019; 30(12): 3-10.
What is an Indigenous medicine wheel? [Internet]. Canada: Indigenous Corporate Training Inc; Web.
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