The Two Great Healing Traditions: Issues, Opportunities, and Recommendations for an Integrated First Nations Healthcare System in Canada

Abstract

The First Nations in Manitoba, Canada, are calling for active recognition and incorporation of holistic traditional healing and medicine ways and approaches by the mainstream healthcare system that has hitherto tended to ignore all but biomedical approaches. This request for recognition requires elaboration on areas of opportunity for collaboration that could positively influence both Indigenous and allopathic medicine. We discuss pathways to an integrated healthcare system as community-based primary healthcare transformation. A community-based participatory research approach was used to engage eight Manitoba First Nations communities. One hundred and eighty-three (183) in-depth, semi-structured key informant interviews were completed in all communities. Grounded theory guided data analysis using NVivo 10 software. We learned that increased recognition and incorporation of traditional healing and medical methods would enhance a newly envisioned funded health system. Elders and healers will be meaningfully involved in the delivery of community-based primary health care. Funding for traditional healing and medicines are necessary components of primary health care. An overall respect for Indigenous health knowledge would aid transformation in community-based primary health care. Recognition of and respect for traditional healing, healers, medicines, therapies, and approaches is also recommended as part of addressing the legacy and intergenerational impact of assimilative policies including Indian residential schools as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has stated in its Calls to Action.

Envisioning Indigenous and biomedical healthcare collaboration at Stanton Territorial Hospital, Northwest Territories

“…While community-based Indigenous healing practices are common and widely used by many Indigenous peoples, they are oftentimes not recognised or respected by biomedical healthcare practitioners [ 20 , 58 ]. Several studies have demonstrated that healthcare providers may be hesitant to work with Indigenous healers because they do not understand or are distrustful of Indigenous medicines and healing practices [ 8 , 18–20 , 34 , 58 ], and Indigenous peoples may be hesitant to talk about Indigenous healing practices and medicines with biomedical healthcare providers [ 19 , 34 ]. This wariness has been attributed to a history of colonial policies where Indigenous healing practices were prohibited and outlawed [ 34 ].…”

“We need to work hand in hand”: supporting cancer survivorship care with First Nations and Métis peoples in Canada via video

“…This has impacted the maintenance and development of traditional knowledge in turn influencing health-illness experiences (Robbins & Dewar, 2011). For example, in a Canadian community-based study exploring the possibility of an integrated health care system, First Nations in Manitoba highlight the importance and need to respect Indigenous health knowledge as well as de-stigmatize, recognize, and incorporate traditional healing, healers, medicines, therapies, and approaches into primary health care (Kyoon Achan et al, 2021). Despite the imposition of western values and literacy upon Indigenous peoples via the residential school system and Canada's current mainstream education system, a previous study illustrates how participants draw upon individual and community-based strengths to address the challenges of living with cancer (Poudrier & Thomas-MacLean, 2009).…”