Indigenous health strategy bridges traditional and western approaches

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A hospital near the most populous First Nation in Canada has debuted its first Indigenous health strategy.

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Around five per cent of Brantford’s population identified as Indigenous as of the 2021 census profile. But the Brantford General Hospital and Willett Urgent Care Centre in Paris — both overseen by Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS) — also serve residents from the neighbouring Six Nations of the Grand River, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

“We want to ensure First Nations and Indigenous people feel safe when receiving health care at BCHS and stay connected to their culture, language, and traditions,” Michelle Bomberry said in a media release.

Bomberry is the manager of BCHS’s Indigenous Health Services, which was introduced in 2022. She said the strategy also gives a road map for “educating colleagues about First Nations and Indigenous history and the impacts on contemporary realities.”

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In recent years, the health-care system has formed an Indigenous medicine division, and built a dedicated space for Indigenous families to congregate and use traditional medicines and smudge or burn tobacco at the hospital.

The strategy aims to further “bridge traditional approaches to health and wellness with the technical practices of western medicine,” according to the media release.

It’s an answer to the Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s 94 calls to action, seven of which are dedicated to health.

These include recognizing and integrating traditional health practices for treatment of Indigenous patients, hiring more Indigenous health-care workers, and ensuring all health care professionals have cultural competency training.

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Some of the strategy’s action items over the next three years, include:

• Ensuring all staff have cultural safety training.
• Making protocols for using traditional medicines in in-patient care, should patients want it.
• Serving “country foods” one day a week for Indigenous in-patients and their families.
• Hosting staff sessions about traditional medicine and collaborative care.
• Offering placements, mentorships, and summer internships for Indigenous youth.

Visit bchsys.org to see the full strategy.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. 

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