Seeds of Change
Health is a Human Right.
Health is a Treaty Right.
Treaty 8 was signed on June 21, 1899, between the Indians of North America and the Queen of England. The signatories agreed to its terms for reasons of peace and friendship – ensuring what they thought would be a partnership.
Under the Treaty, the healthcare rights of Aboriginal people were identified.
The right to healthcare is also identified in international law and Canadian constitutional law. Health is a human right.
The reality is that Indigenous people have not thrived as the Treaty had promised.
The healthcare system today has been shaped by government rules that hurt Indigenous people, causing racism and violence. Many Indigenous people have faced bad treatment, from not getting care, to being treated unfairly. This history of mistrust and misunderstanding has made Indigenous people scared to go to the doctor.
The systems in place have deep foundations in ensuring there are barriers to healthcare for Indigenous people. This is systemic racism. The system is rooted in racism, that people working in the healthcare system might not realize the harm they do. Healthcare workers need to learn more about Indigenous people, their culture, how they heal, and what they think about healthcare. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada in 2015 told governments and healthcare systems to do better for Indigenous people. The TRC’s demands change to Indigenous Health in seven specific Calls to Action, numbers 18-24.
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18. We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to acknowledge that the current state of Aboriginal health in Canada is a direct result of previous Canadian government policies, including residential schools, and to recognize and implement the health-care rights of Aboriginal people as identified in international law, constitutional law, and under the Treaties.
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19. We call upon the federal government, in consultation with Aboriginal peoples, to establish measurable goals to identify and close the gaps in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, and to publish annual progress reports and assess longterm trends. Such efforts would focus on indicators such as: infant mortality, maternal health, suicide, mental
health, addictions, life expectancy, birth rates, infant and child health issues, chronic diseases, illness and injury incidence, and the availability of appropriate health services.
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20. In order to address the jurisdictional disputes concerning Aboriginal people who do not reside on reserves, we call upon the federal government to recognize, respect, and address the distinct health needs of the Métis, Inuit, and off-reserve Aboriginal peoples.
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21. We call upon the federal government to provide sustainable funding for existing and new Aboriginal healing centres to address the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harms caused by residential schools, and to ensure that the funding of healing centres in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories is a priority.
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22. We call upon those who can effect change within the Canadian health-care system to recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients in collaboration with Aboriginal healers and Elders where requested by Aboriginal patients.
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23. We call upon all levels of government to:
i. Increase the number of Aboriginal professionals working in the health-care field.
ii. Ensure the retention of Aboriginal health-care providers in Aboriginal communities.
iii. Provide cultural competency training for all healthcare professionals.
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24. We call upon medical and nursing schools in Canada to require all students to take a course dealing with Aboriginal health issues, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, and Indigenous teachings and practices. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.
the creation of the Better Together Project
Years of systemic and institutionalized racism, generational trauma, and ignorance have left many Indigenous people exposed to hate, violence, injustice, and death in the healthcare system in Canada, and Alberta. The Wood Buffalo region is no exception to this reality.
Indigenous people have lived in this region since before memory, and generations have experienced the region's healthcare system. Many Indigenous children are born in the hospital from all areas of the region. The Indigenous community is very familiar with the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre (NLRHC) and the systems of care they receive.
For many years and generations, Indigenous community members have shared their bad and often traumatic experiences with the mainstream healthcare system. The stories range from a lack of access to blatant mistreatment with dire consequences. A long history of mistrust and resistance to cultural understanding has left many Indigenous people in fear of accessing healthcare.
These stories are shared with the Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC) by the five Chiefs who make up ATC’s Board of Directors. The Chiefs are united to work to improve healthcare access and delivery, ensuring care, tradition, and understanding are provided to their people. ATC is an organization that is dedicated to enriching the well-being, health, and prosperity of its members and is committed to ensuring the protection of members’ Inherent rights, Treaty Rights, and Traditional Territories.
In 2022, when the Willow Square Continuing Care Centre was built, the NLRHC moved continuing care patients from the hospital's fourth floor to the new Centre. This left the hospital’s fourth floor vacant without a long-term plan for repurposing the space.
That is when the Senior Operating Officer of Fort McMurray for Alberta Health Services (AHS) approached ATC about creating a space—in partnership—that would address the barriers Indigenous people experience when accessing healthcare within the region.
This acknowledgement by AHS of the needed system-level change and their open willingness to challenge the status quo by collaborating with the Indigenous communities, combined with ATC’s united work to improve healthcare for Indigenous communities, was the creation of the Better Together Project.
Starting at
the Roots
AN Agreement to do better
In March 2022, Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Alberta Health Services (AHS) to collaborate in the design and implementation of an Indigenous Health Space on the hospital's 4th floor at the NLRHC.
This partnership is called the Better Together Project (BTP). Both partners are dedicated to BTP’s goals and will give what's needed to make it successful.
The BTP empowers Indigenous communities to have a sense of belonging in the healthcare system. Through a process of community engagement, the BTP team hopes to explore the vision of an ideal healthcare experience for the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples within the region. The reconciliatory spirit of the BTP also invites healthcare providers and partners to participate, creating a true Two-Eyed Seeing healthcare system for the Wood Buffalo region.
“Two-Eyed Seeing refers to learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing and from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing and to using both of these eyes together.”
Starting in a Good Way
In 2023, guided by Elders, the Better Together Project (BTP) partners came together in a special ceremony.
All partners, including leaders from Indigenous communities, Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC), Alberta Health Services (AHS), Northern Lights Health Foundation (NLHF), and University of Alberta (UofA), gathered in a ceremonial tent with gifts to ask for blessings and guidance on the Project. They made a promise to the Creator, to the Project, and to each other to start things off right. Since then, the BTP has been true to its promise by working together. Indigenous knowledge and ways of doing and being are at the core of every part of the project. Together, they are changing healthcare services and how they are given in the region.
To learn more about the Partners and their roles in the BTP, CLICK HERE.
“The Circle is not just a process or a tool, it is a way of being.”
Indigenous-led Ways of Thinking
To change how health and care are seen from an Indigenous perspective, the Better Together Project (BTP) developed its process and uses Indigenous ways of thinking, being, and doing as its foundation. Rooted in the values of the Bush People of the North, the Better Together Project follows teachings from a medicine wheel and kinship circle.
Created together by project partners, the BTP framework (Fig. 1) shows how different worldviews and knowledge are connected in the project, exploring the four guiding principles of the project framework - Safety, Access, Space and Culture.
Two-Eyed Seeing helps combine Indigenous knowledge with other systems thinking. This framework sets up how the project is run, focusing on strengths and led by Indigenous people. It looks at how the project fits into bigger systems and keeps Indigenous people and communities at the center. All decisions, from the project's goals to how services are given and kept going, follow natural laws.
The Medicine Wheel & Kinship Circle Framework
The BTP uses the teachings from a medicine wheel and kinship circle to guide the systems of change for the project.
For the Bush People of the North, the medicine wheel is a teaching tool with four quadrants represented by four colours: yellow, red, blue, and white. Specific teachings can be applied to the medicine wheel and used as a tool to guide the teachings, such as the four seasons and the four stages of life.
Guided by Indigenous Elders and knowledge keepers, the BTP uses the medicine wheel as a system to guide the foundation for the project.
The four guiding principles of the BTP framework are Safety, Access, Space and Culture.
For the Bush People of the North, the kinship circle is a governance and teaching tool. The outer layers of the circle are responsible for caring for the inner layers. Kinship circles are used to address conflict, build relationships, and provide a safe space for communities to engage in meaningful dialogue.
The BTP uses the kinship circle to guide the relationship between the System, Institution, and the Individual/Family/Community.
The Circle is not just a process or a tool, it is a way of being.
Sprouting and Growing
Understanding Through Community Engagement, A Phased Approach
Through the community engagement process, the Better Together Project (BTP) hopes to explore the vision of an ideal healthcare experience for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples living in the Wood Buffalo region. Indigenous peoples, healthcare providers and partners are invited to participate in the engagement process. This collaboration will deepen understanding, identify preferences, concerns, or gaps, and create space to share stories, ideas, and values on the ideal future of local Indigenous healthcare.
The community engagement process will follow a phased approach based on the Medicine Wheel of the project framework of Safety, Access, Space and Culture.
Community engagement has a long history of exploiting the stories and knowledge of Indigenous peoples with limited accountability on how the information will be used. This has led to community engagement fatigue that disempowers the community from owning their stories and data. It further disempowers Indigenous peoples from sharing their perspectives and insights that drive meaningful change.
All phases of BTP engagement apply a land-based approach rooted in the value of the exchange of knowledge. This means that engagement sessions will be held on the land, whenever possible, with opportunities to learn about land-based health, healing, and holistic healthcare. To receive knowledge, we must also give knowledge. This approach has been shown to foster meaningful conversation and idea generation.
The BTP team will maintain accountability to the communities by reporting the findings, key insights, and data collected from each phase. The communities will be invited to engage and provide feedback about the report. The overall approach aims to further establish cultural safety, trust, and accountability and ensures BTP partners are expressing gratitude to community members for co-creating a shared vision for Indigenous health in the home territories of the Cree and Dene people, and the historical homelands of the Métis.
View status updates by clicking the timeline below.
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Seeds of Change
Learn more about the Indigenous-led foundations that guide the changes we are making to the healthcare system.
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Status Updates
Learn about what we have accomplished so far, what our next steps are, and how you can get involved and provide feedback.
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Tell us Your Story
We want to hear about your experiences accessing and receiving healthcare within the Wood Buffalo regions. You matter, and your stories will help us make positive changes for everyone!
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Donate
Your support will have a impact and will help to improve the community and bringing a positive change into Indigenous health and healing.
