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As medical laboratory professionals, we know that to deliver the right patient care, we need to know the basic facts of our patients. When it comes to Indigenous Peoples living in Canada, knowing the facts is more important now than ever. As your national organization, we encourage each of you, our members, to learn more about Indigenous Peoples — histories, cultures, contributions, and current issues — to drive reconciliation and provide better care.
This page provides information, tools and resources on Indigenous culture, health, terminology, and more to help you take the next step of your learning journey.
*Please note, the views expressed in the resources below do not necessarily reflect those of the CSMLS. Any resources available for a fee or for purchase are in no way affiliated with CSMLS.
In Canada, “Indigenous Peoples” is a collective term for the many and diverse groups of people who originally lived in what we now call North America, as well as their descendants. There are three groups of Indigenous Peoples: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Learn more about these distinct groups, each with unique cultures, histories, languages and practices, through the resources below.
Learn About Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada
First Nations
Inuit
Métis
Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: First Nations People, Métis and Inuit
Statistics on Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous Peoples and Communities
Learn more about First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada
Kingsclear First Nation Band – New Brunswick
Photo courtesy S. Travale
Land Acknowledgements
Land acknowledgements are often said before a meeting, function, or other public event. They are meant to acknowledge the Indigenous Peoples who call the land and waters on which the event is being held as home, as well as prompt us to reflect upon the complex colonial history of the area and our present treaty duties.
We respectfully acknowledge the CSMLS office, located in Hamilton, Ontario, is situated upon the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Mississauga Nation, Anishinaabe Peoples, and the Neutral Peoples. This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon wampum, which is a treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. We further acknowledge that this land is covered by the Between the Lakes Treaty No. 3, 1792, between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
Providing conscientious, compassionate, and equitable care to all patients is expected behaviour under the CSMLS Code of Ethics. To do so, medical laboratory professionals should understand the unique conditions and challenges that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals face within health care. The following are resources related these challenges, as well as projects and information for better care.
Indigenous Health, Laboratory and Patient Care
Indigenous Services
Health Care Services for First Nations and Inuit
First Nations Health Authority
ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES AS A SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF FIRST NATIONS, INUIT AND METIS HEALTH
Resources for Better Care
CSMLS Member Article: Bridging the Gap: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Healthcare Professionals
CSMLS podcast: The Objective Lens: Episode 18 – Northern Health: Obstacles and Understanding
Health Professionals Working with First Nations, Inuit and Métis
Wise Practices for Indigenous-specific Cultural Safety Training
Health Inequalities and Social Determinants of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health
Key Health Inequalities in Canada: A National Portrait
Social Determinants of Inuit Health in Canada
In Plain Sight Report – By Dr. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond
Insight into Inuit Culture, A Guide to Dealing with Parents of Inuit Children : Atuaqsijut: Following the Path, Sharing Inuit Specific Ways
Inuit Women’s Resource of Canada
CSMLS webinars :
Understanding Tuberculosis (TB) in the current context of Canada’s Indigenous Populations
Bridging the Gap: Culturally Appropriate Care for Inuit Patients
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Language is fluid and constantly changing; Canada is still working to figure out the best language and terminology to respectfully recognize all First Nations, Métis and Inuit. Here you will find resources on appropriate terminology.
The University of British Columbia – Indigenous Peoples: Language Guidelines
Indigenous Peoples Terminology Guidelines for Usage
Reporting in Indigenous Communities: Lexicon and Terminology
Terminology Guide for Data Collection on Racialized and Indigenous Communities
Credit : https://pixabay.com/photos/lake-louise-canada-landscape-1761286/
Knowing the historical, social and political context of Indigenous Peoples and the relation with Canada is key to understanding the present and current events. The following are news outlets and educational resources to help you learn more about Indigenous Peoples in Canada and better understand historical context and cultural perspectives.
Current Events
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
CBC Listen – Indigenous Canada
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (An Inuit representational organization protecting Inuit rights for the Inuit 4 land claim regions Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and Inuvialuit which make up Inuit Nunangat. This organization can answer any question you might have or than Inuit might have.)
Manitoba Inuit Association (A Manitoba Provincial Urban Support Resource for Urban Inuit)
Tungasuvvingat Inuit (an Ontario Provincial Urban Inuit Support Resource Center for Urban Inuit)
Courses
Indigenous Canada (University of Alberta)
Aboriginal Worldviews and Education (University of Toronto)
Credit : https://pixabay.com/photos/tent-inuit-canvas-traditional-1817993/
Learning about Indigenous Peoples is the foundation of understanding and reconciliation, and there is no better resource from which to learn about Indigenous Peoples than Indigenous creators, teachers, and storytellers themselves. Dive into some Indigenous-created and -focused media to learn about cultures, traditions, and current events first-hand.
Audio and Visual
Ask an Elder: A Dish With One Spoon
Seven Ancestral Teachings with Elder Duke Redbird
12 Great Podcasts Hosted By Indigenous Women
National Film Board: Indigenous Cinema
A short visual story about the loss and recovering of Inuit Culture from an Inuk elder woman’s dream: Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit – Rhoda’s Dream: Burying the Baby
Inuit Broadcasting Corporation
Reading
Credit : https://pixabay.com/photos/inukshuk-stones-roche-water-river-463934/