Impacts of Postcolonial Policies on Indigenous Health and Self-Governance

Impacts of Postcolonial Policies on Indigenous Health and Self-Governance Student’s Name Institution Course # and Name Professor’s Name Submission Date Word Count: 1,388 (5 pages) Introduction The topic of the paper entails examining how the healthcare system of Canada treats the Indigenous populations despite it being rooted in the principles of equality. Health issues and personal governance are the main topics discussed. Indigenous people of Canada have been exposed to a long process of colonization that has produced deep-rooted and systemic harm to their health and wellness for many years. More specifically, this work is meant to unravel the systemic disadvantage and prejudice that persists and prevents the indigenous people from accessing the best healthcare and the high possibility of organizing their health systems. This paper delves into the roots of inequalities and offers a changeable way to settle them. Canadian society is built on the traditions and opinions on Indigenous health and governance on which it is shaped. Research indicates that there exists a pervasive assumption that Indigenous peoples' health outcomes are solely determined by individual choices or genetic predispositions, neglecting the significant impact of historical trauma, systemic racism, and social determinants of health (Schultz et al., 2021). Additionally, there is also a common belief or perspective that Indigenous communities are passive recipients of healthcare rather than active participants in shaping their health systems (Rabeneck et al., 2023). This paper explores the structural unevenness that causes health disparities among Indigenous Canadians. Articulating the Issue Indigenous health concerns and autonomy within the Canadian healthcare system are, in essence, nursing issues because nurses are the critical healthcare workers who deliver patient-centered healthcare services, as discussed in the thesis paper by Bibault (2023). Nurses are the frontline professionals who communicate with Indigenous patients in person. Therefore, they play a central role in overcoming the systemic hindrances that influence the health outcomes among Indigenous people by engaging in different activities such as direct patient care and policy negotiations. Regarding holistic care, nurses are responsible for acknowledging and addressing the unique needs of Indigenous communities, including cultural safety, trauma-informed care, and respectful involvement with Indigenous healing practices (Minton et al., 2022). This is an urgent matter as it means the systemic inequalities and injustices that have long festered in the healthcare system and have led to unequal health outcomes and access to care among Indigenous peoples will be addressed. The society of Indigenous community leaders, healthcare administrators, policymakers, and government officials are among the key stakeholders. These stakeholders integrate efforts to promote culture-sensitive healthcare practices or policies that facilitate structural removal to Indigenous health and community control (Crowshoe et al., 2021). Indigenous health and self-determination have historically been a focal concern for many generations before us. The Indigenous people were the most influential in creating the need for change. In recent years, non-Native actors have increasingly understood the necessity of working with this issue sympathetically and collaboratively. Analyzing the Issue The social and cultural dimensions give a complete picture that can reach the core of the matter and uncover the complexity of what is happening. This approach underlined that the cultural, traditional, and historical factors shared by Indigenous nations also play a significant role in the health outcomes of Indigenous people, together with the biomedical factors. Schultz et al. (2021) assert that colonization is still having a lasting impact on the mental and physical health of Indigenous people as well as their overall well-being in Canada. Horrill et al. (2018) point out that intergenerational trauma, cultural identities, and systematic marginalization sustained through residential school policies and mandatory assimilation are just some of the major factors responsible for the health gaps between the Indigenous population and the rest of the Canadian population. Rabeneck et al. (2023) is the research that explains the systemic scenario where chronic racial and socioeconomic inequalities are intertwined with healthcare provision. Hence, these inequalities are compounded, worsening during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. The two major obstac...