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THE SEGREGATION IN THE GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS AGAINST THE CANADIAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN THE 19TH CENTURY Name Subject Date Racial segregation of the Indigenous people in Canada has been a persistent issue highly debated in diverse platforms due to its impact on the health outcomes of this population. McCallum’s article highlights the historical accounts revealing how these groups have encountered racially discriminative treatment while accessing healthcare. The author also indicates that disparate care arises from complex forms, including the perspectives and cultural considerations while delivering services, leading to undesirable effects. Other researchers, such as Lux, have unearthed similar findings as the ones presented by McCallum, illustrating the concerning aspects of the government healthcare systems in the 1900s that disadvantaged the Canadian Indigenous people and contributed to their ensuing health issues. As a result, this research traces the historical challenges associated with the Canadian healthcare systems, perspectives, and policies that triggered the increased segregation of these groups and their associated health issues. It will also approach its arguments through the research question of how the government healthcare systems segregated the Canadian Indigenous people from the 1900s to the 1980s. Thus, the essay will argue that the 1900s healthcare systems in Canada segregated the Indigenous people in dynamic ways, contributing to their continuing adverse health effects. Although the Canadian healthcare system has earned global recognition as a universal one addressing the needs of the diverse populations in the nation, historical glimpses reveal contrasting views. Lux indicates that the foundations of the policies, systems, and other aspects of the system demonstrate the concealed discriminative aspects against the Indigenous populations that have continued to ravage these people and trigger adverse health consequences for over a century. The author acknowledges that despite the achievements recorded so far, many discriminative aspects associated with the current healthcare system date back to the early 1900s and the following decades. Tarasoff agrees with this observation by showcasing the persistent efforts of Broadview Saskatchewan Indigenous people in workshops while trying to challenge fundamental health-related aspects of their communities. Such instances demonstrate the domination of their health practices by non-indigenous groups, leaving their people with minimal influence on the quality of their care. The awareness of such concerns by Indigenous groups reveals their non-contentedness with the present healthcare systems because they felt these failed to integrate their health perspectives, meet their needs, or illustrate fairness in service delivery. Such aspects emphasize the need for uncovering the systemic ills that disadvantage such groups in the Canadian healthcare sector. Diverse accounts demonstrate that the discriminative nature of Canadian healthcare systems became widespread throughout the 19th century, with notable issues occurring between the 1920s and the 1980s. For instance, Lux reveals that the rise of hospital facilities specially made for the Indigenous people emerged from the consideration of the Aboriginal society as a threat to the national health through their illnesses. Such segregation emphasized the racially separated health services in the nation that sought to disadvantage one community while advantaging the dominant ones. The normalization of such policies across the country created a shortage of healthcare facilities where individuals from indigenous groups could seek healthcare services. According to Lawrence and Dua, such segregating care systems advanced the objective of destroying these communities’ health through systemic denial of services. Lux also adds that the government found an excuse to reduce its funding to care for these groups, adversely affecting their health outcomes for decades. The ramification of this systematic discrimination persists to the present era. One leading disadvantage related to segregation is the isolation aspect that triggered adverse impacts on the health of Indigenous people. McCollum indicates that the healthcare system conserved the best services and institutions for the white populations as a mechanism of protecting them from the illnesses associated with the Indigenous groups (106). They achieved this aspect by providing piecemeal subsidies through the Department of Indian Affairs (DIA) in the 1920s to mission facilities as a tactic for isolating diseases in the Indigenous people-dominated reserves. Facts such as requiring only five nurses to serve the entire western reserves and education institutions without any support from a medical officer demonstrate the government’s reluctance to prioritize these communities’ health. Even the 1919 Department of Health failed to integrate Indigenous health responsibilities in its scope of operations, confirming the extent of segregation in the Canadian healthcare system throughout the century. The persistent overlooking of the indigenous people’s health needs exposed them to varied health challenges, leading to increased morbidity and mortality rates. Such aspects triggered far-reaching consequences on these populations throughout the decades. Continued discrimination and failure to value Indigenous health transformed many hospitals in Canada into facilities targeting paying patients. Such an aspect further galvanized service denial along racial lines in the nation. For instance, Lux argues that the Canadian West encountered an increased rise of segregated “Indian wards” characterized by poor health services. For example, the auth...