Call to Action # 18

Why “Stalled”?

“If you want to measure the effect of Canada’s racist and colonial policies toward Indigenous Peoples you only have to look at the fact that while Canada was recently level one in the international quality of life indicator, Indigenous Peoples within its borders languished at level seventy-eight.” 
Manuel, A. (2017). The Reconciliation Manifesto Recovering the Land and Rebuilding the Economy. James Lorimer & Co. Publishers. Toronto: ON, p. 78. 

This Call to Acton is stalled for thr reasons:

1. First Nations, Métis and Inuit have had major issues with the federal government and a majority of provinces (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador) around ongoing systemic racism in health delivery and/or health impacts due to “essential” infrastructure projects being allowed to continue on Indigenous territories during COVID-19
2. “Joyce’s Principle” released after the death of Joyce Echaquan in Québec listed specific recommendations for the federal and Québec governments to eliminate systemic racism in the delivery of health care. The Québec government refused to adopt Joyce’s Principle

On Jan. 28, 2021 at the end of the two-day meeting to address systemic racism in healthcare, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller announced the co-development of distinctions-based health legislation with First Nations, Métis and Inuit aimed at giving First Nations, Metis and Inuit people control over the delivery of health care in their communities. The Fall Economic Statement committed $15.6M over two years to support that effort.

Of the two parts of Call to Action # 18, the federal government and some provinces have “acknowledged that the current state of Aboriginal health is a direct result of previous government policies”. Only BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Yukon and the NWT have explicitly made an official policy statement to that effect.

With respects to “recognizing and implementing the healthcare rights of Aboriginal people as identified in international law, constitutional law and under the Treaties”, only the federal government, BC and the Northwest Territories have each formally made any legislative commitment i.e. implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The federal government addresses fundamental Indigenous rights – including Treaty rights – through the “Principles respecting the Government of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples”.