Despite federal and global commitments to addressing and resolving health inequities, Indigenous Peoples in what is presently known as Canada continue to face persistent and pervasive barriers to accessing culturally appropriate care and achieving equity. With its roots in colonialism, the very system intended to support and heal people is failing Indigenous populations; in many instances it is causing harm. The recent review of the health care system in B.C. “In Plain Sight: Systemic Racism in Indigenous Health Care” documented that 84% of Indigenous participants described personal experiences of racism and discrimination that discouraged them from seeking necessary care and that reduced access to care.
This talk will explore questions such as, how can we apply a decolonial lens to health research and, in doing so, challenge the systems and structures to transform? And, how can we ensure that systemic change is informed by Indigenous knowledge, voices and tradition? Leslie Bonshor, Brittany Bingham and Lindsay Farrell are all deeply invested in exploring these questions and have dedicated their careers to dismantling colonial approaches to health care and creating health equity for Indigenous Peoples. They will explore ways that collaborative approaches to research can bring about system-wide transformation and ensure Indigenous Peoples’ human right to equitable health care is upheld. This is a partnership event with Indigenous Research Support Initiative.
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Date: Tuesday, April 27th, 2021 (PST)
Time: 10 a.m. to 11:30 am
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About the Presenters:
Leslie Bonshor is a member of Tzeachten First Nation. As the Aboriginal Health Executive Advisor at Vancouver Coastal Health, she provides strategic direction and guidance to the CEO and Senior Executive Team at Vancouver Coastal Health on challenges, priorities, and issues related to improving the health of the Indigenous population. Previously, she was Aboriginal Health Director at Fraser Health for eight years. In this role, she provided leadership within Fraser Health by planning, supporting and guiding the implementation of initiatives designed to improve the health of Indigenous people.
Prior to working in health care, Leslie provided business support and consulting services to First Nations communities and organizations in the Fraser Valley, including project management, communications strategies, and policy development. Leslie has extensive expertise in Indigenous health strategic leadership, policy, primary health care and community-based health delivery.
Dr. Brittany Bingham (She/Her/Hers) is of mixed ancestry and a member of the shíshálh nation on the Sunshine Coast of BC. She is the Director of Indigenous Research at both VCH Aboriginal Health and the Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE) as well as incoming CGSHE/UBC partner Faculty in the Division of Social Medicine. She has worked in various capacities in research with Indigenous communities and policy for over 15 years. She is passionate about community-driven research, decolonizing methods, implementation science, health equity, Indigenous women’s sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, Indigenous homelessness & cultural safety. Brittany leads Indigenous systems focused research and research partnerships in VCH and conducts research on Indigenous women’s health and wellness with CGSHE. She has previously held health policy roles including Policy Analyst with the BC Ministry and led Indigenous primary care research with Fraser Health teams.
Dr. Lindsay Farrell (She/Her/Hers) is Anishinaabe and grew up in Thunder Bay. Her family is from Whitewater Lake in Northern Ontario and she is a member of Eabametoong First Nation. She is the Director of Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation & Partnerships at Providence Health Care (PHC). In her current position, Lindsay leads the activities of the Indigenous Wellness & Reconciliation (IWR) Department, which includes the Indigenous Wellness Program and the Indigenous Cultural Safety Program at PHC. Dr. Farrell is additionally an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. Her current main areas of research focus on Indigenous wellness, harm reduction, cannabis & mental health, and evaluation of Indigenous cultural safety on improved wellness outcomes for BC First Nations, urban Indigenous, Métis and Inuit Peoples in BC.
Learn about Indigenous Research Support Initiative
Resources
- In Plain Sight Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care – Report
- “Juxataposing Positions” from Dr. Kaholokula from our ICS conference – Video
- Aboriginal Health – website
- Aboriginal Patient Liaisons at Northern Health – website
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