A new educational resource launched by the Sarnia-Lambton Ontario Health Team aims to improve healthcare experiences for Indigenous patients by building a deeper understanding among local service providers of Indigenous history, trauma, and cultural practice.
Released during National Indigenous History Month, the Guide to Indigenous Health & History includes a printed booklet and video. It was developed in collaboration with the Indigenous Communities Advisory Council and partners from Aamjiwnaang, Kettle and Stony Point, and Walpole Island First Nations.
The goal is to foster more culturally safe, respectful care across the region. According to the guide, Indigenous people in Canada continue to experience higher rates of chronic illness, lower life expectancy, and more barriers to accessing care compared to the general population. Many delay seeking medical attention until issues become complex or chronic, and when they do seek care, they often face racism, stereotyping, and dismissive treatment.
These experiences contribute to ongoing mistrust in the healthcare system and a perception that hospitals are not safe places. The guide outlines how these challenges are tied to a longer history of colonialism, systemic discrimination, and broken relationships between healthcare institutions and Indigenous communities.
Sara Plain, Manager of Health Services at Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Co-Chair of the Indigenous Communities Advisory Council, said the resource was created to support a shift in how Indigenous patients are received and respected.
“Cultural safety is not a checkbox – it begins with humility, respect, awareness and understanding,” she said. “These resources were developed by and with Indigenous voices. They are a beginning, an invitation to listen, learn, and move forward in creating spaces where Indigenous people feel safe.”
The guide is now being integrated into onboarding and training programs for staff across the Ontario Health Team’s network. Printed copies are also being distributed to local organizations.
Nadine Neve, Executive Lead of the Sarnia-Lambton OHT, said the initiative builds on commitments made last December during a gathering at Aamjiwnaang to reflect on the Canadian Medical Association’s formal apology to Indigenous peoples.
“We left that event with a shared sense of responsibility to do better – through our words, our actions, and the systems we help shape,” she said. “This education is one way we are acting on that responsibility. It’s a starting point for honest dialogue and systemic change.”
As the guide explains, care that feels unsafe or discriminatory can cause real harm, especially for patients carrying intergenerational or personal trauma. Recommendations in the resource include adopting trauma-informed approaches, building awareness of implicit bias, and recognizing the importance of traditional healing practices.
Paige Boris, Director of Health at Kettle and Stony Point First Nation and Chair of the Sarnia-Lambton OHT Collaboration Council, said the leadership of Indigenous partners has been critical to the project’s strength and direction.
“Indigenous communities have long faced barriers to safe, equitable care – as healthcare practitioners and social service providers, it is imperative that we work to remove those barriers,” she said. “We are grateful to the Indigenous Communities Advisory Council for their leadership in this work. Their guidance ensures this education resource is not only informative, but transformative.”
The full guide and educational video are available on the Sarnia-Lambton OHT website.
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