Healthy Child

Development
HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF CANADA
Intro

 Early childhood period 0-8 years

 Most important developmental stage
 Includes physical, social/emotional, and language/cognitive
domains
 Strongly influences many aspects of healthy living

(National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health, 2009)

Low Income Families

 Low birth weights

 Less nutritious food options
 More difficulty in school

(National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health, 2009)

Indigenous Family Facts

 Youth face challenges in school and with literacy

 Canadian Census: 41% of status Indian band members graduate
from high school
 2x more likely to only have completed up to grade 9 than their non-
indigenous Canadians.
 Only 21% of Indigenous population speak a indigenous language as
of 2001.
 16% of Indigenous children under 14 speak an indigenous language
(McKeough et al, 2008)

 Indigenous children 9.5x more likely to end up in care (de Leeuw, Greenwood
& Cameron, 2009)
Beliefs and History

 Focus on 4 major components of health:

• Spiritual
• Emotional
• Physical
• Mental

(McKeough et al, 2008)

Barriers

 Colonial intervention stripped the Indigenous population of their

culture and language.
 Lack of social cohesion is trans-generational
 Barriers identified can include poverty, health issues, language
challenges, cultural factors, and limited literacy education
 Access to healthy, nutritious, affordable food is not readily-available
on many reserves
 Access to health care is limited, and under accessed

(de Leeuw, Greenwood & Cameron, 2009; Northern Healthy Foods Initiative, 2015)
Effects on Indigenous Children

 Failure to acknowledge and reflect aboriginal identity (McKeough et al, 2008)

 Higher rates of developing Diabetes, obesity, alcoholism (de Leeuw,
Greenwood & Cameron, 2009)

 At higher risk of being born with FASD than non-aboriginal children

(Aboriginal Healing Foundation, 2003)

 Higher rates of suicide, particularly on reserves (de Leeuw, Greenwood &

Cameron, 2009)

 Poor parental mental health limits the ability to raise healthy children
due to neglect (de Leeuw, Greenwood & Cameron, 2009)
 Disparities noted in all sectors of life (de Leeuw, Greenwood & Cameron, 2009)
Possible Solutions

 Design of early childhood programmes for Indigenous children that

incorporate aboriginal culture have shown positive outcomes
(McKeough et al, 2008)

 Use story-telling to promote literacy and culture (McKeough et al, 2008)

 Ability-grouping with peers of same literacy level to promote
learning in a non-judgemental setting (McKeough et al, 2008)
 Implement interventions for at-risk students prior to crisis(McKeough et al,
2008)

 Teaching in both English and native language (McKeough et al, 2008)

 Indigenize and decolonize the literature on the social determinants
of health (de Leeuw, Greenwood & Cameron, 2009)
Possible Solutions Cont.

 Education on accessing health programs available (eg. Healthy Baby

Manitoba, 2015)

 Northern Health Food Initiative: focus on improving food accessibility

and health food choices in Northern communities. (Northern Health Food
Initiative, 2015)
A Video!