In Canada, Indigenous people and their relationship with the healthcare system has been shaped by colonialism in such a way that many Indigenous people have been excluded from mainstream healthcare. As status First Nations are entitled to a few non-insured health benefits for which the general Canadian population is not eligible and even though these benefits are subject to incredibly restrictive regulations, resentment has grown within dominant society towards these benefits and these individuals, as has the erroneous notion that these individuals are not only accepting charity that they do not deserve but are also financial burdens on the federal government. This stereotype has extended to include those who do not receive these benefits, such as Métis, non-status First Nations and many Innu. Because the federal government bears the cost of these services, it has always been in the federal government’s best fiscal interest to reduce these services, which entails reducing the number of individuals who receive them.
Click here to access a PDF version.
It will download to your computer or open in another window, depending on your settings.