Leah May Walker and Lyana Patrick Division of Aboriginal People’s Health NAHO 2009 National Conference

1. Expanding Aboriginal Health Knowledge
in Communities and in Educating Future
Health Care Professionals
Leah May Walker and Lyana Patrick
Division of Aboriginal People’s Health
NAHO Conference, Ottawa 2009

2. Aboriginal Health Elective
 A one-month immersion in
Aboriginal health in Aboriginal
communities for health science
students teams
 Students: Medicine, Pharmacy,
Dietetics, Social Work, Nursing
 Communities: Cowichan
(Duncan); Seabird Island
(Agassiz); Lil’wat (Mount
Currie); Esketemc (Alkali Lake)

3. Context
 Aboriginal health status lower
 Western/Aboriginal concepts of
health at odds
 Need for culturally competent
health care providers
 Impacts of colonization
 Essentialism
 Community aspirations

4. Particulars
 Students live together
 Interprofessionalism
 Clinical settings
 Traditional settings
 Aboriginal teachers, Elders
 Community Curriclum
 Community Projects

5. Community Instructors

6. Some Activities

7. Community Project Examples
 Mentorship Program for Youth
 Re-think Your Drink
 Healthy Homes: A Guide to
Keeping Your Home Clean and
Safe
 Team Project: Building a pharmacy

8. Culture Shock

9. The real curriculum
“Never underestimate the power of pizza”

10. How can you adapt to meet the
needs of the community?

11. How can you build trusting relationships
with Aboriginal people?

12. Where do Aboriginal people feel
comfortable?

13. What do you know about this
community, its history and current
perspectives?

14. Student Evaluations
 “I have gained a deeper understanding of Aboriginal
culture, as well as how past experiences have impacted
current issues facing the community today. I learned
through careful listening of stories told, and I am grateful
for the openness and honesty the community members
brought to this experience.”
 “This course should be mandatory for all students. I truly
feel that it has given me insight into the depth and breadth
of aboriginal culture. It also helped me to challenge my
assumptions about aboriginal people and created more
understanding.”
 “The best learning opportunities for me were the sweat
ceremony and the individual discussions and storytelling
because I can learn more about the people this way.”

15. Community Evaluations
 “Can we hire some of these students?
They were amazing.”
 “It felt even better this year. The students
were great and we were more confident
about teaching. We have lots of ideas for
next year.”

16. Essential Elements
 Personal relationships
 Being in community and out of clinic
 Knowledge of historical relationships
 Being comfortable with discomfort
 Long term commitment
 University appointments
 Reciprocity

17. Thank you!
Acknowledgements: Ts’ewulhtun Health Centre, Seabird Island
Community Health Centre, Esketemc Health Centre, Mount
Currie Health Centre, AHHRI, CPD-KT