Addressing First Nations-specific Racism in the BC Health Care System: The First Nations Health Authority and CCAIHG met to set Action-Oriented Research Priorities

On September 23, 2024, health professionals gathered at the Musqueam Cultural Centre on the traditional, ancestral, unceded homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation to identify action-oriented research priorities and pathways to address First Nations-specific racism in the BC health care system. Participants included Indigenous health researchers from Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Collaborative Action on Indigenous Health Governance (CCAIHG), First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) regional representatives, health systems leaders, Indigenous trainees, and allies/partners from various organizations.

This gathering was funded by Health Research BC Convening and Collaborating (C2) grant, and was co-hosted by the CCAIHG and the FNHA’s Office of the Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Krista Stelkia, CCAIHG Director, and Dr. Nel Wieman, FNHA Chief Medical Officer, led the discussions.  

In preparation for the gathering, CCAIHG and FNHA team members formed a Planning and Reporting Committee to co-design the gathering and upcoming shared research priorities report and calls to action. The CCAIHG team conducted an environmental scan to explore the current state of literature on Indigenous-specific racism in the health care system, including 12 publicly available reports, case studies, policy briefs, and summaries on Indigenous-specific racism in the health care system. The team analyzed 150 recommendations and calls to action from these pieces to help inform discussions at the gathering and presented a summary of four overarching themes: (1) accountability and policy, (2) Indigenous representation and self-determination, (3) cultural safety and education, and (4) improving patient care.

Twenty-three subject matter experts championing cultural safety and humility, complaints, policy and quality perspectives, advocates, and people with lived experience, held a lively discussion guided by Secwépemc facilitator Carlie Chase.

Discussion throughout the day was informed by the environmental scan findings and focused on topics such as the patient complaint process, cultural safety and humility training, accountable action, results-oriented impact evaluations, and funding for First Nations health care needs. The insightful dialogue sparked many action-oriented research priorities that will be further developed through the C2 grant with the FNHA and the CCAIHG.  Michelle Buchholz, a Wet’suwet’en graphic recorder, witnessed and visually captured the strategic discussions.  

Participants look forward to continuing the momentum of this important work by beginning the next phase of this project: developing a shared research priorities report and calls to action plan to address First Nations-specific racism in the BC health care system.