Fact Sheets
Social Determinants of Aboriginal Peoples' Health
This series of fact sheets, released in 2009, incorporates recent statistical information and data relevant to First Nations, Inuit and M
étis Peoples to address key social determinants of health. Additional topics are currently being developed for release in 2010/2011. Now available:
Reports
Traditional Aboriginal Diets and Health
This review sheds light on chronic disease and a shift from traditional diets to western foods experienced among Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The review touches on health benefits associated with diets based on local plant and animal resources, and the challenges of promoting traditional dietary practices. It notes, for instance, that a third of James Bay Cree people embrace hunting and trapping as a way of life, that food sources are often determined by poverty and remote locations, and that broad policy initiatives can help promote country food and hunter support programs.
Understanding Chronic Disease and the Role for Traditional Approaches in Aboriginal Communities
Aboriginal Canadians disproportionately suffer from chronic diseases and their common risk factors. This review examines the impact of chronic disease, and provides an overview of traditional and holistic Aboriginal approaches to prevention that can be incorporated in meaningful health interventions.
Health Inequalities and the Social Determinants of Aboriginal Peoples' Health
Authors Charlotte Loppie Reading, PhD, and Fred Wien, PhD, use available data to describe health inequalities experienced by diverse Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, linking social determinants to health inequalities. Many of these determinants, such as poverty, substandard housing, and barriers to education, are rooted in contexts specific to Indigenous peoples, including a history of colonization impacting culture, languages, land rights and self-determination. The authors present a conceptual framework for understanding social determinants across the lifespan, and note that complex interactions between social determinants and health are just starting to be mapped out and demonstrated empirically by researchers.
Red Moon Dialogues
A short narrative report of the inaugural NCCAH Forum with National Aboriginal Organizations on the Social Determinants of Aboriginal Peoples' Health, held in Ottawa in 2008.
From Visions to Actions: Second Forum on Social Determinants of Aboriginal Peoples' Health
A short narrative report of our second national forum, held in Vancouver BC in 2009, helping identify how sectors within and beyond health can support an integrated approach to supporting the optimalhealth and well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada.
PopHealth Notes, Issue 4: "Aboriginal Youth and Social Inequalities in Health"
This November 2008 edition of PopHealth Notes was a collaboration of the Institut National de santé publique du Québec and the NCCAH.
Multimedia
Circles of Health: Sharing Our Gifts
Our first DVD exploring a new approach to Aboriginal health in Canada has been distributed widely in this country and internationally to nearly three dozen countries. Based on our inaugural forum with National Aboriginal Organizations, held in Ottawa in 2008, the film asks: What are the social determinants of health? How can a wide variety of sectors, including Aboriginal organizations addressing sports, tourism, economic development, housing, research and more, work together for a more holistic and coordinated approach to supporting the optimal health of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada?
Reclaiming Wholeness: From Visions to Actions
The links between high rates of tuberculosis and overcrowded housing, food security and health, or poverty and chronic disease, are increasingly evident. These connections helped inform the second NCCAH National Forum on the Social Determinants of Aboriginal Peoples' Health, held in Vancouver in 2009. Our documentary film, inspired by this event, explores actions for change, and models that demonstrate how sectors within and beyond health can work together for a more integrated approach to Aboriginal health in Canada.