Colonialism, Resistance and the First Nations Health Liaison Program

Authors

  • Heather I. Peters Senior Editor, University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work, Central and Northern Alberta Region
  • Bruce Self

Abstract

In 1988 one Aboriginal woman’s experience with the justice and health care systems in the central interior of British Columbia, Canada ended with her death and an outcry from Aboriginal groups in the region. The incident became a turning point in the area’s history of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relations, and resulted in the development of the First Nations Health Liaison Program (FNHLP). The paper begins by describing and exploring the events surrounding the woman’s death, and how these provide both the impetus and context for the FNHLP. The implementation and evaluation of the program are then explored within this history. The death and implementation of the subsequent program are examined in light of the underpinnings of institutional racism and in the context of the theory of modern colonialism. While the particular events are specific to this incident and program, broader themes arise which hold relevance for issues of Aboriginal access to health care in other locales.

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Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2005)

Section

Articles

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