The Indigenous population over time has come to face many health problems from colonization. Specifically, children are currently suffering major health issues from colonization and its effects. According to Core Concepts in Health Canadian Edition, Indigenous youth are lacking the social determinates of health, which is leading to unhealthy living and living environments (Insel, P. M., Roth, W. T., Irwin, J. D., & Burke, S. M., 2011). If the problems are not dealt with then Indigenous children’s situation, along with aspects of Indigenous culture and future will continue to deteriorate. It is Canada’s responsibility to take action and make changes to better the Indigenous lives and work towards reconciliation. It is important for Canada to
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This means they lived and ate very naturally, which in turn relates to how healthy they were. The difference between the health status concerning Indigenous children in the past and currently is astonishing. Nowadays, “many First Nations children live in communities that face diverse social and health challenges… including some of the most socio-economically challenging situations in Canada. These differences can be seen in broad indicators of the social determinants of health” (Peters, P.A., Oliver, L.N., & Kohen, D.E., 2013, para. 1). Most, if not all of the deterioration of Indigenous children’s health can be attributed to continuous colonization, suppression, and assimilation practices of “the indigenous culture and identity” (Kirmayer, L. et al., 2011, Conclusion para. 7). These practices have been forced onto them, their parents, and their ancestors since the beginning of colonization, which is a extremely long time. One of the biggest points here is the impact of colonization on Indigenous health. When looking back on the past, Indigenous people were relatively healthy before contact with European culture (Peters, P.A., Oliver, L.N., & Kohen, D.E., 2013). Therefore, there is no other explanation for the health deterioration other than the lifestyle change that was forced onto Indigenous groups and changed their normal way. The impacts have a chain reaction; this is why Indigenous children are currently facing so many new health issues, ranging from their physical health to mental health to spiritual/cultural
This means they lived and ate very naturally, which in turn relates to how healthy they were. The difference between the health status concerning Indigenous children in the past and currently is astonishing. Nowadays, “many First Nations children live in communities that face diverse social and health challenges… including some of the most socio-economically challenging situations in Canada. These differences can be seen in broad indicators of the social determinants of health” (Peters, P.A., Oliver, L.N., & Kohen, D.E., 2013, para. 1). Most, if not all of the deterioration of Indigenous children’s health can be attributed to continuous colonization, suppression, and assimilation practices of “the indigenous culture and identity” (Kirmayer, L. et al., 2011, Conclusion para. 7). These practices have been forced onto them, their parents, and their ancestors since the beginning of colonization, which is a extremely long time. One of the biggest points here is the impact of colonization on Indigenous health. When looking back on the past, Indigenous people were relatively healthy before contact with European culture (Peters, P.A., Oliver, L.N., & Kohen, D.E., 2013). Therefore, there is no other explanation for the health deterioration other than the lifestyle change that was forced onto Indigenous groups and changed their normal way. The impacts have a chain reaction; this is why Indigenous children are currently facing so many new health issues, ranging from their physical health to mental health to spiritual/cultural