Mental Illness Among Indigenous Peoples of Canada
Chapter 8
In preparation for writing this chapter, the Forum held a town hall meeting in Edmonton in May, 2016, from which several video excerpts are offered below.
UPDATES
Census 2021 population data released in September 2022 shows the Indigenous population of Canada has risen to 1.8 million, currently growing at twice the rate of non-Indigenous Canadians. Analysis suggests the difference is partly due to more people choosing to identify themselves as Indigenous in the census survey. Between 2016 and 2021, those identifying as Indigenous rose by 9.4%, compared to growth in the non-Indigenous population of 5.3%. But the recorded increase in people identifying as Indigenous between 2011 and 2016 was much higher, at 18.9%. A higher birth rate is still a factor, but the census release comments: “In general, respondents have become more likely to identify as Indigenous over time.” It also cautions that difficulties in collecting data on First Nations and other Indigenous populations may make short-term comparisons somewhat unreliable.
The 2021 Census also showed that Indigenous children in foster care accounted for 53.8% of the national total, despite Indigenous children under 14 comprising only 7.7% of that age group in Canada. Disproportional representation of Indigenous children in foster care has not changed significantly since 2016, the Census shows.
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Analysis by Jack Hicks, an adjunct professor at the University of Saskatchewan, has found the high suicide rate in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories has been dropping by an average of 1% per year since 2004, driven largely by about 50% fewer suicides in the 15-24 year age group. A feature article about a successful Inuit-language counsellor training program by Globe and Mail health reporter Kelly Grant published in August 2022 provides further background and perspective and is recommended reading.
See also the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami for a comprehensive grounding in the issue.
RESOURCES
(L-R) Dr. Alika Lafontaine, President, Indigenous Physicians Association;
Karyn Pugliese, Head of News & Current Affairs, APTN;
Emmy Manson, Mental Wellness Adviser, B.C. First Nations Health Authority;
Dr. Andy Greenshaw, University of Alberta (Psychiatry).
(L-R) André Picard, Public Health Columnist, The Globe & Mail;
Paula Simons, Columnist, The Edmonton Journal;
Duncan McCue, CBC News (Moderator).
Is there a crisis?
Moderator, Duncan McCue of CBC News, asked the panel members whether they thought it was right to say that Indigenous communities were suffering a mental health crisis.
Appreciate the difference
Indigenous panel members stressed the importance of non-Indigenous reporters understanding the many ways in which things work differently on reserves. Dr. Alika Lafontaine, who lives and works on a reserve in Saskatchewan, explained why it can be hard for outsiders to understand how the reserve system was built and still, to a large extent, works.
What is the cause?
What makes Indigenous people on average more susceptible to mental illness than non-indigenous ones? André Picard and Emmy Manson explained that it has to do with experience and circumstances, not race or genetics.
Addictions: Getting it right
Reinforcing the stereotype of “the drunken Indian”; Focusing on addicted youth; Implying that addiction is endemic across all Indigenous groups.These are some of the common mistakes journalists can avoid by looking deeper into the facts.
It’s not where you live
We still read, see and hear stories that suggest that mental health problems among Indigenous groups can be explained by the remoteness of where they live. But that’s not the right explanation.
Building relationships
To do a better job in this area, where should we start? Panel members urged building relationships, getting out of our comfort zones - both in person and in our reading.
Proposing solutions
Idealistic journalists should fight the urge to propose solutions to Indigenous mental health issues, says Dr. Andy Greenshaw. Instead, he suggests, describe problems accurately and ask respectfully what the people involved think would improve their situation.
Finding the time and space
In a time when stories have to be delivered quickly and concisely, how important and how realistic is it for reporters to press for a different kind of treatment for stories in this area?
Access to care
It is vital for reporters to understand just how difficult it can be for anyone to get appropriate help for mental illness in Canada - and then to know how much harder it is for Indigenous Peoples, whether or not they live on reserves or in remote communities.
A duty of care
Finally, we all have a duty of care towards vulnerable people whose stories we tell. Trauma victims, like any other disadvantaged group, should be handled with care and consideration. Our approach to the powerless should not be the same as that to people in authority, who must be held to account. But don’t forget - we also have a duty of care to ourselves.