Indigenous mental wellness

What does mental wellness look like for Indigenous Peoples?

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples and communities take holistic views of health and wellness often deeply connected to land, culture, language, and traditions. First Nations, for example, see strong connections between mental wellness and good physical, emotional, and spiritual health; connection to all creation and the Ancestors; and supportive and caring environments.

Traditional cultural approaches are essential to Inuit mental wellness. For Inuit, mental wellness is an umbrella term that includes mental health, mental illness, suicide prevention, violence reduction, and reduction of substance abuse and addictions. Mental wellness is defined as self-esteem and personal dignity flowing from the presence of a harmonious physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellness and cultural identity.

For Métis, mental wellness means knowing about the Nation’s history, having a sense of Nationhood and rights, and making connections to culture, traditions, values, and way of life for current and future generations.

The Métis National Council describes four key principles related to Métis health and well-being. They are:

1. Health is self-determined. For Métis people this means being active, being in charge of one’s life, being able to prevent illness, and being able to live a healthy lifestyle.
2. Health is holistic and multi-faceted. Family, kinship, community strength and mutual commitment between community members have always been the backbone of Métis communities. History, cultural continuity, language, identity, and relationships with the animals and land around us are all interrelated and equally important. Métis peoples seek a holistic approach that does not set physical health apart from these other determinants.
3. Health is place-based. Location is a key element of Métis identity. Métis history, citizenship, and sense of belonging are all deeply rooted in a sense of place.
4. Inclusivity: Health and wellness occur over the entire course of our lives, across generations, from pre-conception to death, and includes all the stages in between.

In Northern Health, Indigenous-specific mental wellness resources are available.

The Indigenous Patient Liaisons Worker (IPLW) program

The IPLW program provides a bridge between Indigenous communities, their culture and Northern Health care providers. The role of the IPLW is to help bridge the gap between Western and traditional medicine to ensure a health system that honours diversity and provides services in a culturally relevant manner.

The Indigenous Patient Liaison Program staff work in collaboration with key partners such as on-site staff, managers, and the Patient Care Quality Office to develop, implement, and evaluate processes to address the concerns and experiences of Indigenous Peoples within the health care system. For more information about the Indigenous Patient Liaison Worker program see the Indigenous Health website.