With Reserves: Colonial Geographies and First Nations Health

Abstract

Health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples persist globally. Northern interior British Columbia, where many Indigenous people live on Indian ¹ reserves allocated in the late nineteenth century, is no exception. This article reviews findings from fifty-eight interviews with members of thirteen First Nations communities in Carrier, Sekani, Wet'suwet’en, and Babine territories. The results suggest that colonial geographies, both physical and social, along with extant anti-Indigenous racism, are significant determinants of the health and well-being (or lack thereof) of many First Nations in the region.

La desigualdades por salud entre pueblos indígenas y no indígenas persisten a escala global. El interior septentrional de la Columbia Británica, donde numerosos pueblos indígenas viven en reservaciones indias establecidas a finales del siglo XIX, no es la excepción a este respecto. Este artículo revisa los hallazgos logrados en cincuenta y ocho entrevistas hechas a miembros de trece comunidades de las Primeras Naciones, en los territorios de Carrier, Sekani, Wet'sewet’en y Babine. Los resultados sugieren que las geografías coloniales, tanto físicas como sociales, junto con el racismo anti-indigenista existente, son determinantes significativos de la salud y bienestar (o falta de los mismos) de varias de las Primeras Naciones de la región.

Key Words:

• British Columbia colonialism
• First Nations’ health
• social and geographic determinants

关键词:

• 不列颠哥伦比亚殖民主义
• 第一民族的健康
• 社会和地理因素。

Palabras clave:

• colonialismo de la Columbia Británica
• salud de las Primeras Naciones
• determinantes sociales y geográficos

Notes

1. Canada's constitution recognizes unique relations with three distinct groups of peoples: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. “Indian” is a problematic misnaming of these Indigenous peoples used herein for historical accuracy only.

2. In accordance with ethical standards of research with Indigenous people, communities had an opportunity to consider drafts of this research. Lee Edmond is not a pseudonym, fictitious character, or composite: It is the real name of a young man who insisted on his name appearing in this article.

3. According to the Provincial Health Officer's report published in 2009, deaths from “unintentional injuries” account for 8.5 deaths per 10,000 Status Indians in northern interior British Columbia, more than double the rate (4.2) of other residents in the region and over three times higher (2.6) than other residents across British Columbia. Mortality rates from unintentional injuries for Status Indians in northern interior British Columbia are also higher than the those of Status Indians across the province as a whole (7.3 per 10,000).

4. The government of Canada distinguishes between registered (or Status) and nonregistered (or non-Status) Indians. For further reading on these very complicated divisions, and resultant impacts, see de Leeuw and Greenwood (2011) and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada's (2010) “You Wanted to Know: Federal Programs and Services for Registered Indians.”

5. This highway, Highway 16, is known nationally as The Highway of Tears.

6. Data are age-standardized for mortality rates.