Investing in Indigenous health initiatives

A new initiative from the Movember organization will see more than $18 million invested in Indigenous communities over the next seven years. The funds going toward improving access to healthcare for Indigenous men. For more on this, we’re joined now by Negan Sinclair, a professor of Native studies with the University of Manitoba. Thank you so much for joining us today. Yeah, me. Thanks for having me. I want to begin with some of the health disparities that Indigenous people, specifically men and boys, experience right now. Well, on all barometers, virtually everything from suicide to addictions to incarceration, Indigenous men tend to be anywhere between 2 to 10 times more likely to experience those things. And particularly if we issue just the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous boys and men, it is often much higher than the much more publicized murdered missing Indigenous women and girls. But we don’t classify those things that are impacting Indigenous men in the same way. And so oftentimes it’s kind of a hidden challenge that’s happening within the country for Indigenous men who’ve experienced a great deal of violence according to colonial policies, Canadian policies, but then also have intergenerational harm in communities that they often times both experience and that sometimes perpetrate in their own communities. Negan then with this announced $18 million over a span of seven years. How will this help? So $18 million is a huge investment from a global organization that will impact dozens of communities in which men are looking for and need resources and support. We know the situation, particularly on First Nations, but also in urban indigenous communities and in situations involving men who are incarcerated, for example. We need cultural support programs that can be proactive, those initiatives that can bring and address the issue of shame, address the issues of mental health, and then most of all reinstitute a kind kind of sense of pride, which often relates with learning your culture, learning your language, being proud out of who you are, which often that leads to better choices, choices away from for example, the justice system or situations of addiction or perhaps toxic relationships that they may be involved in. So really very much well-rounded in the social emotional well-being. How important is it for those who have access to Indigenous LED healthcare? The only difference between a man and Indigenous man that’s in jail and myself is community and opportunity. Meaning that I was lucky enough that when I got into trouble as a young Indigenous man, when I felt shamed, when I experienced those same kind of colonial policies or Canadian policies that then led me into interactions with the police or LED me into interactions with wanting to drop out or harm myself. I had people around me that were able to support. I had both family. I also had Canadian people, people in the healthcare system. That’s what we need to do to surround and support some of the most neglected communities in the country, those who have experienced some of the most marginalization and abuse. And those are communities of Indigenous men. A very important discussion. And as you noted, these dollars will be going very far. And Egan Sinclair, appreciate you taking the time with us. Thank you. Yeah, I’m Miguel X. Thanks for your time.