LibGuides: Main Menu: Indigenous Health Resources

Indigenous Health Resources

Why Indigenous Health Is Important

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action asks us, as healthcare providers, to do better. The
current state of Indigenous health in Canada is a direct result of government policies, with gaps in health outcomes between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, leading to significant health problems like the higher incidence of chronic diseases, suicide and mental health issues, lower life expectancy, substance use, maternal health, and infant and child health issues.

We are also called to provide and take cultural competency training. Part of that training is the commitment to continuing to learn, make changes in our behavior for the better, and address the harm created by the systems we uphold. We have created this guide to begin this work and to make resources available to all.

Horizon employees and non-employees. We invite you to join us in learning from these resources. If you have any suggestions for additional resources or any feedback on this subject guide, please let us know by sending an email to Library@HorizonNB.ca.

What Is An Indigenous Medicine Wheel

The circle influences how Indigenous peoples view the world.In the process of how life evolves, how the natural world grows and works together, how all things are connected, and how all things move toward their destiny. Indigenous peoples see and respond to the world in a circular fashion and are influenced by the examples of the circles of creation in their environment.

Medicine wheels (sometimes called hoops) come in more than one form, and their significance and use is culture-specific. There is, however, one fundamental similarity besides the shape - medicine wheels represent the alignment and continuous interaction of the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual realities. The circle shape represents the interconnectivity of all aspects of one’s being, including the connection with the natural world. Medicine wheels are frequently believed to be the circle of awareness of the individual self; the circle of knowledge that provides the power we each have over our lives.

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https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/exhibition/healing-ways/medicine-ways/medicine-wheel.html

Meanings of the Four Directions

Different tribes interpret the Medicine Wheel differently. Each of the Four Directions (East, South, West, and North) is typically represented by a distinctive color, such as black, red, yellow, and white, which for some stands for the human races.

The Directions can also represent:

Stages of life: birth, youth, adult (or elder), death
Seasons of the year: spring, summer, winter, fall
Aspects of life: spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical
Elements of nature: fire (or sun), air, water, and earth
Animals: Eagle, Bear, Wolf, Buffalo, and many others
Ceremonial plants: tobacco, sweetgrass, sage, cedar

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https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/exhibition/healing-ways/medicine-ways/medicine-wheel.html

Indigenous Peoples Groups

Aboriginal	“Of or relating to the people who have been in a region from the earliest time" – Merriam-Webster. Usually used to describe indigenous peoples of Australia. Being surpassed by the term “Indigenous" for the people of Canada.
First Nations	“Any number of peoples especially of Canada who are indigenous to the North American continent" – Merriam-Webster. “First Nations" is a wider term for one of three locally recognized groups of Aboriginal peoples. Still commonly referred to as “Indians" by the Government of Canada, now considered offensive.
Indigenous	“Of or relating to the earliest known inhabitants of a place and especially of a place that was colonized by a now-dominant group" – Merriam-Webster. Used on an international scale and slowly replacing the use of “Aboriginal".
Inuit	“A group of Indigenous peoples of northern Alaska, arctic Canada, and Greenland – used especially for those of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland" – Merriam-Webster. One of three locally recognized groups of Aboriginal peoples. “Eskimo" is a particular tribal area of the Inuit, to refer to the entire Inuit population as Eskimos is now considered offensive.
Métis	“A person of mixed blood, especially the offspring of an Indigenous American and a person of European ancestry" – Merriam-Webster. One of three locally recognized groups of Aboriginal peoples.
Native(s) and Native American	“One born or reared in a particular place" or, “A member of any of the indigenous peoples of the western hemisphere" – Merriam-Webster.

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Symbols

Symbol		Significance
Medicine Wheel		The Medicine Wheel is a traditional teaching tool for First Nations. It represents the Circle of Life and how to walk the earth in a balanced, peaceful, and harmonious way.
Eagle Feather		The Eagle Feather is the most sacred of feathers and is considered an honorable gift from the Creator. It is the representation of a life lived according to principle. It is the responsibility of the carrier to carry that feather with respect by walking a good path.
Sweetgrass		Sweetgrass is one of the four sacred medicines used in smudging ceremonies to symbolically cleanse the body and other objects. It is considered to be the hair of Mother Earth and respect is shown by braiding her hair. It is also a symbol of unity, clarity of mind, and strength of purpose. Smudging Policy (HHN-PC-031)
Métis Sash		The Métis Sash is an important cultural symbol to the Métis people. Most often worn as a belt, the three-meter long finger woven swath of colorful cloth has many other practical applications.
Infinity		The Infinity sign symbolizes two cultures (French and First Nation people) together and the continuity of the Métis culture.
Inuksuk		Inuksuit are the mysterious stone figures found throughout the circumpolar world and have become a familiar symbol of the Inuit and their homeland. Inuksuk (the singular of Inuksuit) means "in the likeness of a human" and is a monument made of unworked stones that is used by the Inuit for communication and survival.

Terminology

Considered derogatory/rude:

“Eskimo" to describe the Inuit population; “Eskimo" is a particular tribal area of the Inuit, to refer to the entire Inuit population as Eskimos is now considered offensive.
“Indian" to describe an Indigenous individual; an outdated term originating back to Columbus who thought he'd arrived in India. He referred to the people he encountered as “indios" – Spanish for “Indian".
“Native" to describe an Indigenous individual; an outdated term originating from the colonial and settler eras.

Indigenous Books & eBooks

Indigenous Books & eBooks

Indigenous eJournals

Indigenous Journals

Web Pages

Indigenous Helplines

Books, eBooks and Videos

Books

Johnson, H. R. (2016). Firewater: How Alcohol is Killing My People (and Yours). University of Regina Press.

Justice, D. H. (2018). Why Indigenous Literatures Matter. Wilfred Laurier University Press.

Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants.
Milkweed Editions.

Methot, S. (2019). Legacy: Trauma, Story, and Indigenous Healing. ECW Press.

Stewart, S. L., Moodley, R., & Hyatt, A. (Eds.). (2017). Indigenous Cultures and Mental Health Counselling: Four
Directions for Integration with Counselling Psychology. Routledge.

Talaga, T. (2017). Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City. House of Anansi Press Inc.

Wadden, M. (2008). Where the Pavement Ends: Canada's Aboriginal Recovery Movement and the Urgent Need for
Reconciliation. Douglas & McIntyre.

Reports

Library Services – Fredericton Area	Library Services – Miramichi Area	Library Services – Moncton Area	Library Services – Saint John Area
phone: (506) 452-5432	phone: (506) 623-3216	phone: (506) 857-5447	phone: (506) 648-6763