The Saskatchewan NEIHR Centre is meeting the distinct needs of Métis Peoples on the Prairies

Métis healthcare is distinct from First Nations healthcare, and the Saskatchewan Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (SK-NEIHR) Centre is honouring that distinction by taking specific Métis and First Nations approaches to health research, data sovereignty, and mentorship.

The Métis network within the Saskatchewan NEIHR Centre, mamawiikikayaahk, is the first Métis-specific health research network in Saskatchewan. The name, which means “healing together” in Michif, was gifted by a Michif language keeper.

“We are currently the only NEIHR that prioritizes Métis specific research,” says Dr. Robert Henry, the Nominated Principal Investigator of the Saskatchewan NEIHR Centre and the NEIHR National Coordinating Centre.

The Saskatchewan NEIHR Centre focuses on a distinctions-based approach to data collection and management, accurately distinguishing data on Métis People or First Nations People from pan-Indigenous data.

“When Métis health data comes out, it’s most often under the umbrella of Indigenous health, making it difficult to understand which Indigenous Peoples it refers to,” says Dr. Henry.  “A distinctions-based approach recognizes that each community has a unique culture, territory, history, and relationship with the Government of Canada, as well as unique strengths and challenges.”

Dr. Chelsea Gabel, the Scientific Director of CIHR’s Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health, agrees. “There is a clear need for increased investment in Métis health research,” she says. “We really want to work with Métis governments and Métis academics and invest in Métis research.”

To address this, the Saskatchewan NEIHR Centre has worked with Métis community partners to develop Métis data principles to guide research. “We’ve listened to peoples’ concerns about research and what they wanted to see instead, and explored together how to engage ethically in research, using this to create principles that are grounded in Métis ways of knowing,” says Dr. Henry.

The Saskatchewan NEIHR Centre’s approach to Métis health research and healthcare is best described by the Métis symbols of the sash, the Red River cart, and the governance of the buffalo hunt.

The primary colour of the sash represents Métis knowledge, while the secondary colours represent other ways of knowing. The sash symbolizes the willingness to combine Métis experience and Western medical expertise. The Red River cart and the buffalo hunt represent Métis innovations and resilience.

In rural Northern Saskatchewan, 85% of residents are either Métis or First Nations, and many have to travel long distances to access health care, which creates an increased economic burden.

Other inequalities exist. In treatment, as in data collection, Métis are often grouped with First Nations, ignoring cultural distinctions. To Dr. Henry, the Saskatchewan NEIHR Centre is about creating equitable treatment for both Métis and First Nations Peoples in the province.

“We’re looking at people who want to be treated equitably. We hope to be treated in a culturally-safe environment that isn’t just assumed to be First Nations with Métis excluded,” says Dr. Henry. “There are distinctions in cultural values and what Métis people are looking for during treatment.”

As research grows, so will the field of Métis-distinct healthcare. The Saskatchewan NEIHR Centre is leading the way as a safe space for Métis researchers.

Dr. Henry and everyone involved hopes to be able to bring Métis healthcare to the same level of funding, institutionalization, and mentorship as First Nations and Métis research. Eventually, Dr. Henry envisions the NEIHR supporting a deeper understanding of the social determinants of health from a Métis perspective.

At a glance

Issue

Métis-distinct healthcare lacks distinct data and the principles overseeing that data. As such, there is a lack of knowledge of the social determinants of health from a Métis perspective.

Research

The NEIHR program was created to establish a solid foundation for Indigenous health research led by and created for First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. The Saskatchewan NEIHR Centre is currently the only NEIHR with a Métis mandate, guiding research on Métis-specific healthcare needs, data collection, and mentorship.

Distinctions-based healthcare

For more information on distinctions-based approaches, see: What We Heard: Visions for Distinctions-based Indigenous Health Legislation. (2022). Government of Canada. Executive Summary available at: Visions for Distinctions-based Indigenous Health Legislation: Executive summary