Indigenous

Reconciliation comes from truth and understanding, from acknowledging the past and present in order to build a more just and equitable future. Over 6,750 people shared their experiences of the Indian Residential School System with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Their testimony shed light on policies and practices so that all Canadians can bear witness and have better knowledge of the experiences of their Indigenous neighbours and community members. In its small way, this issue of Visions aims to give a voice to the mental health challenges—and resilience—of Aboriginal or ‘Indigenous’ community members in BC.

It seems like everyone has an opinion when it comes to treatments for mental health or substance use problems. To add to the confusion, it isn’t always obvious who is basing their opinions on real evidence and who is not. And while we often hear people talk about evidence-based treatments, it’s also clear that complementary and alternative medicine approaches are helpful for some.

While it's common to talk about the mental health system, the system isn’t a singular entity. The system might include primary care, mental health, substance use, housing, income assistance, and justice. They are not always accessed the same way, through similar gatekeepers.

Culture can be any group’s shared values or beliefs, whether the group is linked by ethnicity, age, gender, life experiences, and all of the places in between. Culture is reflected in everything from how we act to what our media tells us.

 

PDF | Vol. 5, No. 1 (2008)