Tag Archives: medicine

MODULE 4 – ENTRY 2: PART II-GARDENS & EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

I feel this a full circle moment, in that the school I have attended for most of my adult life, the University of British Columbia, has undergone many vital changes over the last few decades. I came across another related website, that again ties in with my final assignment and my own personal experiences, which has brought back many memories of my educational journey, from 2006-2007, when I was learning to become an educator.  I had an opportunity to visit a place where teaching, learning, and research, was interconnected with Indigenous knowledge and sustainable food growing.  There was an idea that was planted on campus, which  focused on Indigenous food sovereignty, food security, and traditional plant knowledge.  Here, the students, like myself, could gain a wealth of knowledge and have access to both traditional and non-traditional plants/food uses of the Indigenous peoples.

Public Domain photo by PXhere

This garden today has become a guide on the principle that ‘food is medicine’ and follows the research ethic framework of the “4R’s: respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility” and a holistic understanding of health and healing. It has become grounds for an international, community-based research and land-based teachings, where the garden engages with numerous regional Aboriginal schools, communities, and organizations.  This life motto has always resonated deeply with me, and I had no idea how much of it has had a positive influence in my life, not only as an educator, but as a learner.

Reference:

Indigeneous Research Partnerships. (2014). Highlights from the Indigenous Health Research & Education Garden: 2014. Retrieved July10, 2021, http://lfs-indigenous.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2015/03/2014-Highlights-from-the-Indigenous-Health-Research-and-Education-Garden.pdf

MODULE 3 – ENTRY 3: How Indigenous Inequities Affect Childhood Development

“Indigenous peoples experience a disproportionate burden of ill health associated with the

socioeconomic context of their lives. Investing in quality early childhood development and care (ECDC)

programs for Indigenous children is critical to redressing these health imbalances (BCACCS, 2014).” –  (Halseth & Greenwood, 2019, p.5)

Public Domain photo by Balises

I feel the issue of health is the number concern, that needs to be dealt with first and foremost.  This online publication from the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health in Prince George, BC, which is situated on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh, part of the Dakelh (Carrier) First Nations, touches on how the young Indigenous children still experience many health disparities like lack of nutritional foods, medicines, dental and health services. All of which can mostly be attributed to the socio-economic, environmental, political and historical conditions in which they live. High quality, holistic and culturally relevant care programs can provide a promising avenue for addressing these health disparities by optimizing Indigenous children’s physical, emotional, psychological, cognitive and spiritual development.  This would ultimately, give them the best start in life and it can  address health disparity issues consistently over the long-term. The problem that lies here is that there are a lack of these services for the Indigenous children living in the small communities that do not have the resources nor the capacity to initiate or maintain these programs. So how can we help eradicate these Indigenous inequities, is what this particular published journal inquires about.

Reference:

Halseth, R. & Greenwood, M. (2019). Indigenous early childhood development in Canada: Current state of knowledge and future directions. [Site]. 1-68. Retrieved June 19, 2021 from https://www.nccih.ca/docs/health/RPT-ECD-PHAC-Greenwood-Halseth-EN.pdf