Principles for promoting wellness and preventing suicide among First Nations and Inuit
The aim of a cultural safety approach is to transform health care and social services so that they are better aligned with the needs, expectations, rights and identities of Indigenous Peoples. It recognizes the power imbalances, attributable to colonialism, between Indigenous Peoples and actors in the health and social services system. The intention is to ensure that Indigenous Peoples have access to care and service environments that are free from racism and discrimination, where they can feel safe.
Seven principles put forward by Indigenous peoples emerge from the analysis:
- Respect and support self-determination
- Understand the influence of colonialism and practice reflexivity
- Recognize the role of culture in promoting wellness
- Recognize the importance of connection to the land
- Support emotional and social connections
- Value approaches that are community-centered and build local capacity
- Create long-term collaborations and build relationships of trust
The self-determination of Indigenous populations is a central, cross-cutting principle underlying the integration of cultural safety into mental health promotion and suicide prevention initiatives. When communities design, implement and evaluate their own initiatives, they see positive impacts.
A cultural safety approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention recognizes the influence of structural determinants such as colonialism, racism, marginalization and poverty.
Opening up a dialogue about lived trauma is part of promoting life and wellness. For Indigenous Peoples, this process of reclaiming ownership of their narrative helps to re-establish cultural and social connections, and can help to break down taboos surrounding suicide.
Strengths-based approaches to life promotion and suicide prevention value and mobilize the knowledge, skills and protective factors of individuals and communities. Culture is a case in point: Indigenous practices and languages, intergenerational relationships and connection to the land all promote wellness.
