%0 Journal Article
%T Improving access to Indigenous medicine for patients in hospital-based settings: a challenge for health systems in northern Canada
%A Be¡¯sha Blondin
%A Justina Marianayagam
%A Nicole Redvers
%J International Journal of Circumpolar Health
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2019.1577093
%X ABSTRACT In this commentary, we argue that Indigenous patients in the Northwest Territories (NWT) have a right to access traditional medicine and related practitioners as a part of the continuum of medical care. Indigenous people make up over half of the NWT population, spread over vast geographic areas with representation from First Nations, Inuit and M¨¦tis (FNIM) people. Ensuring barrier-free access to traditional medicine and providers in a culturally respectful environment is a challenge that requires structural transformation in the territorial health system. The ongoing transmission of knowledge about Indigenous traditional medicine in Northern Canada and the collective survival of Northern peoples is a testament to the applicability of traditional medicines in a self-determined wellness system. Through a discussion of the barriers to policy development and implementation, this commentary aims to elevate Indigenous perspectives and offer recommendations for integrating traditional medicines into Northern health systems
%U https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22423982.2019.1577093