Message from the President – April 2025

She:kon,

Last week the Thunders came rumbling to our area, waking up the Earth from her long sleep. We put tobacco down acknowledging this important change of the cycle of seasons. There was also the beginning of this year’s cycle of meetings and conferences, and many of us have had the chance to see each other.

The work of learning, teaching and taking care of the health of our people has always been challenging. Right now we are being layered with even more stress- the measles outbreak that threatens to spread north- where many in our communities are hesitant to be vaccinated, the bird-flu that threatens to jump species, new stresses in the ways we provide health care including the addition of artificial intelligence, and of course the political changes that are putting real economic strain to the environment and the health of our people.

In times of increased chaos- something that our people have been weathering for a long time, my father reminds me that this is where we throw all our good thoughts, intentions, plans, into the giant vortex. As with all things, the chaos will go through ebbs and flow, so when it dissipates even a bit, more goodness will be left lying around. This is the time that must work to make and maintain our relationships. All our relationships- ourselves, our families, our communities, physician and non-physician colleagues- including our traditional ceremonial and medicine leaders, midwives, and doulas, our past, our future, our non-human relations, must be
reinvigorated. Our relationships are foundational to being well.

Please take care of yourselves, have a wonderful spring, and we look forward to seeing you in Saskatoon in June.

Dr. Ojistoh Kahnawahere Horn

Message from the President – January 2025

In the time of the deep cold, Tsiothóhrha, called December, and the very deep cold, Tsiohthohrkó:wa, called January, my people sat in their longhouses with their families by the fires telling stories and teachings.  Our hunters would be out, catching game to bring home.  When the star constellation called the Seven Sisters, or Pleiades was at its highest, they would start their journey home, and their arrival would begin the important Midwinter festivals and ceremonies.  

And so, this is where we are now.  We are with our families back home in our principle or urban communities.  Many of us have had to work through this time in the homes, clinics, and hospitals that are hosting our patients.  In my community, we have many elders in palliative care – two who died today and one who died last week.  It was wholesome to hear the words said over the bed of the newly departed, where their body and spirit were informed that they had separated.  We do this to ensure that there is no confusion on the part of the spirit, so that they are aware that they are free to return to that place we call The Great Mystery.  

As physicians, we have the incredible privilege of being part of the lives of people as they pass through each rite of passage.  But we must always be vigilant, ensuring that we do not carry more than what we can handle.  Being with our families and out on our lands is one way to unburden ourselves from the energetic memories that we carry.  

Some of us had the incredible fortune of traveling to Australia to participate in the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress (PRIDOC).  It is incredible to be part of the optimistic and enthusiastic conversations about what we need to do when we get back home.  Fully aware of how busy we are, we will be reaching out to you to find a date, likely on a weekend, in the next two months, where we can meet virtually, to debrief and outline all our ideas.

Incredibly, we have a strong core of indigenous physicians.  With our collective minds and experience we can substantively inform the solutions needed to address the inequities in health care, the creation of multidisciplinary primary care teams in our home and urban communities, and bridging this care with specialist and subspecialist care.  

We look forward to meeting again!

Dr. Ojistoh Kahnawahere Horn

Message from the President – October 2024

As we settle into the Harvest season, I hope everyone has found some time to spend with friends and family. It has been a very busy few months since our meeting in July. A new school year has begun—some of us have children in school, our medical students and residents are well into the academic year, and many clinicians are busy revamping their lectures and teaching. We are all continuing our work towards improving the health of our peoples.

The staff at IPAC have been very busy planning two important projects. First, IPAC staff and members have been visiting medical schools across Canada, meeting Indigenous program staff, residents, and students. We are listening to the needs and concerns of each school, exploring ways to facilitate mentoring relationships and improve opportunities for our learners to work alongside Indigenous physicians. Second, IPAC members will be attending the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress (PRIDoC) in Adelaide, Australia, this December. This gathering, held every two years, provides an opportunity to meet colleagues from other continents, learn about their peoples, history, and cultures, and appreciate the diverse approaches to improving health care in Indigenous communities.

On September 18, 2024, many Indigenous physicians gathered in Victoria, BC, to bear witness to the Canadian Medical Association’s apology for harms to Indigenous people. Following the direction of the Kwakwaka’wakw people at the Mungo Martin House, participants from across the continent placed medicines and stories into a ceremonial bundle. This bundle, currently cared for by the CMA President, symbolizes our collective commitment to holding the CMA accountable to the spirit and intention of this apology.

In other news, Bill S-5, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act amendment recognizing our Right to live in a healthy environment, and Bill C-226, an act to develop a national strategy to address environmental racism and injustice, are two pieces of Canadian legislation that highlight many issues underlying the poor health of our people and the ecosystems we live in. As Indigenous physicians, I encourage you to use your strong advocacy to amplify the voices of our people, especially in the context of this and other legislation affecting our health.

The Autumn Equinox has passed. Hopefully, our Mother Earth will prepare herself for a good rest under a thick blanket of snow and ice. Please take time to do the things that make you well, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the year.

Niawen go:wa,

Dr. Ojistoh Horn, President