Desiree Mannila T00611686 September 16, 2021
Disclaimer: According to countless survivors, the data recorded and released does not accurately reflect the depth of the atrocities that Indigenous people faced during colonization. Approximately 6000 deaths have been linked to Residential schools across Canada-this number is false. This was proven by the recent discovery of 215 undocumented remains revealed at the Kamloops Residential School grounds; sparking other communities to use ground-penetrating radars to search for others that were not acknowledged. Since May 2021, at least 1300 more children have been discovered. Taking this into consideration, the following referenced material may not accurately depict the treatment and inhumane testing that Indigenous people succumbed to.
Indigenous people in Canada have been disproportionately affected by government mandates dating back to the late 1800s. Some indigenous people are comparing the recent Covid-19 mandates to the horrors they, or their families faced during the times of Indian Hospitals and Residential schools. Traditional medicines, cultural events, and practices are integral to the mental health and cultural stability of indigenous people, however, they are now used as a bargaining chip depending on one’s vaccination status.
The Nuremberg Code of Medical Ethics was introduced in 1946 following the heinous acts carried out by medical professionals during the second world war. (Blackburn, 2013.) Canada has remained reluctant to take ownership of the gravity of their own medical procedures during this time. Experimentation included: deliberate levels of mal-nutrition, revoking dental care, and applying primitive surgical techniques. Moreover, Indigenous children were used as non-consenting test subjects for Tuberculosis research and vaccines.
During tuberculosis vaccine trials, doctors had already discovered that the repercussions of tuberculosis could be mitigated by improving the living situations of Indigenous people, and quarantining the infected. Although cutting the death rate in half, this method of harm-reduction was not as cost-effective as vaccines. (Blackburn, 2013.) Despite the vaccine becoming successful, over 100 children died from poverty-related issues throughout the study. (Blackburn, 2013.)
Prior to the preliminary vaccine trials, the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health declared that the ideal weapon against Covid-19 was a strong immune system supported by substantial amounts of Vitamin A, B12, B6, C, E, zinc, and iron. (Aman; Masood, 2020.) Although a healthy diet achieves the ideal quantities of these vitamins, a healthy diet is less feasible with the increase of poverty, depression, and isolation from lockdowns. (Aman; Masood, 2020.) Individuals living on-reserve are exceptionally affected by the rising costs and access to nutritional foods. Coincidentally, indigenous communities were among the first people to gain access to vaccines once they were made available. Sound familiar?
Before there was “white-man” medicine, Indigenous people had their own forms of healthcare that had been passed down for generations. This medicine may take various forms, ranging from saps to roots, berries, and leaves as well as spiritual fulfillment. For example, rosehips source more vitamin C than standard citrus fruit, yarrow reduces fevers, helps pain and immune support, and elderberries are known to reduce the effects of cold and flu symptoms. Many Indigenous people are choosing to retreat to the forest to follow their traditional teachings rather than seek colonial interventions.
Currently, there is no room for Indigenous people to heal themselves through their own forms of medicine, or participate in cultural activities without being double-vaccinated. Potlaches were illegal until 1950, however under the new mandates- they have been outlawed once again. There are currently no “religious exemptions” offered for ceremonial purposes, traditional practices or to rectify P.T.S.D. Additionally, there have been no efforts to initiate or ease creating a healthier lifestyle for Indigenous communities, despite thousands of dollars being sent out as bribes for implementing vaccinations on reserve.
Resources
Aman, F., & Masood, S. (2020, May). How nutrition can help to fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistan journal of medical sciences. Retrieved September 16, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7306972/.
Blackburn, M. (2013, July 24). First Nation Infants subject to “Human experimental work” for TB vaccine in 1930s-40s. APTN News. Retrieved September 16, 2021, from https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/first-nation-infants-subject-to-human-experimental-work-for-tb-vaccine-in-1930s-40s/.
COVID-19 pandemic SPARKS surge in overdose deaths this year. COVID-19 Pandemic Sparks Surge in Overdose Deaths this Year. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15 2021, from https://www.fnha.ca/about/news-and-events/news/covid-19-pandemic-sparks-surge-in-overdose-deaths-this-year.
Macdonald, Noni E, et al. “Canada’s Shameful History of Nutrition Research on Residential School Children: The Need for Strong Medical Ethics in Aboriginal Health Research.” Paediatrics & Child Health, Pulsus Group Inc, Feb. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3941673/.
Mercurio, B. A. (2020, May 1). How covid-19 impacts indigenous communities. Ryerson University. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://www.ryerson.ca/news-events/news/2020/05/how-covid-19-impacts-indigenous-communities/.
United Nations. (n.d.). COVID-19 and indigenous peoples for indigenous peoples. United Nations. Retrieved September 15, 2021, from https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/covid-19.html.