We want to ensure the best possible care for every person in British Columbia. As we strive towards this goal, it’s important that we recognize and address the barriers and power imbalances that are inherent within our health care system. Since the establishment of the Council (Now Health Quality BC), we have committed to promoting, learning about and educating others about cultural safety and humility to drive change in BC. Given that we’ve recently formalized our continuing commitment towards safe and respectful care for all by signing a Declaration of Commitment to Cultural Safety and Humility for First Nations People in BC with the First Nations Health Authority, we wanted to share our experiences, as well as our hopes for the future.
Cultural humility starts with acknowledging the personal and systemic biases inherent in our system and working towards positive change. We were proud to provide advisory and design support for the #ItStartsWithMe campaign in 2016, created by the First Nations Health Authority to encourage individuals to pledge their commitment to cultural safety and share their vision for a safer health care system. In addition to helping develop the campaign, our staff wrote their own pledges, detailing how they plan to personally contribute to a more safe and equitable health care system.
As dedicated learners and participants in the movement for cultural safety, all of our staff have completed San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training, delivered by the Provincial Health Services Authority. Because cultural safety and humility are part of a lifelong journey of learning, we regularly dedicate portions of our bi-annual team meetings to further training, which has included examining our personal backgrounds, evaluating our biases, learning about the history of the Coast Salish territories and drum-making led by Indigenous elders. These drums are used during the singing of the Coast Salish Anthem (Chief Dan George Prayer Song) during our annual Quality Forum, and during other ceremonial events.
In 2017, Leonard George joined us at the Quality Forum and shared the vision for the Coast Salish Anthem: that all people (both settlers and Indigenous) on Coast Salish land would come together to sing this song in solidarity. As part of the First Nation Health Authority’s adoption into the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation’s Wolf Clan, staff sing the Coast Salish Anthem together during their weekly morning prayer. In a moving gesture, the First Nations Health Authority invited us to sing this song as part of their family. When we sing the Coast Salish Anthem, it serves as a symbol of our commitment to cultural safety and humility, our role as allies in this work and a testament to our partnership with the First Nations Health Authority.
While we have undertaken the personal and organizational journey of cultural safety and humility, we are equally committed to educating others on the importance of a health care system that is free of racism and discrimination. We continue to weave Indigenous health and wellness into all our learning events. Additionally, we are honoured to have worked with the First Nations Health Authority to create a webinar action series to encourage reflection, learning and positive change among BC’s health care providers. These webinars support the development of tools and skills for being an effective ally and for health care professionals to integrate this work into their practice or interaction with Indigenous clients.
We are proud of the steps we have taken on our ongoing cultural safety and humility journey – but we know there is still considerable work to be done in order to build a health care system free of discrimination, with relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
By signing the Declaration of Commitment to Cultural Safety and Humility, we have formalized our intentions and committed ourselves to this important work. We are dedicated championing cultural safety and humility in BC, supporting partnerships and pathways to greater engagement of Indigenous patient voices in BC’s evolving health care system, and leveraging our provincial mandate to advance cultural safety and humility with our partners.
We will continue embedding cultural safety and humility into our policies, practices and actions each and every day to create an environment where people of all ages, genders and races feel safe receiving health care, and we encourage other health care organizations to do the same. By committing to cultural safety and humility, you have the opportunity to honour the Indigenous history of our province while helping to create a better tomorrow.
