Indigenous and Northern communities in Canada face unique challenges that deeply affect their health, well-being, and way of life. These communities are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes and systemic inequities, with access to clean water being one of the most critical issues. While Indigenous communities struggle with outdated infrastructure and limited access to safe drinking water—being 90 times more likely to lack running water than other Canadians—Northern communities face additional challenges from disrupted ice roads and increasing extreme weather events. From the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation's climate emergency declaration to the ongoing water crisis in places like Fort Chipewyan, these challenges reflect broader social, economic, and health disparities that demand immediate attention and culturally sensitive solutions.
The 1876 Indian Act aimed to "civilize" Indigenous people, based on the belief that Indigenous ways of life were inferior. Between 1871 and 1921, treaties were signed with the Crown, exchanging Indigenous land for settlers and granting provisions like reserve lands, farming tools, annual payments, and limited hunting and fishing rights.
These colonial policies established a legacy of systemic public policies that persist today, deeply affecting Indigenous health, social equity, and access to essential services.
The Act has framed Indigenous populations as “sick and defenceless,” reinforcing federal control through programs that remain significantly underfunded compared to those available to non-Indigenous Canadians.
**Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, protects the inherent right of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to self-government. This right allows Indigenous governments to govern matters related to their communities, cultures, traditions, languages, and lands.**
While not all self-government agreements include health, those that do often grant Indigenous governments jurisdiction over health services, including traditional healing practices and the training of healers. Some agreements may specify the administration of health services by Indigenous governments, or address health-related matters within self-government negotiations.