This presentation aims to empower physicians with a deeper comprehension of the intricate intersections between historical legacies, healthcare delivery, and the imperative for transformative change in support of health equity for Indigenous populations in Manitoba. It will explore the historical underpinnings of colonization and Indigenous-specific racism within the healthcare system, highlighting their enduring influence on the health of Indigenous communities. The session will emphasize the importance of physicians, as leaders in the healthcare system, learning to recognize the subtle yet impactful manifestations of these issues in healthcare and carrying this into application of practical strategies for fostering anti-racist and decolonizing practices. 

Learning Objectives:
1. Gain insight into the historical background of colonization and racism within Manitoba’s healthcare system and how this continues to impact the health of Indigenous peoples.
2. Develop the ability to identify and understand how colonization and racism manifest in healthcare practices.
3. Acquire strategies to promote anti-racist and decolonizing approaches as leaders in healthcare settings.

Dr. Linda Diffey is a member of the Peepeekisis Cree Nation in the Treaty 4 region and Indigenous Scholar in the Department of Community Health Sciences and Ongomiizwin Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing at the University of Manitoba. She co-led the development and implementation of the Indigenous Health curriculum in undergraduate medical education at the Max Rady College of Medicine and served as a co-editor of the national undergraduate medicine curricular framework for Indigenous health that was developed by the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada. In 2022 she launched the BRAID Network, a project within the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences that supports faculty development in the areas of anti-racism and Indigenous health. Her current research focuses on the experiences of physician instructors during the implementation of anti-colonial, anti-racist pedagogy in medical education. Other areas of interest include examining systemic colonial oppression within health-related institutions and the application of Indigenous resurgence as a theoretical foundation within Indigenous research methodology.

Save the date for upcoming sessions in the series:

October 24 – Kimani Paul-Emile, PhD

November 30 – Dr. Nanky Rai, MD