The persistence of traditional medicine in urban areas: the case of Canada's Indians.

Abstract

The persistence of the traditional medical systems among Canadian Native peoples has been fairly well documented, and some commentators have suggested that a resurgence in these systems is currently underway (Gregory, 1988). Although there have been very few studies of the utilization of these medical systems by contemporary Native peoples, there has been some suggestion that dual utilization is indeed practiced. Virtually nothing is known about the specific patterns of utilization, and the relationship, if any, between the utilization of traditional and western medical services. Similarly, few aspects of health care utilization by Native peoples in urban areas have been researched. The purpose of this paper is to explore this relationship through the examination of data obtained in a recent study of Native and non-Native medical service utilization patterns in the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.