Moving Beyond Ignorance and Epistemic Violence: Indigenous Health Nurses' Response to Systems Transformation.

Abstract

Health inequity among Indigenous populations continues to widen despite advances in Indigenous health research. Under Canada's esteemed universal healthcare system, Indigenous populations continue to experience much poorer health outcomes due to the intersectional legacies of colonialism and racism. In this commentary, we reflect on structural, systemic and service delivery racism at all levels of care, which are deeply embedded in historical, political, institutional and socioeconomic policies and practices that continue to perpetuate harm and genocide of Indigenous Peoples. We call for immediate action to re-establishing epistemic justice and reframing Indigenous knowledge systems in nursing practices, policies, research and education as the starting point in counteracting systemic racism.