“…..there are real health effects of social, political, and economic marginalization embodied within individuals, which can collectively affect entire communities.”
This paper, written by Karina Czyzewski, University of Toronto, explores Colonialism as having a distal effect on indigenous health in Canada; placing emphasis on indigenous future self-determination.
“A proposed broader or Indigenized social determinants of health framework includes “colonialism” along with other global processes. What does it mean to understand Canadian colonialism as a distal determinant of Indigenous health? This paper reviews pertinent discourses surrounding Indigenous mental health in Canada. With an emphasis on the notion of intergenerational trauma, there are real health effects of social, political, and economic marginalization embodied within individuals, which can collectively affect entire communities. Colonialism can also be enacted and reinforced within Indigenous mental health discourse, thus influencing scholarly and popular perceptions. Addressing this distal determinant through policy work necessitates that improving Indigenous health is inherently related to improving these relationships, i.e. eliminating colonial relations, and increasing self-determination.”
You can find this paper in the International Indigenous Policy Journal which is an open access Journal which you can find online HERE