Indigenous Peoples in Canada face significant challenges in cancer care. They experience higher incidence rates of cancer and have poorer health outcomes compared to non-Indigenous Canadians.1 Barriers to cancer care for Indigenous peoples are significant and include reduced screening, later diagnosis, systemic racism and a complicated healthcare system that is often not culturally aligned.2 In Alberta alone, over 250,000 people identify as Indigenous, encompassing 45 First Nations across 140 reserves. More than 50% of Indigenous Peoples live in rural areas where access to cancer care is particularly constrained.3
At Wellspring Alberta, we are dedicated to bridging this gap in care. We understand that culturally appropriate resources and support are essential for Indigenous Peoples living with cancer. Our initiatives aim to provide tailored support and foster meaningful connections with Indigenous communities.
Our free monthly sharing circle is open to Indigenous Peoples living with cancer and caregivers. The goal is to create a safe space in which to welcome all Métis, First Nations, and Inuit across the province to connect, share experiences, and build a caring and supportive community.
Participants can join online or by phone. To learn more call 1-866-682-3135.
The following external resources may be useful to Indigenous Peoples as they navigate through a cancer diagnosis.
Our health and wellbeing are connected to the land and the environment that surrounds us. We acknowledge that the land we share, learn, and live on are traditional territories in Alberta of Treaty 6, Treaty 7 and Treaty 8. This is also the home of the Metis Settlements and the Métis Nation within Alberta. Here at Wellspring we are both settlers and Indigenous and we pay tribute to those whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries. Wellspring acknowledges the traditional healing pathways and knowledge of our interconnectedness with
the land as gifts provided by Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
Wellspring Alberta is supported by a dedicated team of peer support volunteers who provide compassionate listening and guidance to individuals affected by cancer. They help navigate both Wellspring’s resources and those available in the broader cancer care community. We aim to expand this team to include greater diversity, allowing our members to choose a peer support volunteer who aligns with their cultural background. If you are Métis, First Nations, or Inuit, and have a personal experience in cancer, either as a patient or caregiver, we invite you to consider joining our peer support team.
Wellspring Alberta charges no fees and receives no core government funding. Programs and operations are made possible only through the generosity of donors and funds raised through donations, sponsorships and special events.
Your donation makes a difference.
Sources:
[1] Beckett, Cole, K., White, M., Chan, J., McVicar, J., Rodin, D., Clemons, M., & Bourque, J.-M. (2021). Decolonizing cancer care in Canada. Journal of Cancer Policy, 30, 100309–100309.
Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (2013). First Nations Cancer Control in Canada Baseline Report. Toronto: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.
CPAC Lung Cancer and Equity: A Focus on Income and Geography. (2020).
Mazereeuw, M. V., Withrow, D. R., Diane Nishri, E., Tjepkema, M., & Marrett, L. D. (2018). Cancer incidence among First Nations adults in Canada: follow-up of the 1991 Census Mortality Cohort (1992–2009). Canadian Journal of Public Health, 109(5-6), 700–709.
McGahan, Linn, K., Guno, P., Johnson, H., Coldman, A. J., Spinelli, J. J., & Caron, N. R. (2017). Cancer in First Nations people living in British Columbia, Canada: an analysis of incidence and survival from 1993 to 2010. Cancer Causes & Control, 28(10), 1105–1116.
Witham, S., Carr, T., Badea, A., Ryan, M., Stringer, L., Barreno, L., & Groot, G. (2021). Sâkipakâwin: Assessing Indigenous Cancer Supports in Saskatchewan Using a Strength-Based Approach. Current Oncology (Toronto, Ont.), 29(1), 132–143.
[2] Mazereeuw, M. V., Withrow, D. R., Diane Nishri, E., Tjepkema, M., & Marrett, L. D. (2018). Cancer incidence among First Nations adults in Canada: follow-up of the 1991 Census Mortality Cohort (1992–2009). Canadian Journal of Public Health, 109(5-6), 700–709.
Letendre, A., Garvey, G., King, A., King, M., Crowshoe, R., Bill, L., Caron, N. R., & Elias, B. (2020). Creating a Canadian Indigenous Research Network Against Cancer to Address Indigenous Cancer Disparities. JCO Global Oncology, 6(6), 92–98.
Horrill, T.C., Linton, J., Lavoie, J. G., Martin, D., Wiens, A., & Schultz, A. S. (2019). Access to cancer care among Indigenous peoples in Canada: A scoping review. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 238, 112495–112495.
[3] Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2016). Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census – Province of Alberta. Statcan.gc.ca.
Charitable #: 80901 3675 RR0001
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