The air in the meeting room felt too heavy for an otherwise sunny Saskatchewan afternoon. As the First Nations Health Ombudsperson’s office prepared to release its inaugural report, I couldn’t help but notice the expressions of those gathered – a mixture of validation and weariness that comes when long-ignored truths finally receive official acknowledgment.
“We had community members who were afraid to even speak up,” Veronica McKinney, the first person to hold the position of First Nations health ombudsperson, told me after presenting the stark findings. “Some feared they would receive even worse care if they complained.”
In just its first seven months of operation, McKinney’s office documented more than 500 complaints from Indigenous patients across the country, revealing a healthcare system where discrimination remains deeply entrenched. The complaints ranged from outright denial of necessary care to more subtle but equally harmful forms of racism – assumptions about substance abuse, dismissal of traditional healing practices, or simply being made to feel unwelcome in spaces meant to heal.
The report, published on April 25, 2024, identified Saskatchewan and Alberta as hotspots, accounting for nearly 80% of all complaints. This geographical concentration speaks volumes about regional healthcare cultures, though McKinney cautions against assuming other provinces are immune to the problem.
When I visited the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation health center earlier this spring, nurse practitioner Sarah Morin described the ripple effects of these negative experiences. “Once someone has a traumatic interaction, word spreads quickly through the community,” she explained while preparing medications. “Then others avoid seeking care until their condition becomes critical. We’re constantly working against a legacy of mistrust.”
The statistics tell a grim story. First Nations people in Canada face significantly shorter life expectancies – a gap of 11.2 years for men and 10.9 years for women compared to non-Indigenous Canadians, according to Statistics Canada. These disparities extend across almost every health measure, from diabetes rates to maternal outcomes.
The establishment of the ombudsperson position emerged from the In Plain Sight report, which documented widespread racism against Indigenous peoples in British Columbia’s healthcare system after the tragic 2020 death of Joyce Echaquan, who livestreamed hospital staff making racist comments as she lay dying.
What makes McKinney’s approach distinctive is the blend of Western investigation methods with Indigenous cultural awareness. Each complaint is treated not merely as an isolated incident but as potential evidence of systemic issues. “We’ve created a culturally safe space for people to come forward,” McKinney explained. “Many tell us they’ve never felt heard before in these systems.”
The complaints themselves reveal painfully consistent patterns. There’s Marjorie, a 62-year-old elder from northern Manitoba, who was repeatedly sent home from emergency departments despite showing clear signs of cardiac distress. Only after her daughter insisted on transfer to a different hospital was her heart condition diagnosed and treated.
Or consider Thomas, a 28-year-old from Kahnawake, who sought help for depression but was automatically referred to substance abuse counseling despite having no history of drug or alcohol use. “They just assumed,” he told McKinney’s team. “They didn’t even ask.”
Dr. Janet Smylie, Research Chair in Indigenous Health at St. Michael’s Hospital, wasn’t surprised by the report’s findings. “These aren’t isolated incidents or misunderstandings,” she told me via phone. “We’re seeing the results of historical policies and ongoing systemic racism that continues to shape how Indigenous patients experience care.”
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), representing 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan, had anticipated high numbers but expressed shock at the volume of complaints in such a short period. “This confirms what our communities have been saying for generations,” said FSIN Vice Chief David Pratt. “The healthcare system too often fails our people in basic and sometimes deadly ways.”
Not all stories end in tragedy, however. McKinney’s report also highlights emerging models of success, like the Sturgeon Lake Health Centre in Saskatchewan, which integrates traditional healing practices with Western medicine. There, patients report feeling respected and understood, which correlates with better health outcomes and increased willingness to seek preventive care.
Saskatchewan Health Minister Everett Hindley has acknowledged the report’s findings and promised action, though detailed plans remain forthcoming. “We accept that there’s work to be done,” Hindley stated at a press conference following the report’s release. “We’re committed to working with First Nations partners to address these concerns.”
For advocates like Emily Hill of Aboriginal Legal Services, however, such statements feel all too familiar. “We’ve heard commitments before,” she noted during our conversation at her Toronto office. “What’s needed now is structural change – in how healthcare providers are trained, in how services are designed and delivered, and in who makes decisions about Indigenous health.”
McKinney’s office represents a potential bridge between complaints and solutions. Each documented case creates an official record that cannot be easily dismissed, while the aggregated data helps identify where interventions are most urgently needed.
As I left Saskatchewan, I thought about something elder Joseph Bear had told me while we shared tea at a community gathering: “Health isn’t just about medicine or hospitals. It’s about being seen as a human being worthy of care and respect.” The ombudsperson’s report may be filled with statistics and policy recommendations, but at its heart, it’s about this fundamental human need – to be treated with dignity when at our most vulnerable.
For Canada’s healthcare system, addressing these 500-plus complaints isn’t merely about improving services. It’s about fulfilling a promise that healthcare truly means care for all.
