Citizens of the MNO present at the ACSP and CSEB national health conferences

Citizens of the MNO present at the ACSP and CSEB national health conferences

The health and well-being of the citizens of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) has always been a top priority for the MNO; and leading Métis-specific health research is a critical component to addressing existing gaps in health outcomes for Métis in the province.

Recently, a collaboration between the MNO and its research partner, the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), provided MNO citizen researchers Abigail Simms and Sabastian Koprich with an incredible opportunity to present the research and findings. Métis-focused health programs at two national health policy conferences. .

The conferences, organized by the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) and the Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CSEB), brought together researchers, public health officials, policy makers and students in Hailifax in June 2023. Indigenous perspectives were integrated into the lectures and highlighted the importance of Indigenous cultural safety in public health practice.

“I think it’s important to present on Métis health and research at public health conferences to raise awareness of Métis health and wellness needs,” says Abigail. “I came away from these experiences with new questions and research directions that could be of interest to the MNO; there are so many things you can do with the data we have, which is very exciting! »

Determined to ensure that Métis perspectives are featured in national public health dialogues, MNO citizens Abigail and Sabastian (along with their colleagues Tatiana Baziw, Leah Quinlan, Gabriel Tjong and Noel Tsui) presented their research on contemporary issues impacting MNO communities, including:

• Household food insecurity among MNO citizens (CPHA & CSEB)
• Housing conditions and self-reported health status in the MNO (CPHA)
• Understanding the Relationship Between Housing and Health for MNO Citizens (CPHA)
• COVID-19 vaccination intentions among Métis parents of children under 11 in Ontario (CPHA)
• Hepatitis C (HCV) Prevalence among MNO Citizens (CSEB)
• HIV prevalence among MNO citizens (CSEB)
• Surveillance of Cardiovascular Disease in MNO Citizens (CSEB)

Abigail stresses the importance of having Métis-specific health research to understand where MNO citizens are doing well and where needs are not being met:

“Once you have that picture, which you can get through health research and data, that information can help shape policies to create programs and services,” says Abigail. “We have now had a few MNO citizens, including myself, working with [ICES] so it has been really exciting to see the capacity being developed within the Métis community to do this work as well.

Sebastian, too, echoes the importance of Métis-specific health research, saying:

“The data sovereignty of each distinct Indigenous group is important to be recognized, and much of the currently available literature pan-Indigenizes data. [and] fails to identify unique differences between Aboriginal groups. It is therefore important to fill these gaps in Métis-specific research.

For Sebastian, this job helps him connect with the community in a meaningful way.

“Doing research on Métis health and working with the NMO is a form of healing in a way, to give a voice to the Métis,” he says. “I love doing research and have always been motivated to get a better education so I can help in many ways.”

The MNO wishes to express its deepest gratitude to the citizens of the MNO who generously shared their thoughts and experiences as well as to the researchers and others who contributed to this body of research, including Shelley Cripps, Robynn Sadler, Keith King, Sarah Edwards, Amy Mersereau, Cindi Rye, David Crenna, Jeff Evenson, Samantha Morais and Andrew Mendlowitz.