'Acculturation' in the Canadian Aboriginal population

'Acculturation' in the Canadian Aboriginal population

by Kabir Singh Sandhu -
Number of replies: 2

I’ve always been interested in looking at the health status of minority groups in any population, particularly the Aboriginal populations of North America and Australia.  This summer I did some work experience in a rural hospital, run by 4 GPs, in an area of Canada called Port McNeill.  The population there is mainly Caucasian Canadians, with a small minority of Aboriginals living in remote areas and in reserves.  Here, I came across the term “acculturation” – cultural and psychological change when two cultures clash.  I learned of Residential Schools back in the 60s, where 20,000 indigenous children were forcibly fostered into Caucasian middle class families or placed in residential schools.  They were barred access to their families and medical histories, which negatively impacted their physical and psychological health.  This acculturation has massive ramifications today in rural healthcare, with young adults especially turning to drugs and alcohol (of course its tax free on the reserves!) as their only vice.  Rates of depression, STIs and suicide are massively increased in this group.  The two studies below highlight the prevalence of alcohol use in the Aboriginal population, and the targeting of this acculturation to reverse the tide of such deep routed psychological issues.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22152642

http://jbd.sagepub.com/content/28/6/495.abstract

Would be interesting to hear David's thoughts and experiences?

In reply to Kabir Singh Sandhu

Re: 'Acculturation' in the Canadian Aboriginal population

by Deleted user -

Thanks Kabir for reviewing the difference between acculturation and encluturation for us. You didn't tell me you had also worked in BC when you visited!

I just wrote a long reply that I lost when I tried to post, so let me summarize my thoughts again. 

I think the residential school tragedy was one of the worst chapters of our history which will leave many generations of Native Canadians suffering from deprivation. Our government has finally apologized for it, but other policies are hardly more enlightened. When a Native community faced and (even more) acute housing crisis last year, the government's solution was to send in an accoutant to see what had happened with all the money transfers. Of course, it was all accounted for, but such is the level of mistrust between the two cultures.

I think gradual acculturation is a wise strategy, which is not to say that Native Canadians need to lose their unique identity. Canada is an unlikely but succesful expression of multiculturalism after all, in many cultures participating in creating society. But that is very different from cultures participating in creating their _own_ society solely.

Part of the reason for this opinion, is that there is very little to strive for on reserves, which in my opinion perpetrate not only cycles of deprivation but also dependency. Often the largest employer on reserve is the hospital. Now that says something, doesn't it?

Now gradual acculturation may involve stages on enculturation. Some Northern communities do not have their own high schools and set up designated ones for their students in the south and this seems to work well. But the goal should be for success in wider society.

What do others think?

Thanks Kabir,

David

In reply to Deleted user

Re: 'Acculturation' in the Canadian Aboriginal population

by Kabir Singh Sandhu -

Thanks for the reply David

Ive been to a reserve with one family doctor who was to do an afternoon out-reach clinic. We were flown in via helicopter and the doctor and pilot were very much relieved that they were allowed to land - apparently it is very common for the Aboriginal leader of the reserve, if he feels he has been personally disresepected or hard done by in any way, to merely send the physician home. 

Its a shame as they are stuck in a downward spiral, as living on the reserve provides such economic benefit to the natives, why move elsewhere? By being entriched in the reserves gradual acculturation cannot happen.

Kabir