Study examines health

A study is underway in Fredericton to better understand the barriers Indigenous people living off-reserve face when it comes to accessing health care.

Gary Gould, a member of the Wolastoqiyik Nation, has been advocating for the rights of non-status Indigenous people who live outside of First Nation communities since the 1970s.

"Hopefully, as a result of this data-based study, it'll convince the policymakers that there needs to be special attention given to this community of Indigenous people," Gould said.

The study is called Our Health Counts, and it's being conducted by the University of New Brunswick, Under One Sky Friendship Centre in Fredericton and Menahqesk Wellness Circle in Saint John.

Neil Forbes, a PhD student at the University of New Brunswick and member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, is co-leading the study.

"Just trying to show the real numbers of how many urban Indigenous people are in New Brunswick, and what needs are not being met by us having a poor understanding of those numbers," he said.

Neil Forbes, a PhD student at the University of New Brunswick and member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, said the study aims to show how many urban Indigenous people live in New Brunswick. (Submitted by Neil Forbes)

Forbes, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, hopes it will help to define the urban Indigenous community in Fredericton and eventually Saint John.

"Basically, the more data we have the more helpful it will be for the community."

The study, which was designed by Métis family physician Dr. Janet Smylie, has already been conducted in seven cities in Ontario and in Winnipeg.

In 2021, the results of the Our Health Counts study in Thunder Bay showed that the Indigenous population was two to four times higher than estimated by Statistics Canada.

Forbes expects the results will be similar in Fredericton and Saint John.

"The Indian Act is structured so that resources for Indigenous people are based on whether or not you live on-reserve," he said.

"If all of these people are not getting the supports they need just because they're off-reserve instead of on-reserve, it causes a real issue. And so, the more information we have, the better."

Forbes said this is "a huge public health issue."

Gould said participants are asked about what health conditions they have, whether they have experienced discrimination accessing health services and how services could be improved.

"We have to have clear proof," he said. "Data that shows that, first of all, there's a need and that there's systemic problems for people accessing programs and services."

Forbes said it is difficult for many urban Indigenous people to feel "culturally safe" accessing health services.

"The questions are all very much geared towards, 'What is your experience as an urban Indigenous person in New Brunswick?'" he said, including questions about whether they speak an Indigenous language and their connection to traditional ceremonies and medicines.

The Thunder Bay study in 2021 showed that two out of five Indigenous adults feel that they didn't receive the help they needed when it came to mental health and substance use. Less than 50 per cent of participants reported having good oral health.

Gould, who is also president of the board at Under One Sky, said the five-year study is in its second year and they are still looking for participants. Next year, researchers plan to expand to Saint John, where they will work with the Menahqesk Wellness Circle.

He hopes that the study will eventually lead to Indigenous people accessing health services "in a spirit of trust, respect and friendship."