TRIP

A Guide for Health Professionals Working with Aboriginal Peoples (Parts 2 – The Sociocultural Context of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada)

Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, 2000

This Policy Statement has been reviewed by the Aboriginal Health Issues Committee and approved by
These guidelines reflect emerging clinical and scientific advances as of the date issued and are subject to change.The information should not be construed as
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in order to obtain certain benefits, including health benefits.
under the Act are referred to as "non-status Indians."3 First Nations people may also be classified as "treaty" or "non-treaty,"
with a "treaty" Indian's ancestry being traceable to First Nations people who signed treaties in Canada.
questions, ancestry questions may be the most relevant for the health professional while being less threatening for some clients.
Ancestry questions pertain to the cultural or ethnic group(s) of a person's ancestors, while identity refers to whether or not that person considers him- or herself a part of that group.
Like the First Nations, the Inuit population is also a very young population compared to the general Canadian population (Fig-
The birth rate of Inuit women (3.4) is the highest of all Aboriginal populations and is twice as high as the Canadian aver-
Inuit have always recognized the fragility of the world they inhabited and the traditional Inuit way has been
European relations over the past 500 years is beyond the scope of this document, health professionals need to have some sense