The 150-year-old Canadian Medical Association apologized for the harms done to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples by the medical system Wednesday.
The group, which represents Canada’s physicians, said it was “deeply ashamed” and “owning its history” of racism, neglect and abuse.
The apology was made during a tradition-filled ceremony in Victoria, B.C., and attended by representatives from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. The event was also live-streamed across the country, but there was no opportunity for reporters to ask questions.
The CMA said it was sorry it has lost the trust of Indigenous communities and is committed to righting its wrongs.
“We have not lived up to the ethical standards the medical profession is expected to uphold to ensure the highest standard of care is provided to patients and trust is fostered in physicians, residents and medical students,” said CMA president Dr. Joss Reimer. “The Canadian Medical Association is deeply sorry for the harms First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples have experienced and continue to experience in the Canadian health system.
“The racism and discrimination that Indigenous peoples and health care providers face, is deplorable and we are deeply ashamed.”
Read the full apology here: Canadian Medical Association
The CMA acknowledged the failures of the system in how it treated Indigenous patients.
It listed the devastating impacts of Indian hospitals, forced medical experimentation on students at residential schools, removal of Inuit from their communities for tuberculosis treatment, and coerced sterilization that was ongoing through 2019.
It also admitted to harms done by the medical system in the ‘60s Scoop and birth alerts, and systemic racism, neglect and abuse within the health care system.
The CMA’S first Indigenous president, who led the organization from 2022-2023, pledged during his tenure to change the culture of medicine. Dr. Alika Lafontaine grew up on Treaty 4 territory in southern Saskatchewan and is of Cree, Anishinaabe, Métis and Pacific Islander descent.
“Today, we turn the first page of a new chapter in the CMA’s history,” said Lafontaine. “It’s a chapter that we hope First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples can write with us together, as we work toward a health system that provides Indigenous Peoples with the right care, at the right time, in the right place, in a good way.”
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That path included an in-depth review of more than 150 years of archives, which revealed the role the CMA, and medical profession have played in the mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples, whether through action or inaction.
The group also says it is committed to tracking physicians’ progress in addressing the harms caused, which includes providing regular updates about the association’s Indigenous health initiatives.
“As the national voice of the medical profession, we are sorry for the actions and inactions of physicians, residents and medical students that have harmed Indigenous peoples,” said Reimer.
“We recognize the significant power physicians have historically had and continue to have in the health system. Physicians play a critical role in the provision of health care and they have obligations and accountabilities to patients, to the health system and society.”
With files from the Canadian Press.
