3 minute read
In the Community: Tajikeimɨk is transforming health and wellness for Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia
By Carolyn Pierce, APR
Since 2012, community Heath Directors and Chiefs of the 13 First Nations in Nova Scotia have been setting the groundwork for creating a Mi’kmaw health and wellness organization.
Their collective vision for community-designed and community-led health and wellness officially launched in January 2022, when the federal government announced support and funding for Tajikeimɨk to lead health transformation for Mi’kmaq in Nova Scotia.
Health transformation is the process of the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia taking control of the design and delivery of their health and wellness services. The vision of the organization is a healthy, vibrant Mi’kmaw Nation. That will be achieved through greater Mi’kmaw control over resources and decision-making, and by redefining programs and services with wholistic and two-eyed seeing approaches. Through health transformation, Tajikeimɨk will work with the provincial health system to transform the way they deliver services, resulting in broad changes to improve health outcomes for Mi’kmaw individuals and communities.
Mi’kmaq experience higher rates of premature and avoidable deaths, higher prevalence of mental illness and completed suicides, and higher incidence of chronic disease.The current health and wellness system is not working, and a different approach is needed.
By working together differently and strengthening coordination with health partners, Tajikeimɨk aims to ensure high-quality, culturally safe, wholistic health and wellness programs and services that improve health outcomes. The work of Tajikeimɨk is guided by the 13 Chiefs, Health Directors, and the Mi’kmaw Grand Council; and is supported by federal and provincial health partners.
A trilateral memorandum of understanding that outlined the shared purpose and goals of the Government of Canada, the Government of Nova Scotia, and the 13 Chiefs was signed in April 2023. The health transformation process is complex and is expected to take several years to complete. Tajikeimɨk is in year two of that process.
But the organization is not waiting for the transfer to complete before beginning the work of transforming health and wellness services and programs. Tajikeimɨk has been working to strengthen relationships that currently exist between communities and health partners, and building on and formalizing those partnerships to advance health priorities for communities. This includes strengthening capacity for health surveillance, taking action to address anti-Indigenous racism in the health system, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and improving services in the areas of mental wellness, early years, Indigenous midwifery, and care transitions.
Engagement with communities is also well underway. In November 2022, the organization hosted the Tajikeimɨk Mawio’mi: Health and Wellness Gathering in Kjipuktuk. There were approximately 250 attendees from across the 13 communities, including members of Grand Council, Chiefs and Councils, Health Directors, community health champions, and representatives from partner Mi’kmaw organizations.
Perhaps the highlight of the day and a half gathering was the opportunity for all participants to share their vision for health and wellness through talking circles.
Themes from the talking circles included strong support for flexibility in how services are delivered, wholistic and cultural approaches embedded in health and wellness, and continued community consultation and engagement.
Tajikeimɨk continues to collaborate with leadership and health directors, and began engagement sessions in each community in spring 2023. Together, we will create a self-determined health organization, and shape the future of Mi’kmaw health and wellness in Nova Scotia.
CAROLYN PIERCE is the director of communications and engagement at Tajikeimɨk.
To stay up to date on Tajikeimɨk activities, follow Tajikeimɨk on Facebook (@Tajikeimik), Twitter (@Tajikeimik), LinkedIn (company/Tajikeimik) and Instagram (@Tajikeimik_NS), and visit the website at mhwns.ca.
We are working toward better health for all in our communities.
