Towards untying colonial knots in Canadian health systems: A net metaphor for settler-colonialism

Abstract

Forceful imposition of settler-colonial laws and institutions violate Indigenous rights to self-determination, with profound impacts on health and wellness. As a team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous health leaders working in what’s known colonially as “British Columbia,” our collective work advances the rights and health of Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) by dismantling Indigenous-specific racism and White supremacy. We envision settler-colonialism as a net composed of hundreds of thousands of “colonial knots” that entangle Indigenous Peoples and prevent sovereignty and self-determination. The net also depicts Indigenous resistance, and the way forward of “untying colonial knots” patiently and persistently every day. We unpack this metaphor of the settler-colonial net and the artwork that inspired it. Our aim is to offer one more tool to Canadian health leaders who are bringing their hands, hearts, and minds to the complex and messy work of arresting White supremacy, Indigenous-specific racism, and settler-colonial harm.