Chiefs of Ontario’s yearly health conference has, for the first time, shifted towards a holistic approach towards community health.
In previous years, the conference had a focus on medical issues and mental health in Ontario Indigenous communities. This year the focus has shifted to include topics which are considered to be “social determinants of health” such as housing, youth empowerment, environment protection and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, topics which are not in themselves medical but nonetheless affect health outcomes.
Branching out to include these topics has brought more people to the conference. Grand Council Chief Reg Niganobe estimates that there was upwards of 900 participants attended. “Some had to be turned away because they did not register in time,” he said. “Speak[ing] with [my colleague] it sounds like it will be the largest First Nations event that has taken place in terms of health.”
The conference ran from Mar. 19 to 21.
