Richardson said the website, called Maad ookiing Mshkiki Sharing Medicine, is an attempt to overcome vaccine hesitancy. Launched on Feb. 4, the website provides information about COVID-19 vaccinations for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people to help them make informed choices. She said the website information is of high quality, scientifically and culturally. The creation of culturally relevant educational materials that allow Indigenous people to make informed choices about the vaccines is critical, she said.
The website was developed by the Centre for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health at Women s College Hospital in Toronto, the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, Anishnawbe Health Toronto, the Indigenous Health Program at University Health Network and Shkaabe Makwa an Indigenous-focused branch of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
This project provides accessible resources that are grounded in Indigenous histories, cultures, and worldviews, Caroline Lidstone-Jones, CEO of the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, said in a press release. By sharing traditional knowledges and healing practices along with Western, scientific information about vaccines, these resources provide information to enable and empower people to make informed decisions about their own health and well-being.
Dr. Ojistoh Horn is a general practitioner Akwesasne, outside Cornwall, Ont.(Submitted by Ojistoh Horn)
Horn is a family doctor and the only full-time physician practising in Akwesasne near Cornwall, Ont.
She says some folks in her community are ready and willing to get the jab, while others are nervous to roll up their sleeves for a country that s misled them time and again.