This spoken letter is dedicated to all those who have experienced discrimination in a
health care or social service setting. In the letter, I am trying to speak to my friends, family, co-workers, and fellow Canadian citizens directly. The goal is to invoke the desire to pursue further and constant learning of how to be culturally sensitive and combat discrimination. In the letter I ask a lot of questions regarding the current state of our healthcare system. I also provide some information on what the ramifications are of widespread discrimination in a health service
setting.
The art. The photos I chose were inspired by some artwork a close friend of mine had. She had been gifted a beautiful piece from a gallery in Victoria called Cedar Hill Longhouse, a gallery that provides Indigenous artwork from across Canada. I browsed the website and found five pieces that stood out to me because of their beauty, complexity, and the power they emit. The first image is titled “Day’s End” created by an artist named Daphne Odjig, an Ojibway artist from Manitoulin Island, Ontario. To me, this image showed a profound sense of togetherness and comfort, something currently lacking in our healthcare system with respect to Indigenous populations.
The second Image is titled “Ripples” created by an artist named Dylan Thomas, a Coast Salish artist from Victoria BC. This image I found fitting for my letter because it represents the complexities and consequences of actions, the fish in the photo representing a community that has worked together to create a beautiful design. With relation to my letter, this is symbolic of health services working together to create a community capable of delivering anti-oppressive services.
The third image is titled “Child to Mother” created by an artist named Francis Dick, a
member of the Musqamakw Dzawadaenutw Band. This represents the connection of mother and child which spoke to me in a profound way. My letter discusses the health outcomes that result from discrimination, these negative outcomes can then impact mother, child and so on.
The fourth image is titled “Timeless Circle” created by Susan Point, a Coast Salish artist from the Musqueam First Nation. This image wraps up the essence of my letter. It is a celebration of diversity, a celebration of all cultures and ethnicities. I chose to put this one at the end of my letter to represent where we need to go as a society in regards to our health service system.