ADVANCING HEALTH JUSTICE
Decolonize Health Equity.
Health equity is often discussed in terms of disparities related to sex, race, gender, disability status, and sexual orientation. However, these disparities are frequently measured against the backdrop of settler whiteness, which is used as a standard for health and wellbeing, despite claims of practicing “anti-racism.”
To achieve true health equity and justice, it is crucial to recognize and interrupt the lasting effects of settler colonialism. This involves not only confronting the historical and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism on health disparities, but also addressing related issues, such as data genocide in public health.
Advancing Health Justice requires a comprehensive approach that includes decolonizing, so that Indigenous values are integrated as essential elements in healing all communities and the systems that serve them. By focusing on these critical aspects, we can work towards genuine liberation and equitable health outcomes for everyone.
Indigenous Values are the Medicine for Health Justice.
Our values not only guide IHEI's internal practices, but also define our interactions with communities, partners, and stakeholders, ensuring that every aspect of our work is aligned with the principles of justice, respect, and reciprocity.
Ready to decolonize for Health Justice?
For those interested in working with us, we ask for a commitment to these values as they are the medicine to healing the lasting impacts of settler colonialism and moving toward Health Justice for all.
Our interventions framework is rooted in Indigenous values.
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Indigenous Reciprocity is foundational to our mission at IHEI, emphasizing living in harmony with all elements of existence. It holds sacred all life forms, including land and water.
By championing Indigenous Reciprocity, IHEI confronts and seeks to heal the disruptions caused by settler colonialism, thereby reinforcing our commitment to uphold collective well-being, maintain ecological balance, and foster resilience through mutual support and exchange.
Learn more about how we integrate Indigenous Reciprocity in our trainings.
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Respect is an ethical cornerstone that informs all our interactions and initiatives. It involves honoring and protecting the intrinsic dignity and autonomy of all beings. This deep respect fuels our approach to community engagement, driving us to listen attentively and respond thoughtfully to the needs and aspirations of ourselves and those we serve.
It lays the groundwork for cultivating other core values such as wisdom, honesty, and kindness, which are vital for building strong, equitable communities.
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Self-determination has been shown to have significant benefits for health outcomes among Indigenous peoples. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) underscores the importance of self-determination, describing it as the ability of Indigenous people to freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development. IHEI views self-determination as an essential individual and collective capability that empowers agency and sovereignty among Indigenous communities to achieve individual and communal wellbeing for thriving futures.
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Sovereignty is a critical aspect of IHEI's advocacy and programmatic work, distinguished from Tribal Sovereignty in its grounding in traditional knowledge and community practices. It champions a form of liberation that respects cultural heritage while promoting self-expression and collective well-being.
IHEI finds strength in this sovereignty to push for health practices that respect and integrate Indigenous protocols and perspectives, thereby fostering environments where Indigenous communities can thrive on their terms.
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Healing for Health Justice encapsulates IHEI’s transformative approach to addressing the needs of communities and the environment. This process is not only about overcoming adversity but also about strengthening communal bonds and ensuring the vitality of future generations.
Through decolonizing and indigenizing actions, IHEI commits to healing that is community-defined, honoring the layers of individual and collective experiences and striving to create sustainable, justice-oriented health environments.
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Coined by elder and scholar Terry Cross, Intentional Resilience is integrated into every facet of IHEI's strategy. This value underscores living according to Indigenous principles that promote balance and endurance amid adversity.
By drawing on ancestral wisdom and community strengths, IHEI cultivates the capacity to resist oppressive systems and to center health justice strategies that reflect Indigenous Resilience and proactive engagement.
We foster a Decolonial and Indigenous Resurgence-informed approach that transforms systems that perpetuate health disparities for Indigenous people.
Decolonize
We engage decolonizing as a strategy and method to expose and uproot racism and oppression within the public health sector and intersecting disciplines, to inform health research, evaluation, data and policy development.
Decolonization involves the complex process of identifying and dismantling historical and contemporary structures and systems of oppression that are constantly in the making and occur at the individual-, system-, institutional-levels.
Indigenous Resurgence
Indigenous Resurgence propels IHEI’s efforts to achieve genuine Health Justice and cultural integrity. It manifests as daily acts of resistance against colonial impacts and as a commitment to the authenticity of Indigenous practices and identities.
Through Indigenous Resurgence, IHEI actively participates in healing from historical traumas and spearheads initiatives that align with both ancestral wisdom and modern aspirations for justice and autonomy through cultivating community care, promoting Indigenous science and healing, and protecting ourselves and Indigenous futures from settler harm. We intentionally identify and practice principles and values of Indigeneity to build our resilience, prosperity, and joy to safeguard what is sacred.