Health equity, aboriginal peoples and occupational therapy.
BACKGROUND
In Canada, Aboriginal peoples are affected by colonial relations of power that result in poor health outcomes. Despite occupational therapists' efforts to work in a safe and competent manner with people experiencing challenges to participating in daily life, Western healthcare models reflect values that often undermine Aboriginal peoples' health and well-being.


OBJECTIVE
Meaningful, effective, and culturally appropriate healthcare practices cannot be fully implemented by occupational therapists without an ongoing and critical examination of occupational therapy's foundational belief systems. Only a critical examination of these foundational belief systems will enable occupational therapists to take action towards addressing these inequities, which is an important step in moving towards culturally safe care.


RESULTS
Canadian health professions, including occupational therapy, have the potential to create positive change at a systems level through the critical exploration of underlying professional assumptions.


CONCLUSIONS
To advance dialogue about Aboriginal peoples' health, occupational therapists must engage in exploration of their profession's underlying theoretical concepts or risk participating in the perpetuation of health inequities for already at-risk populations.
University of Ottawa, Institute of Population Health, 1 Stewart Street, Room 302B, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1N 6N5. janetjull@hotmail.com
Janet E G
JE
Jull
Audrey R
AR
Giles
D002170:Canada; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D004930:Inuit; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D012935:Social Justice