1 in 5 Indigenous people report racism in health care. A Montreal clinic is changing that by offering culturally safe, Indigenous-led treatment and support.
A Community-Based Response to Systemic Failures
In the heart of Montreal, the Indigenous Health Centre of Tio’tia:ke is quietly transforming how Indigenous patients experience health care. Opened in 2023, the clinic has rapidly grown into a full-service facility offering culturally grounded care — from diabetic foot clinics to spiritual healing. At its core is a mission to heal the broken trust between Indigenous communities and Canada’s health system.
“We are finally being heard,” said Shirley Pien-Bérubé, a health navigator at the centre. She walks patients through the system, advocating for them and ensuring they feel safe — a response to widespread reports of discrimination Indigenous people face in mainstream health care.
Addressing a Crisis of Discrimination
According to recent Statistics Canada data, nearly 20% of Indigenous individuals reported experiencing racism or unfair treatment from health-care professionals over the past year. That figure underscores deep-rooted systemic issues, even a decade after Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) issued its final report highlighting major health disparities.
Seven of the TRC’s 94 calls to action focused on health. Yet progress has been uneven. While some centres like Tio’tia:ke are leading the way, broader change has stalled.
Building Safe, Inclusive Health Environments
The clinic is designed with Indigenous values and traditions in mind. Inside, a table of sage and sweetgrass welcomes patients. Staff speak multiple Indigenous languages, including Inuktitut and Cree.
For Fay Virginia Desjarlais, the family violence prevention coordinator, the centre represents hard-won progress. “People didn’t feel safe,” she said, recalling her own experience of being dropped by a doctor after disclosing diabetic symptoms. “A lot of advocates, elders and different organizations came together to say, ‘We need to do something.’”
National Efforts Struggle to Gain Momentum
Despite isolated success stories, implementation of the TRC’s health-related recommendations remains slow. Indigenous Watchdog, a group tracking TRC progress, reports that four calls to action are underway — but three are stalled, and none have been completed.
“The call to identify and close gaps in health outcomes has stalled due to a lack of access to government data,” said Douglas Sinclair, the site’s publisher. “You can’t develop policy if you’re working in a vacuum.”
Expanding Indigenous Care in the North
In Nunavut, progress is also taking physical shape. A new addictions and trauma centre, Aqqusariaq, is under construction in Iqaluit. The facility will allow Inuit to receive culturally relevant care in Inuktitut, without needing to travel south — a common and often isolating reality.
Kylie Aglukark, who oversees trauma and addictions programs at Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, said it’s a step toward healing. “It’s very important for Inuit to lead and have that opportunity to provide the services in Inuktitut,” she said, calling for more centres across Nunavut’s regions and investment in an Inuit-led workforce.
Sustained Investment Needed
Dr. Terri Aldred, academic lead at the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health, sees promise in these developments but warns the scale remains insufficient. “These projects need sustainable, long-term funding,” she said, adding that when Indigenous people access culturally grounded care, “we’ll start to build trust, and we’ll have a positive ripple effect.”
For now, centres like Tio’tia:ke offer a blueprint for reconciliation in action — blending clinical care with cultural respect in a system still reckoning with its colonial past.
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