Sto:lo nurse Inez Louis wants to make sure Indigenous people, and all people, understand that infection control is not social control.
Louis, who is a strategic operations planner in the health department of the Sto:lo Service Agency, shared more of her thoughts on COVID-19 in the latest YouTube videos created in partnership with the Chilliwack Division of Family Practice and the Chilliwack Economic Recovery Network.
Louis pointed to the importance of explaining the difference between infection control and social control in the context of Canada’s colonial past.
“It’s an important subject to consider, especially in the Indigenous community, where we have experienced the historical impacts of social control through government and colonization,” Louis said. “For some of us it can seem unnerving with provincial guidelines to protect us.”
Infection control is meant to protect people from getting sick and is not a measure of social control.
“So I encourage each and every one of you to find your voice and work together having critical conversations so that we can grow in one mind and one heart. And in our language we say Lets’emot.”
READ MORE: VIDEO: Capturing the power of story-telling with Indigenous nurse Inez Louis
READ MORE: VIDEO: Getting outside for some forest bathing with Dr. Marc during COVID-19
READ MORE: VIDEO: Getting real with Dr. Marc about COVID-19 in Chilliwack
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