Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says he is attending a virtual meeting with First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders to discuss anti-Indigenous racism in the health care system.
Miller says Canadians expect concrete measures from politicians to ensure everyone has access to first-class health care, but he doesn’t know what these measures are yet.
Speaking to a news conference in Ottawa, Miller says the second national dialogue on systemic racism will focus for two days on specific steps to eliminate racism in the health system and the work of provincial and territorial governments to address the issue in their jurisdictions.
Miller invited Indigenous leaders and health professionals to a first urgent meeting on systemic racism in health following the mistreatment and death of Joyce Echaquan in a Quebec hospital in September.
Miller said he asked the participants at the end of that first meeting to think about possible solutions.
ALSO READ: Racism towards Cowichan Tribes in COVID-19 fight denounced by federal minister
He said the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Indigenous communities disproportionately, noting that a total of 15,894 COVID-19 cases and 144 deaths has been reported on First Nations reserves.
The Canadian Press
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