July 22, 2025

The term “Indigenous Peoples” is often used broadly, but it doesn’t reflect the diversity of cultures, languages, and histories it encompasses. Today, alongside a resurgence of cultural knowledge, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities are calling for a more distinctions-based approach to health care—one that honours their unique traditions, values, and healing practices.  

In this first of a three-part series, Heather Talbot, an Anishinaabe nurse and health equity advocate from Sheguiandah First Nation on Manitoulin Island, shares insights into First Nations’ deep-rooted connection to the land and the importance of traditional knowledge in health and wellness. 

The land as teacher and medicine 

For generations, First Nations Peoples have lived in relationship with their ancestral lands, receiving from them food, medicines, clothing, and materials for shelter and tools. In return, the land is treated with utmost respect—a foundational principle of many First Nations cultures. 

“We are caretakers of the land,” says Talbot, who has more than 20 years of experience in Indigenous and community-based health care and serves on the Indigenous Peoples’ Engagement and Research Council (IPERC) at the Can-SOLVE CKD Network. She notes that many Nations have experts within their communities dedicated to specific responsibilities, such as caring for the water or praying for the winds.  

Heather Talbot, an Anishinaabe nurse and health equity advocate

Land stewardship may take many forms, often expressed through songs, ceremonies, and cultural protocols unique to each Nation. On the West Coast, fishing communities mark the annual salmon run with welcoming rituals and offerings. In Haudenosaunee communities, six to eight seasonal festivals honour the cycles of planting and harvest. Eastern woodland hunters may sing to a bear before it is harvested, offering gratitude for its sacrifice. 

Although each Nation has unique practices—there are more than 630 First Nations across Turtle Island—many share teachings grounded in core values like wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth. These reflect the Seven Grandfather Teachings of the Anishinaabe people, but similar ethical frameworks exist across many First Nations. 

Sovereignty, healing, and the role of trust 

Talbot notes that prior to colonization, First Nations had their own social structures in place. “We had our own justice system, education system, medical system,” she says.  

There were no prisons, she notes, and if someone was acting out, the Grandmothers would guide them back to the right path. If they kept causing harm, they might be asked to leave the community.  

These traditional kinship-based structures and ways of life were severely disrupted by the arrival of European settlers and colonial policies intended to assimilate First Nations Peoples into Western culture. Many people were forced off their traditional lands and children were taken from their families and put in residential schools.  

 As Talbot points out, many of these children were abused, including through experiments where they were denied medicine and died, and these atrocities have left deep wounds that continue to impact trust in health care systems among First Nations people today. 

“Our trust and belief in Western health care—and Western systems in general—is limited,” she says. “There’s very little trust unless trust is gained. Even if you haven’t had a bad experience yourself, you know someone who has.” 

While some First Nations people choose to access Western medicine, Talbot says that others may prefer to rely on what Mother Nature provides. “We believe she gave us everything we need to be well and healthy, including medicine. Going outside is medicine. Your family is medicine. Water, fire—everything is our medicine.” 

Among the most sacred medicines used by many First Nations are sage, sweetgrass, tobacco, and cedar. These are used in various forms—applied to the body, ingested, or burned during ceremonies such as smudging. “Those have been gifted to us to help us care for ourselves,” she says. 

Respecting data sovereignty

Respecting data sovereignty is another key aspect of distinctions-based practice. The First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession—more commonly known as OCAP®— assert that First Nations have control over data collection processes, and that they own and control how this information can be used. These principles are vital for researchers interested in partnering with First Nations communities and building equitable, respectful partnerships in health research. Researchers can learn more about OCAP® and access a variety of education and training options through the First Nations Information Governance Centre. 

As we continue learning from distinctions-based experiences, we hope these stories serve as a reminder that cultural safety is not optional—it is essential. If you’re working in health care or research, take time to understand the unique histories, values, and strengths of the Nations you serve. Respect and relationship must come first.  

This story is part of a series. Read part two Honouring Métis Knowledge and part three Honouring Inuit Knowledge, on our website.