One event has inevitably changed the world once and forever: COVID-19 affected every person materially, mentally, or physically. Unfortunately, the Indigenous people of Canada were not an exception. Due to the lockdown, these people suffered from different mental health problems and disorders. Some women were exposed to violence, and the fundamental right of free relocation and ability to move among the country was restricted. Indigenous Canadians had to form safe communities to support and help each other under harsh consequences.
COVID-19 has shown the real inequality of people in Canada: how some of their rights are restricted, women are discriminated against, and healthcare is far from perfect. Many communities in the country do not have full access to supplies and basic utilities, which worsens the situation and increases the spread of the disease (Native Women’s Association of Canada, 2022). Many people lost their jobs due to the restrictions, and the level of unemployment has increased.
Furthermore, many women were affected by the past two years’ events, not only by catching the COVID-19 but also by the lockdown restrictions. “Its measures have been shown to worsen situations for many Indigenous women in abusive relationships, who become limited by these measures could no longer leave home to seek safety or report police” (Native Women’s Association of Canada, 2022). Thus, they could be locked with a person, who is dangerous to their lives, and were not able to report it or escape; possibly vaccination restrictions worsened the situation and restricted their opportunities even more. This has resulted in many consequences for women’s mental health, such as traumas, anxiety, depression, and many other disorders.
Some of the Indigenous people of Canada participated in a survey about their opinion on the government’s reaction to COVID-19, their current concerns, and what helps these people in the current situation. They state that restrictions for non-vaccinated people affect Canadians severely: people can not move to another city for treatment, see their families or search for new opportunities (Mashford-Pringle et al., 2021). Isolation, loneliness, and uncertainty are caused by lockdown, resulting in mental health problems, exaggerating them, and, sometimes, making people commit suicide (Mashford-Pringle et al., 2021). Indigenous Canadians suffer from the situation in the world severely, not only physically and economically but also mentally.
Some of the participants agreed to express their opinions about mental healthcare for them in Canada. Unfortunately, they were not satisfied with the mental support and expressed their considerations about low funding and problems with the availability of community support services. Some people stated that it is difficult to “access needed support due to lengthy waitlist soft services which may also affect rural, remote, and isolated communities over the long-term” (Mashford-Pringle et al., 2021). Thus, the funding of support services has to be increased, and utilities for residents’ well-being have to be more available for them to feel comfortable and safe.
Indigenous people of Canada try to find a solution to the current problem and help themselves as much as possible. They stated that connecting to others helped them go through the recent events more easily. By supporting each other, helping and cooperating, everyday life becomes more pleasant. “When you love and care for one another, great things can happen. People should be putting money into food and mental health services. I hope the government continues to put money into these services even after COVID” (Mashford-Pringle et al., 2021). In addition, decreasing restrictions for non-vaccinated people will positively affect their lives. It will give the opportunity to find better healthcare, visit relatives, and reduce the level of stress.
In conclusion, Indigenous Canadians suffered from mental health problems and disorders due to the lockdown. Some women were exposed to violence, and the fundamental right of free relocation and ability to move among the country was restricted. These people had to form safe communities to support and help each other under harsh consequences. To support these people, the lockdown restrictions have to be reduced, the funding and availability of support services have to be improved, and people’s mental health must be considered before implementing any limitation.
References
Mashford-Pringle, A., Skura C., Stutz, S., Yohathasan, T. (2021). What we heard: Indigenous peoples and COVID-19. University of Toronto. Web.
Policy brief: COVID-19 in Indigenous communities. (2022). Native Women’s Association of Canada. Web.