Aanii! Wachay! Bonjour! Greetings and welcome!
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is committed to building meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities in its service area. As part of this commitment and under the direction of the Board of Health, Public Health Sudbury & Districts developed an Indigenous Engagement Strategy.
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is striving to find its path together with area Indigenous Peoples. This work is ongoing and requires continued listening, relationship-building, accountability, and action.
Indigenous Engagement Governance ReconciliAction Framework
The Indigenous Engagement Governance ReconciliAction Framework, endorsed by the Board of Health Motion #37-23 for Public Health Sudbury & Districts, guides the Board of Health to further Public Health’s Indigenous Engagement Strategy. The actions outlined in the Framework are aligned with the Strategy’s four strategic directions and direct the Board of Health to:
- Inform its work through Indigenous community voices and information.
- Engage in meaningful relationships to support Indigenous community well-being.
- Strengthen its capacity to become culturally safe.
- Advocate and partner to improve Indigenous health.
Public Health Sudbury & Districts collaborative partnerships with Indigenous Peoples
Public Health Sudbury & Districts has many longstanding and diverse partnerships with First Nations and Indigenous health services organizations. We are engaged in information sharing, planning, education, service provision, and research.
Partnerships with Indigenous groups and communities are diverse and broad in scope. Examples include collaborating on the development of an Indigenous diabetes prevention strategy, co-creation of culturally appropriate This is my tobacco resource, the provision of dental screening, and the Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program in First Nations schools. More recently, work has begun in the areas in harm reduction, needle exchange programs and naloxone distribution in First Nations as well as mental health promotion. Promotion of good health and prevention of injury, disease, and illness brings us together as partners.
To learn more about Indigenous Engagement at Public Health Sudbury & Districts, please call 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200) or email indigenousengagement@phsd.ca.
The Public Health Sudbury & Districts Indigenous Engagement Strategy is an expression of the commitment and leadership of the Board of Health. Board of Health motion Motion #54-16 directed the Medical Officer of Health to develop a comprehensive strategy for the organization’s engagement with Indigenous Peoples and communities for the purpose of collaboratively strengthening public health programs and services for all.
The Public Health Sudbury & Districts Indigenous Engagement Strategy sets out a vision, mission, values, and strategic directions. The strategy guides the organization’s efforts to further define and strengthen relationships with First Nation communities and Indigenous partners.
The vision
Working together towards healthy and vibrant Indigenous communities in their pursuit of self-determined health and well-being.
The mission
Public Health Sudbury & Districts works together with area Indigenous Peoples and communities to collaboratively strengthen public health programs and services for all.
Relationship values
The strategy and the foundation upon which mutually beneficial relationships are to be built, are premised on the values of:
- respect
- trust
- humility
The strategic directions
Our strategy is built around four strategic directions and associated actions. They include:
- Strategic direction I: Inform our work through Indigenous community voices and information.
- Strategic direction II: Engage in meaningful relationships to support Indigenous community well-being.
- Strategic direction III: Strengthen our capacity for a culturally competent workforce.
- Strategic direction IV: Advocate and partner to improve health.
The path forward: Implementing our strategy
To move forward on this strategy, Public Health Sudbury & Districts will:
- Develop new internal and external committee structures to guide and support the implementation of the strategy.
- Develop an implementation plan for the strategy.
- Ensure routine and structured reporting mechanisms for Senior Management and the Board of Health.
- Ensure effective mechanisms by which the Board of Health receives Indigenous knowledge appropriate to its governance role.
- Develop and track collaboration indicators.
- Update the Indigenous community as well as our Board of Health, staff, and partners on progress using publicly available reporting mechanisms.
Urban Indigenous Engagement: Fall Harvest Feast 2024
Public Health launched its Indigenous Engagement Strategy, Finding our Path Together, in 2018 with the goal of strengthening relationships and collaboration with Indigenous communities. The strategy’s vision is for Public Health to work together towards healthy and vibrant Indigenous communities in their pursuit of self-determined health and well-being.
A key milestone in this journey was the inaugural Fall Harvest Feast, which was held on November 5, 2024. The event was designed to build relationships with urban Indigenous Peoples through shared food and dialogue. The event aligned with the strategy’s goals of informing our work through Indigenous community voices and information, as well as engaging in meaningful relationships to support Indigenous community well-being. Attended by community members, Nokomis Martina Osawamick, and Public Health staff, the gathering included a traditional teaching, discussions on Indigenous health priorities, and a meal of Indigenous tacos. The subsequent discussion reinforced the importance of Indigenous Engagement in public health.
Maamwesying Ontario Health Team collaborative partner agreement signing
On January 15, 2025, Public Health officially formalized a new collaborative partnership with the Maamwesying Ontario Health Team. This partnership is a significant step forward in our ongoing commitment to Indigenous engagement, a key part of our strategic priorities.
Developed in consultation with Indigenous communities, our Indigenous Engagement Strategy focuses on building meaningful relationships, advocating for better health, and supporting the well-being of Indigenous communities. This new collaboration strengthens Public Health’s role as an ally in Maamwesying’s efforts to create equitable, culturally safe, and sustainable health pathways. We are proud to work together towards improving health outcomes for Indigenous communities.
For more information, please see Maamwesying Ontario Health Team and Public Health Sudbury & Districts Sign Collaboration Agreement (Maamwesying Ontario Health Team).