Developing Healthcare
NunatuKavut Inuit face serious health care inequities due to a lack of federal and provincial support. Unlike many other Indigenous communities in Canada, the NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) receives no federal funding for health services.
As a result, our members are left to navigate complex systems, pay out of pocket for essential care, and suffer the consequences of a system that fails to recognize our rights.
These disparities are felt every day – from our inability to access basic primary care to the financial burdens of medical travel, to the absence of nearby culturally relevant mental health services. Despite these challenges, NCC has stepped up, creating interim programs to support our people. But these programs are not sustainable without proper government support.
BARRIERS TO BASIC CARE
$1,400
Average cost for round trip air transportation for health care
Geographic isolation, harsh weather, and limited infrastructure make travel both dangerous and expensive. While provincial programs offer reimbursement, the process is slow, and patients are expected to pay upfront – an impossible ask for many families.
In response, NCC created a financial assistance program to help members access care. But this program is unsustainable without meaningful support from federal and provincial governments. Equitable access to health care must include timely, reliable support for medical travel.
Mental Health Supports
Mental health challenges in NunatuKavut communities are deeply tied to intergenerational trauma, and existing programs have made significant strides in supporting our community members. During the COVID-19 pandemic, NCC launched culturally grounded wellness programming. Uptake in this programming was high and the need to continue it is evident.
These programs fill critical gaps in services that are otherwise inaccessible or culturally inappropriate – but they require stable funding to continue. Our people deserve mental health support that reflects who we are and where we come from.
Elder Supports
Many of our Elders are residential school survivors and have endured a lifetime of colonial harm. Now, in their later years, they face further hardship just to access basic health services.
Long-distance travel, high costs, and inadequate in-home or local care mean many Elders go without the support they need – despite being among the most vulnerable members of our communities.
NCC has seen strong Elder engagement in wellness programs and growing concerns about their future without long-term funding.
We’re calling on the Federal and Provincial Governments to uphold their duty to ensure our Elders can access care as close to home as possible with dignity, respect, and cultural safety.