​The First Nations Health Authority's (FNHA) Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO) is pleased to release a new diabetes report, Strength in Stories: First Nations Voices on Living with Diabetes. The report weaves together a collection of personal stories from interviews with First Nations people across BC living with diabetes. It aims to both gain and provide a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges this population faces with respect to diabetes prevention and management.

One of the many voices shared in the report is Lucy Barney's. A Tetqet nurse and cultural advisor who lives with diabetes, Lucy recommends making diabetes education relational and relevant for First Nations people and reclaiming traditional ways of living:

“When they say, 'Go to the gym three or four times a week so that you can exercise,' I said, 'Well no, you can go fishing. That's exercise. You can go berry picking, that's physical exercise. You can go hunting. You can eat our traditional foods; those are good for you.'  

“You know, because they would say, 'Eat from the four food groups,' and we never used to eat from the four food groups. We never used to eat the vegetables that you grow in the garden. You eat stuff from the forests, and the rivers and the mountains."

From the interviews six key themes emerged that reflect the shared experiences of First Nations people in BC who live with diabetes: 1) the importance of greater access to care; 2) the need for culturally safe and relevant diabetes education; 3) how culture and tradition can help people manage their diabetes; 4) the need to eliminate ongoing First Nations-specific racism within the healthcare system and ensure cultural safety; 5) the right to self-determine individual care journeys; and 6) the importance of balance in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. Our hope is that, by sharing common themes and the nuances of participants' stories, this report can promote person-centered, culturally relevant education and care.

Storytelling / oral tradition is an important part of First Nations ways of learning and knowing. It is distinct from western diabetes education/information, which is prescriptive and does not account for the impacts of historical and ongoing colonialism – the main reason First Nations people in BC experience higher rates of diabetes compared to other residents. (The most recent statistic, published in our Population Health and Wellness Agenda 2024 update, is that “diabetes incidence among Status First Nations people in BC was 8.5 per 1,000 in 2020/21.") 

Before contact, First Nations people's health was considerably better as their wholistic approach to health and wellness prioritized many health-protecting factors including active lifestyles, healthy traditional diets and strong connections through culture and community.

Uplifting and honouring the voices of First Nations people with lived experience, whatever the disease or issue, is a central tenet of the OCMO's work. As Watchmon for First Nations people in BC, the OCMO is mandated to see and hear, to report and to guide and guard. This includes listening to the voices of First Nations people, sharing their stories with communities and using the information to advocate for change, inform service delivery and programs and help transform the health care system.

The OCMO looks forward to the work ahead as we continue to share stories and information to support diabetes prevention and management for First Nations people. Work is underway on a public-facing, larger diabetes report that will pull together health data and statistics, stories, and calls to action. This report will complement our Strength in Stories report.

The FNHA continues our work with our partners and the communities we serve to transform the health care system for First Nations people in BC.

For more information:

• Read the Strrength in Stories report here
  
• Visit the FNHA diabetes webpage,
• Contact the Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO) at OCMO.Office@fnha.ca if you have questions or would like to share your story about diabetes.