Aboriginal Health in Canada: Historical, Cultural, and Epidemiological Perspectives

Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1995. First Edition . Trade Paperback. Very Good. 6" x 9. 334 Pages Indexed. Owner's name on first page. No other marks, stamps or underlining. Some minor cover edge and corner wear. This book is about health, the fundamental human condition. It takes as axiomatic that the health of any human population is the product of a complex web of physiological, psychological, spiritual, historical, sociological, cultural, economic, and environmental factors. In Canada, one of the most telling examples of how these factors interact can be found in the health of the country's Aboriginal peoples. Long considered to be the most disadvantaged group in an otherwise affluent society, Aboriginal peoples today experience the kinds of health problems most closely associated with poverty, yet they also suffer from problems linked to their historical position within the Canadian social system. This book seeks to explain the current health problems being experienced by Aboriginal peoples, to provide an overview of health and health care from a historical perspective, and to look to the future as fundamental changes to the health care system anempt to grapple with the most pressing problems. Contents in Eleven Chapters: An Overview of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, Health and Disease in the Pre-Contact Period, Contact with Europeans and Infectious Diseases, New Epidemics in the 20th Centurye, Medical Traditions in Aboriginal Cultures, Traders Whalers Missionaries and medical Aid, The Emergence of Government Health Serives, The Organization and Utilization of Contemporary Health Seervices, Aboriginal Medicine in the Contemporary Context, Self-Determination and Health Care, and Aboriginal Health Old Ideas, and Current Directions. Illustrated with figures and tables.