Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism Training

As the Honourable Murray Sinclair has stated, "Education is what got us into this mess, and education will get us out."

While Manitoba-educated medical graduates from recent years will have comprehensive training in Indigenous health care, other registrants may have no training or background on the topic. It is crucial to establish a baseline of Indigenous intercultural competence in Manitoba; recent Statistics Canada data shows that Manitoba's population had the highest share of Indigenous people and Winnipeg is home to the largest Indigenous population in Canada.

Education is imperative to eliminating anti-Indigenous racism in the practice of medicine. Understanding what anti-Indigenous racism is, identifying it, and knowing what steps to take to eliminate it, is fundamental. Knowledge comes from education and this education is mandatory for all registrants.

Council passed a motion for mandatory education for CPSM registrants in December 2024:

1. All registrants (subject to clause #4) are required to complete one of the four educational programs identified or an equivalency approved by CPSM by October 31, 2027.

The four programs are:

Giga Mino Ganawenimaag Anishinaabeg (“We will take good care of the people”), University of Manitoba, Ongomiizwin-Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing
The Path: Your Journey through Indigenous Canada (CMA version), NVision Insight Group
San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Online Training, San’yas Anti-Racism Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program
Indigenous Health Program, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences – Max Rady College of Medicine

2. All new registrants after October 31, 2025, must complete the education within two years of becoming registered with CPSM.

3. All registrants must take additional education every five years after completing the first round of education.

4. If a registrant has taken one of the identified education programs before December 18, 2024, they will be deemed to have satisfied the requirement. They will be required to take additional education specified (#3) within five years of completing their initial education.

More details to come in early 2025.