Indigenous people in Canada face a disproportionate burden of hepatitis C, a direct result of social and structural inequities rooted in colonial policies and practices. Addressing hepatitis C in Indigenous communities requires a commitment to reconciliation, equity, and Indigenous-led approaches. 

CanHepC is committed to advancing reconciliation through meaningful action, such as:

• Continuing to support Indigenous leadership, knowledge, and priorities for hepatitis C research and training. The network’s Indigenous platform has formulated recommendations and calls to action to inform future actions towards reconciliation following an extensive review of network policies and practices to assess Indigenous inclusion and engagement throughout CanHepC. The platform meets monthly with an Indigenous Community Guiding Circle, comprised of Indigenous service providers, clinicians and people with lived/ living experience of hepatitis C from across Canada, who offer guidance and direction to inform network activities. 
• Upholding explicit network commitments to reconciliation, meaningful Indigenous engagement, cultural safety and data sovereignty in our Code of Conduct and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Justice (EDIA&J) Framework. These policies guide how CanHepC members work, collaborate and engage with each other and with communities and apply across all CanHepC spheres of activities including our research, training, events and communications.
• Facilitating regional collaboration and partnerships with Indigenous communities to accelerate progress towards eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat in Canada. Following the release of the Blueprint to Inform Hepatitis C Elimination Efforts in Canada, CanHepC has supported the development of regional Roadmaps to tailor elimination recommendations and action plans to local contexts and community priorities. To date, 4 regional Roadmaps have been released (Ontario, British Colombia, Quebec and the Prairies region), with more expected to be released in the coming year. Each Roadmap has been developed through extensive consultation, including with Indigenous communities.
  • The Ontario Hepatitis C Elimination Roadmap includes nine recommendations focused specifically on Indigenous wellness. These were developed by an Indigenous working group and emphasized Indigenous-led, whole-person care; trauma-informed and culturally safe mainstream services; and support for rural and remote communities. A Liver Wellness Circle continues to guide implementation efforts in Ontario.
  • The Prairie regional Roadmap, Journeys to Wellness, prioritized the experiences of people with lived and living experience of hepatitis C, including Indigenous peoples. The Prairie Roadmap was coordinated by Waniska, an Indigenous-led research centre, and the project integrated Indigenous ways of knowing and doing through hosting sharing circles and centering creative expression, stories and wholistic, person-centred approaches to health and wellness. 
  • The Informing Viral Hepatitis Elimination Efforts in British Columbia: What We Heard report is a summary of findings from a province-wide engagement process undertaken to inform efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat in British Columbia (BC). It includes a summary of an Indigenous community dialogue organised in northern BC highlighting many health-care system and structural barriers to hepatitis C services such as lack of housing, inadequate access to healthcare, insufficient public transportation, and limited harm reduction services.
  • The Quebec Roadmap for the Elimination of HCV includes a section providing in-depth context and background to a set of six courses of action addressing the specific needs of Indigenous communities in Quebec. Developed through a process of consultation led by an Indigenous working group, the actions highlight the need for culturally safe- and trauma- informed healthcare and provider training, Indigenous-led health and wellbeing approaches, partnerships with local Indigenous community leaders, knowledge sharing and the implementation of hepatitis C awareness campaigns. 
  • An iterative process has begun to develop a National Indigenous Roadmap for hepatitis C elimination. The project leads, in collaboration with an Indigenous Community Guiding Circle, have conducted a literature review to provide important context about hepatitis C and Indigenous peoples in Canada. The next phases of the work include consultation with Indigenous people with lived/living experience, health and wellness workers and rights holders, in addition to building on the Indigenous-specific recommendations in the regional roadmaps to address gaps and emphasize solutions. 

On this day of reflection and commemoration, we reaffirm our commitment to reconciliation—not just in words, but through sustained action, partnership, and accountability.

#NDTR, #TruthAndReconciliation, #OrangeShirtDay, #EveryChildMatters