Housing as a determinant of health in The Sayisi Dene First Nation, Tadoule Lake, Manitoba

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of housing as a social and environmental determinant of health and draws example from one Manitoban First Nation community. Aboriginal people across Canada suffer a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality relative to the rest of the country. Literature on the social determinants of health is reviewed with emphasis on the role of housing conditions in achieving and maintaining good health, followed by the historical context for Canadian Aboriginal settlement patterns and the current housing crisis. Local history and the results from a 2010 housing survey of the Sayisi Dene First Nation are described. Crowding, in-home water availability, housing design, and building materials are identified as risk factors for health problems, whereas occupant behavior appears to have little effect on conditions. Recent popular challenge to the longstanding and ongoing effects of colonialism sheds light on the degree to which all Canadians accept these pervasive circumstances.