While some progress has been made to increase the number of Indigenous healthcare workers, more is needed, argues Jamaica Cass, director of the Queen’s-Weeneebayko Health Education Partnership at Queen’s University. Cass explains that Indigenous students must succeed in health education to ensure that communities can benefit from culturally safe, long-term healthcare providers, and asserts that this can be accomplished by letting Indigenous peoples lead in these areas. She points to the success of several Indigenous-led programs, but highlights that system-wide changes are needed to continue improving conditions for Indigenous students in health education. In particular, she encourages changes to address issues related to cost, K-12 education quality, and racism and isolation faced by Indigenous students.
