Indigenous History Month 2024 - Resources

To celebrate National Indigenous History Month this June, we've put together a non-exhaustive list of resources about Indigenous Oral Health. 

Indigenous History Month is a time to learn about, recognize, and appreciate "the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis" (from the Government of Canada's NIHM page). In dentistry, this can include being aware of the historical and contemporary marginalization of Indigenous peoples in Canada as it relates to a lack of access to healthcare. For non-Indigenous dentists and dental researchers working and living on Indigenous land, keeping up to date with research on Indigenous oral health is one of many ways that you can build or deepen your relationship with Indigenous peoples and your awareness of issues they face.

The following is a list of some resources about Indigenous Oral Health in Canada:

Indigenous Dental Association of Canada

The Indigenous Dental Association of Canada (IDAC) is an Indigenous-led initiative aimed at addressing inequities in Canada’s oral health delivery. Their vision is centered around empowerment, self-determination, and fostering respectful collaboration with Indigenous communities. They focus on supporting Indigenous-led oral health research, ensuring culturally safe oral health service delivery, and advocating for equitable policy decisions. (Description generated with Microsoft Copilot, then edited.)

U of T Dentistry Library Indigenous Oral Health LibGuide

U of T Dentistry Library collection of material on the Your Teeth For A Lifetime Foundation, which is based in Thunder Bay and is regularly involved in dental outreach to Indigenous communities. (Materials available in library)

Select articles by faculty member Dr. Herenia P. Lawrence:

• Brown-Walkus, J., Smylie, J., Borkhoff, C. M., Hardy, B. J., Salmon, C., Duncan, F., & Lawrence, H. P. (2023). Defining quality of preventive oral health services in a northern First Nations community: a concept mapping study. Rural Remote Health, 23(4), 7910. doi:10.22605/rrh7910
• Cidro, J., Maar, M., Peressini, S., Schroth, R. J., Broughton, J., Jamieson, L., & Lawrence, H. P. (2017). Strategies for Meaningful Engagement between Community-Based Health Researchers and First Nations Participants. Front Public Health, 5, 138. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00138
• Farmer, J., Peressini, S., & Lawrence, H. P. (2018). Exploring the role of the dental hygienist in reducing oral health disparities in Canada: A qualitative study. Int J Dent Hyg, 16(2), e1-e9. doi:10.1111/idh.12276
• Lawrence, HP (2010). Oral health interventions among Indigenous populations in Canada. International Dental Journal 60: 229-234.
• Lee, J., Schroth, R. J., & Lawrence, H. P. (2023). Nishtam Niwiipitan (My First Teeth): Oral Health Digital Stories from Urban Indigenous Parents. JDR Clin Trans Res, 8(4), 326-336. doi:10.1177/23800844221117143
• Tiwari, T., Jamieson, L., Broughton, J., Lawrence, H. P., Batliner, T. S., Arantes, R., & Albino, J. (2018). Reducing Indigenous Oral Health Inequalities: A Review from 5 Nations. J Dent Res, 97(8), 869-877. doi:10.1177/0022034518763605
• Tsai, W. T., & Lawrence, H. P. (2022). Association between psychosocial determinants of adverse childhood experiences and severe early childhood caries among First Nations children. Int J Paediatr Dent, 32(3), 352-366. doi:10.1111/ipd.12891

Other selected articles:

• Canadian Dental Association (2012). Survey Reveals Disparities in Oral Health of First Nations. J Can Dent Assoc 2012;78:c143

Databases

• Informit Indigenous Collection
  • "A subset of Humanities and Social Sciences, the [database] provides international, interdisciplinary coverage of indigenous studies." From the U of T library catalogue.
• Bibliography of Indigenous Peoples in North America/Bibliography of Native North Americans 
  • "BNNA is a bibliographic database covering all aspects of native North American culture, history, and life. This resource covers a wide range of topics including archaeology, multicultural relations, gaming, governance, legend, and literacy. BNNA contains more than 122,000 citations for books, essays, journal articles, and government documents of the United States and Canada. Dates of coverage for included content range from the sixteenth century to the present." From the U of T library catalogue.