dashadashahi's review against another edition
5.0
Perry and McCallum use three brief chapters, in addition to an introduction and a conclusion, to demonstrate how settler colonialism and its racist foundations impacted and continue to impact the treatment of Indigenous peoples in, predominantly, the healthcare system but the authors also touch upon the role of legal and media system in sustaining these beliefs. The first chapter focuses on “The City.” Winnipeg’s history as the industrial hub of the west included the direct marginalization and dispossession of Indigenous peoples from the urban centre. While Winnipeg underwent re-Indigenization after the Second World War, demonstrating the resilience of Indigenous peoples, the process was patterned by de facto (i.e. landlords directing Indigenous applicants to other parts of the city) and de jure (i.e. the Manitoba Liquor Act segregating Indigenous people from bars) which reinforced that Indigenous peoples were “others” requiring paternalistic laws to rule their existence. The second chapter moves to “The Hospital” and demonstrates how the hospital is rooted in colonialism, from the names of the institution’s buildings or the streets it stands to doctors and staff repeatedly demonstrating their biased treatment of Indigenous patients. The third chapter focuses on Brain Sinclair’s life, highlighting the real impacts of Canada’s Indigenous policies. By the end of the book, it is clear that Sinclair’s death was not a “one-off,” despite the conclusions of many media reporting at the time. Rather, his death represents the larger neglect of Indigenous peoples within Canada’s medical healthcare system and the ongoing racism ingrained within Canada’s institutions and culture.
mabs_grace's review against another edition
Read this book for my university history class, very informative. Also quite frustrating and upsetting because it’s non-fiction.
worms_and_words's review against another edition
5.0
Such a sad story but very informative how First Nation people are continually discriminated against in all areas but in this case, in medical areas.
anneke_b's review against another edition
5.0
So this was such an eye opening read! I really liked how the book was structured, going from system to system. It did a great job at making me understand how the event of Brian Sinclair's death was a product of these systems, that are rooted in Canadian history. It is a must read for all of us that are interested in the history of indigenous marginalisation within Canada.
So recommended.
So recommended.
andieom1's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, Ableism, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Grief
lynnaeaowens's review against another edition
4.0
A concise and well-researched examination of how structural racism contributed to the death of Brian Sinclair at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg. Reading about Brian's last hours moved me to tears, and I felt the horror as several bystanders attempted to find him medical help WHILE HE WAS IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM and were repeatedly ignored. This book is moving, but also stuffed full of important research into the history of Winnipeg, the hospital, and Indigenous people in Canada that contributed to medical staff's inexcusable treatment of Brian. I found the section on the hospital hard to get through as it was so dry and I found it hard to see the connections between it and Brian's situation. I wish there had been more exploration of how doctors and nurses are trained to work with Indigenous patients (as well as those who are homeless or using substances, as those were excuses given for the lack of services received) as the bias seems so obvious there.
4/5
4/5