Guidelines International Network (GIN) and The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) are launching the GIN Indigenous Communities Working Group to promote health equity and culturally safe practices in health care.
The kick off for this global initiative is a webinar that will bring together Indigenous researchers, Knowledge Keepers, Elders, guideline developers and members of the community. Their goal: to respond to health inequities rooted in colonialism and systemic racism, as well as the lack of methodological guidance for how guideline development can account for Traditional Knowledge.
WEBINAR DETAILS
The webinar will take place on Wednesday 4 March 2026 (9 a.m. – 12 noon. ET/ 8 – 11 a.m. CT/2 – 5 p.m. GMT) via Zoom.
Find out more about the Indigenous Communities Working Group including details of how to join.
The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses’ contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. RNAO has worked with Indigenous health organizations to adapt our best practice guidelines (BPG) so they create culturally safe spaces and meet the priorities of their local communities.
“This webinar is an important opportunity to begin a dialogue with Indigenous and other health- care providers serving Indigenous Peoples around the world. For too long the non-Indigenous health-care system appears to have lost sight of the knowledge about health and healing that has been the foundation of non-Indigenous medicine. Yet today a major portion of our world’s population remains dependent on this knowledge. This dialogue will serve as a collaborative effort to explore how these forms of knowledge can inform each other when delivering health care to Indigenous people globally. In addition, it might well lead to an understanding of how all peoples might benefit from a more holistic approach to health and wellness,” said Knowledge Keeper Dr. Ed Connors/Tecumseh.
Daniela Carl, GIN CEO, noted: “GIN, as a global connector in the guideline community with members in 56 countries, is pleased to be working with RNAO on this important initiative. It reflects GIN’s commitment to improving health care by enabling collaboration, fostering meaningful connections and supporting continuous learning and improvement. Through this partnership, we support the development of guidance that is culturally grounded, methodologically robust and meaningful in real-world settings, while re-imagining guideline development in ways that promote equity, respect and lasting impact.”
“There is a need to develop guidelines that respect Indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices from around the world. This means using the Two-Eyed Seeing approach, integrating Indigenous practices and showing how they can be in harmony with Western approaches in health-care systems,” says Dr. Doris Grinspun, CEO of RNAO, the founder of the BPG program and vice chair of the GIN Indigenous Communities Working Group.
Dr. Holly Graham, GIN Indigenous Communities Working Group chair, said “Colonization has been devastating for Indigenous [First Nation, Métis, and Inuit] peoples’ health and wellness. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2015) outline steps that Canadians can take to address the legacy of the residential schools and to advance reconciliation in Canada. The truth and ongoing stories of trauma are painful to hear and undoubtedly more painful for those who have lived and continue to live with the inequalities across the social determinants of health in Canada.”
Watch an introductory video about the creation of the Indigenous Communities Working Group from:
- Dr. Ed Connors/Tecumseh – Knowledge Keeper
- Daniela Carl – CEO, GIN
- Dr. Doris Grinspun – CEO, RNAO and vice chair of the ICWG
- Dr. Holly Graham – Chair, ICWG
For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. You may also contact Marion Zych (Director of Communications) by email: mzych@rnao.ca.