Ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, VPSA’s Engaging Physicians in Indigenous Cultural (EPIC) Safety Task Group is highlighting one iCON–VCH Indigenous Health Round each week. These free, physician-focused webinars support health-care professionals in ongoing learning about how to provide culturally safe care for Indigenous patients, families, and communities. Indigenous Health Rounds are accredited by UBC Continuing Professional Development (UBC CPD), allowing participating physicians to earn CPD credits.
A Developmental Approach to Working with Trauma: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge for Culturally Relevant Health-Care Responses
In an Indigenous Health Round held on January 19, 2026, Dr. Alanaise Ferguson, Anishnaabe psychologist and professor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, shared some of her work in trauma healing as a clinician, educator, and researcher.
Aside from being a professor, Dr. Ferguson is also a member of the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation in Manitoba, and a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Health, Healing, and Community Revitalization in the department of Community, Culture, and Global Studies. She lives in unceded Sylix territory on the Westbank First Nation and is the mother of two adult sons and one teenaged daughter.
Dr. Ferguson addressed the complexities of trauma, especially intergenerational trauma within Indigenous communities, and explored culturally grounded, developmental, and neurobiological frameworks to guide healthcare providers in trauma-informed care.
Dr. Ferguson discussed:
- The possibility of recovery and healing from trauma, even when it has spanned multiple generations
- The role of culture, spirituality, and connection to land in healing
- The importance of self-care for both clients and health-care providers
- A vision of a more collaborative and culturally inclusive health-care system
Dr. Ferguson encourages health-care professionals to integrate Indigenous knowledge and culturally relevant developmental approaches to trauma healing. The talk calls for systems change to embrace cultural safety and co-create holistic trauma-informed care that respects Indigenous sovereignty and fosters healing across generations.
The Next Indigenous Health Round
The intercultural Online Network will host another iCON–VCH Indigenous Health Round titled “A Developmental Approach to Working with Trauma: A Deeper Reflection on Indigenous Knowledge and Healthy Co-regulation” on September 29, 2026 from 12:00 – 1:30 PM PT on Zoom featuring Dr. Ferguson.
This session will explore insights from an action-oriented collaboration of First Nations, Métis, and settler health scholars and practitioners examining how white supremacy and Indigenous-specific racism are embedded within population and public health systems. It will highlight research mapping systemic harms and share practical, evidence-based tools to advance accountability, reconciliation, and Indigenous health equity.
Register here for this session.
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