Pages 67-71 in S. Chatwood, P. Orr and Tiina Ikaheimo, eds. Proceedings of the 14th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Yellowknife, Canada, July 11-16, 2009. Securing the IPY Legacy: from Research to Action. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 2010; 69 (Suppl 7).
School of Social Work, University of British Columbia, Canada
School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of British Columbia, Canada
Source
Pages 67-71 in S. Chatwood, P. Orr and Tiina Ikaheimo, eds. Proceedings of the 14th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Yellowknife, Canada, July 11-16, 2009. Securing the IPY Legacy: from Research to Action. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 2010; 69 (Suppl 7).
Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to try to answer the following questions: Is the term "structural violence" appropriate to describe the health outcomes of the housing provided to Inuit in the 1950s and 1960s? Does it have contemporary relevance? What role has human rights discourse played, and what role can it play in drawing attention to contemporary problems of health and housing?
Study design: An examination and critical reading of archival records from Library and Archives Canada, dealing with a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in Eskimo Point (Arviat), NWT, in 1962-1963,was undertaken.
Methods: Theoretical ideas from political economy, psychohistory and Paul Farmer's concept of structural violence were employed in examining the historical record. The text uses quotes from physicians and officials of the Northern Administration to reveal the values and assumptions underlying health and housing policies.
Results: This TB epidemic resulted in the evacuation to southern sanatoria of over 30% of the Inuit population. The letters and other documents produced by public health officials and the Northern Administration of the Canadian government reveal that health officials fought a battle to improve housing and public health conditions, countered by the liberal ideology of Northern Administration officials. The TB epidemic and associated costs ultimately forced the design of a housing policy based on need rather than ability to pay.
Conclusions: Public health events most often have structural origins and the term "structural violence" is appropriate in describing them. Human rights discourse needs to be applied in addressing public health problems in Aboriginal and other communities.