Global Lessons, Local Actions: Martin Morberg

When settlers first arrived on Turtle Island, they imposed their beliefs and systems on the Indigenous peoples of this land. There was a widespread erasure and genocide of Indigenous cultures and ways of life. Western systems continue to cause harm for Indigenous people. What many Indigenous people want Canadians to understand is that Indigenous communities have their own worldviews and holistic approaches to health and wellbeing.
Martin Morberg is the Two-Spirit Program Coordinator for the Community-Based Research Centre.
“Indigenous people need to be supported in leading their own solutions. Understanding that there's an equal amount of validity to our own approaches, to our own systems as Indigenous people. We can collaborate with the western world and form equitable partnerships. We understand the effectiveness of these western sexual health tools, but we must lead the way in delivering them to our own communities, with our own approaches” he explains.
Recently, Martin and the Two-Spirit program at CBRC undertook an important pilot program to try to improve both access to and trust of HIV self-test kits among Indigenous communities. With the guidance of their Two-Spirit community members, they conceptualized an Indigenous approach to the HIV self-test kits, a Medicine Bundle that holds Indigenous medicines and other spiritual items that support someone in their personal journey. According to the Two-Spirit program at CBRC, “the purpose of this Bundle is to bring the sacredness back into sex and offer access to a holistic approach to sexual health needs.”
As Martin says, the Medicine Bundle is “A community-driven initiative led by and for Two-Spirit and Indigenous people.”
The Medicine Bundle pilot launched in BC, and is will be launching a national expansion in the coming months with the support of CBRC, Communities, Alliances & Networks (CAAN), and other Indigenous organizations.
Links
www.cbrc.net/medicinebundle