Menu
We recognize the deep and ongoing impacts of colonialism on health systems, including the oral health sector, and the inequities and racism that Indigenous Peoples continue to face when accessing care. Indigenous anti-racism and cultural safety are essential to ensuring that Indigenous individuals, families, and communities can receive oral health services in ways that are free from discrimination, trauma, and harm.
This work is an area of focus identified in our 2024-27 Strategic Plan. It reflects our responsibility and commitment to creating safer, more accountable systems that honour Indigenous knowledge, rights, and leadership in the delivery of oral health care.
The offices of BCCOHP are located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish and Lekwungen Peoples, represented today by the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. Acknowledging the territories and the original stewards of these lands is a fundamental responsibility of our organization and in keeping with our commitment to support the provision of safe, effective, culturally sensitive oral health care for people in British Columbia.
This work is informed by the In Plain Sight report (PDF), which documented widespread Indigenous-specific racism in BC’s health care system. As a regulator, BCCOHP recognizes its responsibility to help eliminate Indigenous-specific racism and all forms of discrimination in oral health care. Our commitment to cultural safety and humility is not just about improving individual behaviours—it’s about transforming systems. This work is also aligned with the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), and with the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which BC has committed to implementing.
This focused work on Indigenous anti-racism, cultural safety and humility reflects our role in addressing the specific harms experienced by Indigenous Peoples and supporting safer, more equitable care for all. Our efforts are informed by lived experiences and guided by the belief that Indigenous anti-racism, cultural safety and humility must be embedded across all areas of regulation.
At BCCOHP, we understand that Indigenous anti-racism, cultural safety, and cultural humility are distinct and uniquely critical because they address the specific, ongoing impacts of colonization and systemic anti-Indigenous racism. These experiences and rights cannot be fully recognized or remedied within broader equity, diversity, and inclusion frameworks, which are not designed to confront the legal, historical, and cultural realities faced by Indigenous Peoples. When Indigenous issues are folded into general EDI work, there is a risk of erasing or minimizing the unique sovereignty, self-determination, and lived experiences of Indigenous communities. For these reasons, this work requires dedicated, Indigenous-led approaches and separate focus. BCCOHP is committed to ensuring these efforts receive the attention and leadership they deserve to drive meaningful change.
Katy Carson, Director, Cultural Safety and Humility, katy.carson@oralhealthbc.ca
As part of our work, we are working to provide updated resources and education for oral health professionals and the public in this area. We will continue to update this page as relevant resources and materials are developed.
Content warning: Educational resources related to Indigenous-specific racism, colonization, and intergenerational trauma can be distressing to engage with. Please consider having a support system in place, should you need it.
At BCCOHP, we are taking meaningful and measurable action to embed anti-discrimination, equity, and reconciliation (ADER) into all aspects of our work. We are committed to building a regulatory system that is equitable, culturally safe and responsive, and free of discrimination.
Not everyone in BC experiences the health system the same way. Differences in access to care, information, and support can lead to unequal health outcomes. Health equity means ensuring everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve their best health.
The ADER Project aligns with the mandates of the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), which emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the public from harm and discrimination. This includes implementing specific anti-discrimination measures in regulatory oversight and health service provision, with a particular focus on eliminating Indigenous-specific racism and prioritizing Indigenous rights within BCCOHP’s regulatory framework and health programs.
We aim to:
