Thread by @janellelapointe

At my vaccine appointment, the nurse asked me what category I qualify under.

I told him.

He says, “Hmm, isn’t this a French last name?”

I nod.

He says, “Huh. And you still qualify and get benefits even though you aren’t full-blooded?”

🤨🤨🤨

I’m okay. I had already mentally prepared myself for something like this. I do every time I’m seeking medical care.

I’ll have more to say after the weekend, but it’s my birthday and I’m trying to focus on my joy. 💛

I appreciate the outrage & support. Muting until Monday. 🤗

Okay, hi. I wanted to elaborate further on what my vaccine experience was like and highlight the broader systemic issue this tweet represents.

This will probably be a long thread.

And before I go off...

Yes, I will be formally reporting this situation but I want to be clear that this is NOT just an isolated incident with a single nurse.

This is systemic.

And I’m “lucky” that I’ve only experienced backhand comments or passive aggressiveness when seeking care.

Ignorance, stereotyping and racism in the medical system kills.

Rest In Peace #JoyceEchaquan.

cbc.ca/news/canada/mo…

My experience from the beginning:

Scheduling my vaccine went pretty smoothly. I started the call by stating I am in the Indigenous 18+ category. The operator did not question me further, and was very kind. This was NOT the common experience.

Many Indigenous people I know were hung up on, questioned, told they were not eligible, etc.

They had to call back, advocate for themselves, and refer the operators to their own Vancouver Coastal Health website.

This is unacceptable.

When I arrived on site, the person checking me in asked how I qualify. I told them. No questions. I was asked again while seated. I told them. No questions.

So yes, I had mentally prepared myself for this type of ignorance but thought I was in the clear after confirming 3 times.

I thought if I had to “prove” my identity to anyone it would have been while making the appointment or checking in. I didn’t expect the nurse to say anything to me but to ask standard questions and review possible symptoms before giving me the jab.

So when I heard the words “full-blooded” leave his mouth I was caught off guard. I didn’t have a witty or eloquent response. I simply stammered through telling him that’s not the case.

He moved on to asking standard questions. After I answered “no” to a bunch of questions about whether I was prone to allergies or fainted after needles, he leaned in and asked me if my eyelashes were real and chuckled.

This made me even more uncomfortable, for different reasons.

My first instinct was to brush off the experience.

It was my birthday, and I didn’t want to let it ruin my day.

But after sitting with it, and thinking about all the negative experience my other Indigenous friends and kin have had, I started to get frustrated.

For some Indigenous people, the choice to get vaccinated is heavy. There is a justified mistrust in the government in health care system.

I’m not talking about anti-vaxx conspiracies.

There is a well documented history of Indigenous people being experimented on.

“Indigenous children in Saskatchewan were used in trials for a tuberculosis vaccine in 1933.”

“Forced sterilization, performed on Indigenous women in Canada as recently as 2018.” thetyee.ca/News/2021/02/1…

“...a decade of nutrition experiments in the 1940s and 1950s on Indigenous communities, including children in residential schools.”

“...when you have had those experiences and you anticipate being judged and stereotyped and treated poorly, it’s really a huge barrier.”

So yes, the decision to get a vaccine is a big one. And to have to anticipate racism at every step of the process, from making the initial appointment to finally sitting down with a nurse is dehumanizing and a deterrent.

In addition, I’ve seen racist remarks from the public. From people who do not seem to understand why Indigenous people are a priority group when it comes to vaccinations.

@BreenOuellette highlighted this issue in his blog post: miscblog.breeno.net/2021/04/my-fir…

I’m somebody who does a lot of advocacy work re: systemic racism.

I’m comfortable self-advocating.

I know I have the resources, support and platform to tell my story and be heard.

Not everyone does.

To all the Indigenous people who have shared similar experiences or fears. You are SO loved. You are doing a good thing by getting vaccinated to protect your community. You are worthy of respect when seeking medical care.

My DMs are open if you are anxious about making or attending an appointment, need any additional support, have had a negative experience and would like help reporting, or need me to advocate for you.

I’m so relieved to have received a vaccine and you deserve that relief too! ❤️

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