The first step towards truly being an ally towards marginalized communities is to listen, observe, and acknowledge not only our personal privilege but the lack of privilege said communities face - especially the Indigenous communities in Canada. The Indigenous and Allied Health Presentation educates you on the deep-rooted colonization of the First Nations and indigenous peoples of Canada and how our history has worked to erase the traditions of the indigenous as well as the discrimination that these communities are still facing in 2022. By the end of the presentation, you will learn:

 

• The history of the Indigenous communities in Canada - Where it all began and the origin of their history

• How they were stripped of their culture - The abuse and mistreatment of all Indigenous in Canada

• How to be a better ally to our communities - How to support the communities and respect their culture

• How to better identify discrimination - this includes the microaggressions against the Indigenous peoples in Canada face and the blatant discrimination

 

Andalusia Speech Therapy is a private speech therapy practice and a social enterprise with 11 clinics in Ontario and a brand new clinic in British Colombia. In addition to speech therapy services, they focus on contributing to the communities they operate in by creating awareness and education for communication-based social justice issues. The presenters of this workshop are Michelle Dolmaya and Ibtisaam Mustaq.

 

Michelle Dolmaya is a Speech-Language Pathologist with Andalusia Speech Therapy and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. She provides speech therapy services to Indigenous families and has completed training in Indigenous Affairs.  

 

Ibtissam Mustaq is a Speech-Language Pathologist and the Clinic Director. She works with Indigenous families and facilitates training on Indigenous Affairs, Anti-Racism, Work-Life Balance, and other topics of interest to Allied Health Professionals.