POWELL RIVER – Today, the Powell River Division of Family Practice officially changed its name to qathet Division of Family Practice. The Tla’amin Nation leadership supports the use of the word qathet, which means “working together” and is pronounced “KA-thet.” The name change reflects the division’s commitment to reconciliation and acknowledgment of Indigenous-specific racism in the health care system.
“It’s the doctor’s job to diagnose illness and help us to stay well,” said Losa Luaifoa, Tla’amin executive councillor. “Changing the name of the local division of family practice is an action that recognizes that the legacy of colonialism is a sickness that must be acknowledged and removed. We raise our hands to the division for their leadership and contributions to a place where we can all thrive together.”
The division began exploring a name change in 2017 as part of a process to bring attention to reconciliation and the reality of poor health outcomes for Indigenous peoples in Canada, in part due to racism in the health care system. The division membership voted on the name change on June 8, 2022, and were overwhelmingly in favour.
“Changing the name of our division is a small but significant step along the path of truth and reconciliation,” said Dr. David May, board chair and physician lead for the qathet Division of Family Practice. “It gets us closer to genuine community collaboration.”
