Healthcare, the Birchbark Way
Birchbark Health is an Indigenous not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing and implementing projects that improve access to high-quality primary care for Indigenous patients in Alberta. We have built strong partnerships with Indigenous communities and key leaders in the Indigenous health space to create initiatives that enhance cultural safety and accessibility to high quality primary care for Indigenous patients across the province.
Voices from Our Communities
Hear from the people and communities we serve about the impact of our healthcare initiatives.
Craig Day Chief
Director of Non-Insured Health Benefits, Blood Tribe Department of Health
"Many of our clients struggle with limited access to healthcare services due to barriers such as transportation, discrimination, digital access, and culturally appropriate care, among many others. The Primary Care Ambassador (PCA) program proposed by Birchbark Health promises to directly address these challenges, significantly enhancing the quality of care our clients receive."
Our Story
For Indigenous communities, health has always been more than the absence of disease. It is a living expression of culture, tradition, and identity—interwoven with access to traditional foods, ways of healing, and strong social supports. Yet for too long, this vision of health has been overshadowed by the enduring impacts of colonialism, systemic racism, geographic isolation, and inequitable access to care.
Despite growing national awareness, the reality remains stark: Indigenous communities continue to experience far worse health outcomes than their non-Indigenous counterparts. In Alberta, the infant mortality rate among Indigenous populations is twice that of non-Indigenous populations (Alberta Interactive Health Data, 2023). The rate of self-inflicted harm is more than three times higher (Alberta Interactive Health Data, 2019), and life expectancy lags by an overwhelming eighteen years—the age of legal adulthood. Nearly 40% of First Nations people in Alberta live in geographically isolated communities, where barriers to care are even more severe. Without accessible, culturally safe healthcare, these gaps will only widen.
Our flagship initiative, Project EagleEye, aims to realize this vision by training trusted local members—Primary Care Ambassadors—to deliver culturally safe, accessible primary care directly within their communities. By combining traditional knowledge with cutting edge technology and investing in Indigenous leadership at every level, Birchbark Health aims to empower Indigenous communities take healthcare into their own hands—and creating a future where Indigenous Peoples are empowered to lead their own health journeys.
