Volume 9 • 2022 • Issue 5

DENTAL DIGEST T he National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day took place on September 30, a day to honour the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. “This day allows dentists and other members of the oral health community to reflect on the tragic and painful legacy of residential schools, and to honour the thousands of Survivors,” said Dr. Lynn Tomkins, CDA president, in a news release in September. Inequities in oral health continue to exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. CDA has been advocating for the improvement of the oral health of Canada’s First Nations for 35 years, including investments in enhancing access to dental care and clean water in Indigenous communities. CDA has also been collaborating with federal officials administering the dental component of the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program to provide technical advice on the NIHB program’s administration. InMay 2022, CDA participated in a study on the Accessibility and Administration of the NIHB program by the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Dr. Alika Lafontaine: New CMA President D r. Alika Lafontaine was elected president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) in August, becoming the first Indigenous president in the CMA’s 155‑year history. Dr. Lafontaine has served as chair of the Canadian Medical Association Journal governance council since 2018. He will also be a CMA representative on its Guiding Circle initiative, created in June 2022. The Guiding Circle includes a group of First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals who will work with the CMA on recommending steps that can be taken to improve the health outcomes of Indigenous peoples. provided a series of recommendations with a goal of improving Indigenous oral health outcomes. “Not only on September 30, but throughout the year, it is important to seek out opportunities to partner with Indigenous communities and advance reconciliation,” added Dr. Tomkins. “Any time we bring different lived experience into leadership positions, we have the opportunity to change the trajectory of those systems. That’s the real power of diverse and inclusive leadership—we can imagine a different future,” said Dr. Lafontaine. Dr. Lafontaine was born in Treaty 4 and Métis homelands of southern Saskatchewan and he has a mixed ancestry of Métis, Cree, Anishinaabe and Pacific Islander according to the CMA website. In 2021, CDA Essentials featured Dr. Lafontaine’s brother (Dr. Kamea Aloha Lafontaine) highlighting the launch of the two brothers’ SafeSpace project. This app allows people to report racial bias in health care safely and anonymously, sharing their experiences and concerns without any fear of reprisal. To learn more about truth and reconciliation initiatives in Canada, visit bit.ly/3S10moz 18 | 2022 | Issue 5