Improving Indigenous social determinants of health
Thirty years ago, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples said the revitalization of Indigenous languages would be a key component in creating healthy individuals and communities. According to the First Nations Health Council (FNHC), language revitalization is among the social determinants of health of which the World Health Organization includes “the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.”
The FNHC’s 10-Year Strategy on the Social Determinants of Health details the approaches that First Nations peoples are taking to improve health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples, including early childhood development, access to health services, education, language, and ceremony.
A June 2025 review that analyzed 262 academic and community-based studies from Canada, the US, Australia, and New Zealand found that learning an ancestral language has positive effects on the mental and emotional health of Indigenous Peoples.
Going to a language class—whether online or in person—creates opportunities for social support, which improves a person’s sense of identity and connection to community. Increased feelings of inclusion lead to enhanced self-esteem and spiritual well-being, which combats isolation and boosts resilience.
The heart is warmed and mind, body, spirit, and emotion are in greater balance because people are in healthy reciprocal relationships. Identity is key to mental health, because when people feel whole, they tend to avoid health-risking behaviour.
Language at a glance
- There are more than 70 distinct Indigenous languages spoken by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit in Canada.
- UNESCO says all Indigenous languages in Canada, with the exception of Inuktitut, are at risk due to cultural genocide and discriminatory colonial policies.
- In 2021, 13 percent of the Indigenous population said they could speak an Indigenous language well enough to have a conversation, down from 21 percent in 2006.
- Some languages have experienced a revival in the last decade: Heiltsuk gained 200 speakers, Haisla 100 speakers, and Wolastoqewi 45 speakers.
- Winnipeg has the largest community of people who can speak an Indigenous language, followed by Edmonton.
Rural and remote more protected than urban
An international systematic review of 130 studies published in 2022 concluded that “Language use and revitalization emerge as protective factors in the health of Indigenous populations.” Data from the Canadian Aboriginal Peoples Survey showed that Indigenous patients who speak their language have a lower incidence of asthma, bowel disorders, obesity, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
However, the aforementioned 2025 review included two studies that suggested positive psychological effects of Indigenous language fluency were only significant for Indigenous people who lived in rural and remote areas. The authors of one study hypothesized that these findings speak to the stress that urban Indigenous Peoples experience co-existing in their own marginalized cultures and a dominant colonial society.
Many Indigenous Peoples are seeking healing from intergenerational trauma and the effects of colonization. Language is a doorway into understanding culture, world views, and values, and it is one way people can create (or re-create) identity and a sense of belonging.
The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health says that Indigenous languages are “intimately connected to traditional lands and environments” and that “the land and the health of the community are synonymous.” Participating in land-based activities is an important factor in physical health and healing from trauma.
Threatened languages and medicinal knowledge
When Indigenous languages go extinct, existing knowledge about medicinal plants decreases and the chances of discovering new medicines are greatly reduced. In North America, research suggests that 86 percent of all unique medicinal knowledge is held in languages that are threatened with extinction.
In 2021, nearly 40 percent of First Nations people living on reserve could speak an Indigenous language, compared with 8 percent of those living off reserve. This speaks to the need for culturally safe health care in reserve communities and in Nunavut, where the first language of 75 percent of Inuit is Inuktitut.
According to a study published in 2018 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, temporary or locum healthcare providers “rely on patients and other staff as informal translators, although they have limited understanding of medical terminology,” which can lead to misdiagnoses.
In Nunavut, for example, when prescription labels aren’t available in Inuktitut, it can result in medical errors, improper medication, and misunderstanding of medical instructions. The lack of culturally safe health care also creates feelings of alienation, where patients do not feel respected.
A roadmap toward well-being
Learning an ancestral language is not an instant cure for the effects of colonization and intergenerational trauma, but it is a proven pathway toward better health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples.
“There is growing research that points to the direct connection between Indigenous language revitalization and improved health,” says Aliana Parker, the language program director for the First Peoples’ Cultural Council. “Indigenous languages nourish strong identities rooted in community, spirituality, and place. From these deep connections grow resilience and wellness. As we recognize and honour the value of these unique and precious languages and those who carry them forward, we create the space for them to thrive.”
Supporting language preservation
Everyone can play a part in revitalizing Indigenous languages. Learn which Indigenous territory you’re on and stay attuned to the complexities. Indigenous Peoples shared overlapping territories and moved vast distances before colonization, during the fur trade, and after urbanization. Learn the names of the peoples who have been there, are still there, and have arrived more recently in their own languages. Learn Indigenous place names and the names of geographic features.
Sign up for Indigenous language lessons. Learn some greetings and basic phrases (hello, thanks, my name is…). Visit websites, online dictionary apps, and language portals created by Indigenous organizations and language revitalization projects such as the First Peoples’ Cultural Council and the Michif Language Project. Volunteer at an Indigenous organization.
This article was originally published in the February 2026 issue of alive magazine.
