Proceedings of the 37th International Academic Conference, Budapest

WHEN WORLD (VISIONS) COLLIDE: THE CASE OF MAKAYLA SAULT AND INDIGENIZING THE CURRICULUM AT CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES

ROBERT SCOTT STEWART

Abstract:

The case of Makayla Sault is, first and foremost, a tragic story of the death of a young First Nations girl from cancer. Beyond that, however, it raises important questions about substituted judgement with respect to medical decisions made on behalf of children below the age of consent. In particular, this case raises issues of who has the authority to make decisions regarding underage children when parents and health care workers radically disagree. Finally, the case raises issues of Canada’s First Nations people. The treatment of those peoples by settlers to this country has been, unfortunately, turbulent and, by any fair assessment, First Nations people have been treated – and continue to be treated – unjustly. This was officially recognized by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report. That report also issued a number of recommendations to rectify the treatment of First Nations People of Canada. I will suggest that whatever one feels about the Makayla Sault case, it cannot be fairly and completely understood outside the context of the history of the mistreatment of First Nations People, the TRC report, and its recommendations. This paper explores this case with a view to one of those recommendations regarding ‘indigenizing the academy’ and how, in particular, non-aboriginal academics can approach and teach indigenous subject material in their classes.

Keywords: Philosophy, bioethics, substituted judgement, relational autonomy, communitarianism, First Nations People of Canada

DOI: 10.20472/IAC.2018.037.018

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