THE VISITING LECTURESHIP ON ABORIGINAL HEALTH - AN EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE AT THE UNIVERSITY-OF-TORONTO

Many recent reports on Aboriginal issues have identified three major d eficits in Canadian universities: a lack of Aboriginal curriculum cont ent, a lack of faculty role models, and low student enrolment. Many he alth professional schools have responded by recruiting more Aboriginal students and by introducing Native content into their curricula. This paper describes the six-year experience of the annual program of the Visiting Lectureship on Native Health at the University of Toronto as one of the ways to increase the Aboriginal curricular content. The thr ee-week program covers the selected Aboriginal health issue by sequent ially exploring its historical background, the extend of the current p roblem and its future solutions. Over six years, 37 native speakers de livered 83 lectures, 19 public fora and 98 seminars and workshops to 3 universities and 12 professional and community agencies. Over 7,900 i ndividuals have participated in the program and the response has been very positive.