Locating Invisible Policies: Health Canada’s Evacuation Policy as a Case Study

Authors

  • Karen M Lawford University of Ottawa National Aboriginal Council of Midwives

Keywords:

First Nations Health, Invisible Policy, Policy Tool

Abstract

I describe an initial tool for revealing invisible policies. Invisible policies are made apparent by three criteria: allocation of resources, material impacts, and reactions. Allocation of resources can be economic, human, or otherwise. Material impacts are those that are tangible and can be described as having a physical impact in some manner. Finally, the reactions of those impacted by the policy, like agencies and scholars, provide a third lens through which these policies can be understood and identified. Using the three criteria, I reveal the long-standing “evacuation policy” as a genuine and authentic policy, which is currently applied to those First Nations populations falling under federal jurisdiction. My contribution to policy analysis is to provide another tool to close a gap in the literature with respect to the analysis of invisible policies.

This paper won the Women’s and Gender Studies et Recherches Féministes (WGSRF) Graduate Essay Prize in 2014.

Résumé
Je décris un outil initial pour révéler les politiques invisibles. Les politiques invisibles sont mises en évidence par trois critères : allocation des ressources, impacts matériels et réactions. L’allocation des ressources peut concerner les ressources économiques, humaines ou autres. Les impacts matériels sont ceux qui sont tangibles et peuvent être décrits comme ayant un impact physique quelconque. Enfin, les réactions de ceux qui sont touchés par la politique, comme les organismes et les chercheurs, fournissent une troisième perspective selon laquelle ces politiques peuvent être comprises et cernées. À l’aide de ces trois critères, je révèle la « politique d’évacuation » de longue date comme une politique véritable et authentique, qui est actuellement appliquée aux populations des Premières Nations relevant de la compétence fédérale. Ma contribution à l’analyse des politiques est de fournir un autre outil pour combler une lacune dans la littérature en ce qui concerne l’analyse des politiques invisibles.

Cet article a remporté le Prix de l’essai (cycles supérieurs) de l’association Women’s and Gender Studies et Recherches Féministes (EGFRF) en 2014.

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Author Biography

Karen M Lawford, University of Ottawa National Aboriginal Council of Midwives

Karen Lawford is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Ottawa. An ongoing exploration of the power of Canada’s constitution and the Indian Act frame her policy research. Karen is also a registered midwife (Ontario) and an Aboriginal midwife (on education leave) from Lac Seul First Nation, Treaty 3.

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Published

2016-10-28