“I’m still not over feeling so isolated”: Métis women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people’s experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic

The aim of this study was to explore and learn from the experiences of Métis women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people accessing health and social services in Victoria, British Columbia, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper comes from a larger study exploring Métis women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people’s experiences accessing health and social services in Victoria. Using a by-and-for Métis approach that employed a conversational interview method, we conducted interviews with Métis women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people who lived in and/or accessed services in Victoria in December 2020 and January 2021. This paper focuses specifically on data addressing how COVID-19 impacted these participants.

A total of 24 Métis women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people participated in the study. Overall, three themes specific to COVID-19 were identified. First, participants described the detrimental impacts of COVID-19 on their ability to connect with their Métis community and practice their culture, as well as their overall feelings of isolation. Second, participants highlighted some of the ways that COVID-19 has exacerbated existing barriers to culturally safe healthcare. Last, participants spoke about the mixed economic impacts that COVID-19 has had for them, sharing insight into the ways in which gender, in particular, has shaped their financial instability.

Improving access to culturally safe health and social services by incorporating the experiences and expertise of Métis women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people is crucial to mitigating the disproportional negative impacts of the pandemic and improving overall health outcomes within Métis communities across Canada.