"The part of becoming the first indigenous President of the Canadian Medical Association that resonates most with me is knowing that youth out there are going to see someone who is like them and know that they will have the same opportunities that I'm going to have in the coming years."

Our guest today is Dr. Alika Lafontaine, who was recently elected the next President of the Canadian Medical Association, becoming the first Indigenous person to hold that office. Lafontaine and National Chief Bellegarde talk about his challenging journey to heading the influential CMA, what that role means to him as an indigenous person, how he thinks systemic racism in health care can be defeated, the importance of taking the COVID-19 vaccine, and the importance of including traditional healing in First Nations health care.

Dr. Lafontaine is an anesthesiologist practicing in Grand Prairie, Alberta. He has Anishinaabe, Cree, Métis and Pacific Islander ancestry and was born and raised in Treaty 4 territory in southern Saskatchewan.

He was won numerous awards over his career. He previously served as President of the Indigenous Physicians Association and, at age 25, won the CBC’s "Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister" competition on a platform of reconciliation.

A big thanks goes out to the Red Dog Singers of Treaty 4 Territory in Saskatchewan for our theme song, Intertribal.

The Ahkameyimok Podcast is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions in Ottawa.

For more on the work of the Assembly of First Nations and issues important to First Nations visit www.afn.ca