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Family Medicine on the High Seas

In late September and early October, Professor Richard Budgell was a passenger on a small-ship cruise that visited western Greenland, northern Labrador and Newfoundland. The voyage included talks on Inuit archaeology and history, geology, botany, and climate change, among other topics. Greenland (known as “Kalaallit Nunaat” in Inuktitut) and Labrador Inuit are culturally closely related. Professor Budgell provided a guest lecture on “Inuit Health in Canada,” which generated many questions and comments.

The audience were the 200 travellers on the ship, namely the “Ocean Endeavour.”

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About Prof. Richard Budgell

Richard Budgell is a Labrador Inuk and lectures, writes and researches on Inuit health. Prior to joining Â鶹AV’s Department of Family Medicine, he was a federal government public servant in First Nations and Inuit health, and other Indigenous fields, for more than thirty years. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for exemplary public service in his role in the creation of the Aboriginal Head Start program, an early childhood development program for First Nations, Inuit and MĂ©tis children and families. He has a Master of Arts degree in Canadian Studies (Aboriginal concentration) from Carleton University and began doctoral studies in History at Â鶹AV in 2021. He is involved in a variety of research projects, including Inuit cultural safety in health care and the Inuit community in southern Quebec. Prof. Budgell was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine in 2020.

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