In recent years there have been several calls in professional and academic journals for healthcare personnel in Canada to raise the profile of postcolonial theory as a theoretical and explanatory framework for their practice with Indigenous people. In this paper I explore some of the challenges that are likely to confront those healthcare personnel in engaging with postcolonial theory in a training context. I consider these challenges in relation to three areas of conflict. First I consider conflicts around paradigms of knowledge, wherein postcolonial theory operates from a different base from most professional knowledge in health care. Second I consider conflicts of ideology, wherein postcolonial theory is largely at odds with Canada’s political and popular cultures. And finally I consider issues around the question of Canada’s legitimacy, which postcolonial theory puts in doubt. I suggest ways in which these conflicts might be addressed and managed in the training context, and also identify potential positive outcomes that would be enabling for healthcare personnel, and might also contribute to an improvement in Canada’s relationship with its indigenous peoples.

近年来，专业和学术期刊多次呼吁加拿大的医疗保健人员提高后殖民理论的形象，作为他们与土著人民一起实践的理论和解释框架。在本文中，我探讨了在培训环境中参与后殖民理论的医疗保健人员可能面临的一些挑战。我认为这些挑战与三个冲突领域有关。首先，我考虑围绕知识范式的冲突，其中后殖民理论的运作基础与医疗保健领域的大多数专业知识不同。其次，我考虑意识形态的冲突，其中后殖民理论在很大程度上与加拿大的政治和流行文化不一致。最后我考虑一下加拿大的合法性问题，后殖民理论对此表示怀疑。我建议在培训背景下解决和管理这些冲突的方法，并确定可能对医疗保健人员有利的潜在积极成果，也可能有助于改善加拿大与土著人民的关系。