Author
Dr. Nicholas Chielotam Akas
Department of Addiction and Community Health
Sundance College, Calgary, Canada.
akasdancescholar@gmail.com
Abstract
This study explores death rituals and cultural practices
surrounding the preparation of the deceased in long-term
care facilities in Canada’s Northwest Territories.
Drawing on ethnographic observation and interviews
with caregivers and family members, the study examines
how Indigenous cosmological beliefs shape post-mortem
rituals. The findings reveal that death in long-term care
is not merely a medical event but a culturally mediated
transition involving ritual acts such as body cleansing,
candle lighting, and spiritual guidance for the deceased.
These practices reflect Indigenous understandings of the
relationship among the living, the dead, and the ancestral
world. The study contributes to scholarship in death
studies, medical anthropology, and Indigenous cultural
practices by documenting how traditional beliefs coexist
with institutional healthcare settings. The study uses a
qualitative ethnographic approach to examine death
rituals in long-term care settings in Norman Wells,
Northwest Territories. Data were collected through
participant observation and informal interviews with
caregivers, family members, and community participants involved in end-of-life processes. Field observations
were conducted during the researcher’s time in long-term
care facilities. Interview data were supplemented by
observational notes documenting post-death ritual
practices, including body preparation, candle lighting,
and pastoral visitation. Data were analyzed using
thematic content analysis to identify recurring cultural
patterns related to death rituals and Indigenous
cosmological beliefs. The researcher’s professional
experience as a personal support worker in long-term
care facilities in Norman Wells provided unique
observational insight into caregiving practices and ritual
responses to death within institutional settings.
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