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

Objectives: 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.

Methods: 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.

Results: 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.

Conclusion: 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.