American Indian Culture and Research Journal

This article examines community-based approaches to the prevention and management of diabetes in the indigenous urban community of Toronto. A critical perspective of the concept of cultural capital in health promotion is provided to move beyond a functional representation of culture in addressing health inequalities and the production of health. Community-based programs are contextualized within the historical, cultural, and social relations of indigenous community-building, approaches to service delivery, and regional and national bureaucratization of indigenous resources.