Indigenizing Forum Theatre through a strength-based approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 117718012110584
Author(s):  
Laurie-Ann Lines ◽  
Casadaya Marty ◽  
Shaun Anderson ◽  
Philip Stanley ◽  
Kelly Stanley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Partners ◽  
Forum Theatre ◽  
Indigenous Group ◽  
Strength Based ◽  
Mental Wellness ◽  
Nations Community

Strength-based approaches with Indigenous populations are recognized as empowering and promoting change, but there are minimal published explicit examples in Indigenous health in Canada. Working with three First Nations community partners in Alberta and the Northwest Territories, we explored an Indigenous strength-based application of Forum Theatre as a tool for mental wellness. Forum Theatre is differentiated by the interactive participation of the audience, who can change the play outcome. Collectively, community members were trained as community facilitators and used an Indigenous strength-based approach to indigenize Forum Theatre activities. We share strengths highlighted in our approach including inclusivity, relationality, language revitalization, intergenerational connectivity, team facilitation, partnerships, protocols, safety, empowerment, resilience, community connection, community-specific strengths, and relational responsibilities. An Indigenous strength-based approach must include the Indigenous group leading the project and has multiple benefits to the participants, facilitators, and community at-large, particularly when intertwined with relational, communal, and cultural assets unique to the Indigenous group employing the approach.

scholarly journals Promoting Resilience Within Public Health Approaches for Indigenous Communities

2021 ◽  
pp. 78-99
Author(s):  
Christopher Mushquash ◽  
Elaine Toombs ◽  
Kristy Kowatch ◽  
Jessie Lund ◽  
Lauren Dalicandro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Process And Outcome ◽  
Mental Wellness

Resilience within public health is conceptualized to be fostered through individual, community, and systemic initiatives that promote capacity through interconnected primary, secondary, and tertiary health interventions. Within community public health settings, particularly for Canadian Indigenous communities, an emphasis on interconnected, multisystemic interventions that promote resilience can be particularly useful. Fostering resilience within Indigenous health seeks to prioritize unique needs of individuals and communities, through both process- and outcome-based measurement. Given that Indigenous individuals’ needs may differ from non-Indigenous populations in Canada, careful consideration of how to best conceptualize, measure, and promote resilience is required. Tools such as the Native Wellness Assessment and the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework can be helpful to both measure and conceptualize resilience, as they can provide insight on what is considered to be best practices to increasing wellness within Indigenous communities. Such tools continue to prioritize the multisystemic promotion of resilience.

Conceptualizations of help-seeking for mental health concerns in First Nations communities in Canada: A comparison of fit with the Andersen Behavioral Model

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 346-362
Author(s):  
Corinne A Isaak ◽  
Natalie Mota ◽  
Maria Medved ◽  
Laurence Y Katz ◽  
Brenda Elias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Behavioral Model ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Health Services Use ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Andersen Behavioral Model ◽  
Nations Community

This qualitative study explored the fit between on-reserve First Nations community members’ conceptualizations of help-seeking for mental health concerns and the Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Youth, adults and elders (N = 115) living and or working in eight distinct First Nations communities within a tribal council area in Canada participated in focus groups or individual interviews that were transcribed, coded and then analyzed using a thematic analysis approach informed by grounded theory methodology. Resulting themes were then mapped onto the Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Participants’ conceptualizations of predisposing characteristics including social structures, health beliefs and mental illness, enabling and impeding resources had a high degree of fit with the model. While perspectives on perceived need for mental health care, and spirituality as a health and lifestyle practice had only moderate fit with the model, these domains could be modified to fit First Nations’ interpretations of help-seeking. Participants’ perceptions of avoidant strategies and non-use of mental health services, however did not map onto the model. These findings suggest conceptualizations of help-seeking for mental health issues in these First Nations communities are only partially characterized by the Andersen Behavioral Model, suggesting there are a number of considerations to Indigenize the model. Findings also highlight potential explanations for why some members of this population may not access or receive appropriate mental health treatment. Multi-pronged efforts are warranted to link culturally normed pathways of help-seeking with effective mental health supports for First Nations community members in Canada.

scholarly journals Decolonizing Diet: Healing by Reclaiming Traditional Indigenous Foodways

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 0 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Bodirsky ◽  
Jon Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Cultural Integrity ◽  
Food Knowledge ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Nations Community

Abstract Traditional Indigenous foodways remain important for the ongoing health and well being of contemporary Indigenous North American peoples. Drawing partly on primary research on food-related knowledge and experience within the First Nations community of Toronto, the authors trace how colonial policies of assimilation attempted to destroy Indigenous knowledge and in so doing spawned numerous trans-generational health consequences for Indigenous populations, which are still felt today. While colonial attempts at assimilation seriously undermined the integrity of traditional Indigenous foodways, today this cultural knowledge is undergoing a resurgence. Contemporary Indigenous peoples have expanded upon oral traditions with written stories of food gathering and recipes as a means to revitalize food knowledge, cultural integrity and community -- all inextricably linked to health. As such, the authors argue that fostering the resurgence of traditional Indigenous knowledge about food is a necessary in healing the trauma emerging from colonialism. Indigenous cookbooks provide opportunities to share information about traditional culture and food knowledge along with the recipes more conventionally associated with cookbooks.

scholarly journals Catalyzing Action on First Nations Respiratory Health Using Community-based Participatory Research: Integrated Knowledge Translation through Strategic Symposia

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-70
Author(s):  
Tarun Reddy Katapally ◽  
Sylvia Abonyi ◽  
Jo-Ann Episkenew ◽  
Vivian Ramsden ◽  
Chandima Karunanayake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Translation ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Participatory Research ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Integrated Knowledge Translation ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Nations Community ◽  
Integrated Knowledge

 Assess, Redress, Re-assess: Addressing Disparities in Respiratory Health Among First Nations is an ongoing community-based participatory research initiative involving two First Nations communities in Saskatchewan. The initiative’s rationale is grounded in the ethos of transformative community-based participatory research and facilitated through integrated knowledge translation with the aim of building community capacity. The initiative’s goal was to engage community members to actively participate in all research phases, from the development of the research questions to dissemination of results and evaluation of community-chosen interventions that evolved from the results. After baseline assessment of predictors and indicators of respiratory health, a program of integrated knowledge translation was adopted. As part of this program, a community-researcher collaboration was put in place that produced two knowledge translation symposia. The two symposia have brought together First Nations community members, interdisciplinary researchers, federal and provincial policy makers, and multiple Aboriginal organizational stakeholders. The symposia provided a pathway for knowledge synthesis and sharing to ultimately integrate knowledge into practice and enable First Nations’ community capacity building in addressing and redressing critical respiratory health issues. This article delineates the processes involved in developing this model of integrated knowledge translation and highlights the continuing engagement with the participating communities supported by Knowledge Translation (KT) Symposia.

scholarly journals The development of a community-based public health response to an outbreak of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis in a First Nations community

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 339-346
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Jacob ◽  
Natalie Bocking ◽  
Ruben Hummelen ◽  
Jenna Poirier ◽  
Len Kelly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Mandatory Reporting ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Household Contacts ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Post Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis ◽  
Nations Community

Background: Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN) is a rare immune-mediated condition that typically occurs in children as a result of group A streptococcus (GAS) infection. PSGN is not considered a disease of public health significance, or reportable, in Canada. Higher incidence of PSGN has been described among Indigenous people in Canada. No national or provincial guidance exists to define or manage PSGN outbreaks. Objective: To describe an outbreak of seven paediatric cases of PSGN in a remote First Nations community in northwestern Ontario and the development of a community-wide public health response. Methods: Following a literature review, an intervention was developed involving screening of all children in the community for facial or peripheral edema or skin sores, and treatment with antibiotics if noted. Case, contact and outbreak definitions were also developed. The purpose of the response was to break the chain of transmission of a possible nephritogenic strain of streptococcus circulating in the community. Relevant demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected on all cases. Outcome: Seven paediatric cases of PSGN presented to the community nursing station between September 25 and November 29, 2017. Community-wide screening for skin sores was completed for 95% of the community’s children, including 17 household contacts, and as a result, the last of the cases was identified. Nineteen adult household contacts were also screened. Ten paediatric contacts and two adult contacts with skin sores were treated with one dose of intramuscular penicillin, and six paediatric contacts received oral cephalexin. No further cases were identified following the screening. Conclusion: PSGN continues to occur in Indigenous populations worldwide at rates higher than in the overall population. In the absence of mandatory reporting in Canada, the burden of PSGN remains underappreciated and could undermine upstream and downstream public health interventions. Evidence-based public health guidance is required to manage outbreaks in the Canadian context. The community-based response protocol developed to contain the PSGN outbreak in this First Nations community can serve as a model for the management of future PSGN outbreaks.

scholarly journals Findings From a Process Evaluation of an Indigenous Holistic Housing Support and Mental Health Case Management Program in Downtown Toronto

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Firestone ◽  
Jessica Syrette ◽  
Teyohá:te Brant ◽  
Marie Laing ◽  
Steve Teekens
Keyword(s):  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Case Management Program ◽  
Human Resource Capacity ◽  
The Social

While urban Indigenous populations in Canada are increasing and represent many diverse and culturally vibrant communities, disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people’s experiences of the social determinants of health are significant. The Mino Kaanjigoowin (MK) program at Na-Me-Res (Native Men’s Residence) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, supports Indigenous men who are experiencing homelessness or are precariously housed and who have complex health and social needs. Using a community-partnered approach that aligns with wise practices for conducting Indigenous health research, a mixed-methods process evaluation of the MK program was conducted in 2017‒2018 by the Well Living House in partnership with Na-Me-Res. Thematic analysis of qualitative data gathered through two focus groups with community members who access the MK program (n = 9) and key informant interviews with staff (n = 11) was carried out using a decolonizing lens. Results indicate that the MK program provides a unique healing model that is grounded in trust, honour, and respect. Strengths of the program include a harm reduction framework, meeting basic needs, and person-centred care. The program could be enhanced through increased human resource capacity and improved infrastructure, including a separate space for MK staff and activities. The evaluation findings demonstrate how the MK program provides specialized and culturally safe services as a best- practice model to meet the complex health and social needs of urban Indigenous people.

scholarly journals “Spirit, Safety, and a Stand-off ”: The Research-Creation Process and Its Roles in Relationality and Reconciliation among Researcher and Indigenous Co-Learners in Saskatchewan, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-60
Author(s):  
Myron Neapetung ◽  
Lori Bradford ◽  
Lalita Bharadwaj
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Research Information ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Translation Process ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Ownership ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Nations Community

Provision of safe water on reserves is an ongoing problem in Canada that can be addressed by mobilizing water knowledge across diverse platforms to a variety of audiences. A participatory artistic animation video on the lived experiences of Elderswith water in Yellow Quill First Nation, Treaty Four territory, was created to mobilize knowledge beyond conventional peer-review channels. Research findings from interviews with 22 Elders were translated through a collaborative process into a video with a storytelling format that harmonized narratives, visual arts, music, and meaningful symbols. Three themes emerged which centered on the spirituality of water, the survival need for water, and standoffs in water management. The translation process, engagement and video output were evaluated using an autoethnographic approach with two members of the research team. We demonstrate how the collaborative research process and co-created video enhance community-based participatory knowledge translation and sharing. We also express how the video augments First Nations community ownership, control, access and possession (OCAP) of research information that aligns with their storytelling traditions and does so in a youth-friendly, e-compatible form. Through the evaluative process we share lessons learned about the value and effectiveness of the video as a tool for fostering partnerships, and reconciliation. The benefits and positive impacts of the video for the Yellow Quill community and for community members are discussed.

scholarly journals Lessons Learned From Canada in Working Together to Support Indigenous Health and Wellness

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 132s-132s
Author(s):  
C. Politis ◽  
D. Keen
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Prevention ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Culturally Relevant ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Truth And Reconciliation ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Mental Wellness

Background and context: First Nations, Inuit and Métis bear a disproportionate burden of cancer in Canada. In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, and to have the greatest impact, it is important for nonindigenous and indigenous partners to work together, and reflect on lessons learned in collaborating, to support First Nations, Inuit and Métis health and wellness. Aim: In response to the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer committed to understanding how collaborative projects funded through the Coalitions Linking Action and Science for Prevention (CLASP) initiative were successful in bringing together diverse groups - both indigenous and nonindigenous - to create and apply culturally-relevant cancer prevention approaches. Strategy/Tactics: Seven projects funded through the CLASP initiative, from 2009 to 2016, brought together over 275 First Nations, Inuit, or Métis communities, schools, and organizations with government, nongovernment, and academic partners in collaborative coalitions. The projects addressed cancer prevention issues prioritized by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (e.g., unhealthy eating and physical inactivity) through approaches that were holistic and culturally-relevant, such as utilizing intergenerational knowledge sharing, incorporating mental wellness, and supporting existing capacity within communities. Program/Policy process: Over 30 knowledge products developed by the projects were reviewed to identify preliminary lessons learned about partner collaboration. Preliminary lessons learned were verified and expanded upon through nine key informant interviews with CLASP partners. Key informant interviews were informed by four advisors representing indigenous and nonindigenous leaders and partners. The refined set of lessons learned were finalized through qualitative analysis and validated through a conference session and one-day workshop with CLASP partners and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis community leaders. Outcomes: Twenty-seven lessons learned that describe how nonindigenous and First Nations, Inuit and Métis CLASP partners worked together to develop and put into practice culturally-appropriate cancer prevention approaches were identified. The lessons learned were grouped into six themes: 1. respectful relationships; 2. engagement with indigenous communities; 3. addressing accountability requirements, decision-making, and governance; 4. community direction; 5. supports and resources; 6. communication and knowledge exchange. What was learned: The actionable lessons learned are intended to guide future relationship building and engagement between nonindigenous partners and First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners. It is intended that these lessons will be beneficial to collaborative cancer prevention efforts around the world and inform broader system change leading to a reduction in indigenous cancer burden disparities.

scholarly journals Implementing participatory research within a northern Ontario First Nations community

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Zupo
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Evaluation Research ◽  
Participatory Evaluation ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Nations People ◽  
First Nations People ◽  
Nations Community

Participatory evaluation research (PER) is a research method that promotes decolonization among remote First Nations communities. Traditional methods of research have marginalized First Nations people while advancing western knowledge. As colonization worked to expunge First Nations cultural values from western mainstream knowledge, PER constructs new meaning derived from First Nations world perspectives. The present study explores the initial stages of implementing PER in a remote northern Ontario First Nations community. Community members are invited to form a research team to evaluate the outcomes of services available within the community. All levels of Canadian government are encouraged to embrace PER as a tactic for reducing racism so deeply rooted in policy.

scholarly journals Perspectives on Linkage Involving Indigenous data

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Walker ◽  
Bonnie Healy ◽  
Chyloe Healy ◽  
Tina Apsassin ◽  
William Wadsworth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Linked Data ◽  
Data Linkage ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Health Centre ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Data Governance

Topic: Perspectives on Linkage Involving Indigenous dataIndigenous populations across the globe are reaffirming their sovereignty rights in the collection and use of Indigenous data. The Indigenous data sovereignty movement has been widely influential and can be unsettling for those who routinely use population-level linked data that include Indigenous identifiers. Ethical policies that stipulate community engagement for access, interpretation and dissemination of Indigenous data create an enabling environment through the critical process of negotiating and navigating data access in partnership with communities. This session will be designed to create space for leading Indigenous voices to set the tone for the discussion around Indigenous population data linkage. Objectives: To provide participants with an opportunity to build on the themes of Indigenous Data Sovereignty presented in the keynote session as they apply to diverse Indigenous populations. To explore approaches to the linkage of Indigenous-identified population data across four countries, including First Nations in three Canadian regions. To share practical applications of Indigenous data sovereignty on data linkage and analysis and discussion. To center Indigenous-driven data linkage and research. Facilitator:Jennifer Walker. Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Health, Laurentian University and Indigenous Lead, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. Collaborators: Alberta: Bonnie Healy, Tina Apsassin, Chyloe Healy and William Wadsworth (Alberta First Nations Information Governance Centre) Ontario: Carmen R. Jones (Chiefs of Ontario) and Jennifer Walker (Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences) British Columbia: Jeff Reading (Providence Health Centre) and Laurel Lemchuk-Favel (First Nations Health Authority) Australia: Raymond Lovett (Australian National University) Aotearoa / New Zealand: Donna Cormack (University of Otago) United States: Stephanie Rainie and Desi Rodriguez-Lonebear (University of Arizona) Session format: 90 minutesCollaborators will participate in a round-table introduction to the work they are doing. Collaborators will discuss the principles underlying their approaches to Indigenous data linkage as well as practical and concrete solutions to challenges. Questions to guide the discussion will be pre-determined by consensus among the collaborators and the themes will include: data governance, community engagement, Indigenous-led linkage and analysis of data, and decision-making regarding access to linked data. Other participants attending the session will be encouraged to listen and will have an opportunity to engage in the discussion and ask questions. Intended output or outcome:The key outcome of the session will be twofold. First, those actively working with Indigenous linked data will have an opportunity for an in-depth and meaningful dialogue about their work, which will promote international collaboration and sharing of ideas. Second, those with less experience and knowledge of the principles of Indigenous data sovereignty and their practical application will have an opportunity to listen to Indigenous people who are advancing the integration of Indigenous ways of knowing into data linkage and analysis. The output of the session will be a summary paper highlighting both the diversity and commonalities of approaches to Indigenous data linkage internationally. Areas where consensus exists, opportunities for collaboration, and challenges will be highlighted.

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