scholarly journals Indigenous Resilience in Australia: A Scoping Review Using a Reflective Decolonizing Collective Dialogue

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Usher ◽  
Debra Jackson ◽  
Roz Walker ◽  
Joanne Durkin ◽  
Reakeeta Smallwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Grief And Loss ◽  
Aboriginal Populations ◽  
Transgenerational Grief ◽  
Collective Resilience

Contemporary definitions and understandings of resilience refer to an individual's positive adaptation to the experience of adversity. One of the challenges of this extant body of work is that the central concept of resilience is rarely questioned. Current understandings of these concepts, largely framed in Western understandings, are unquestioningly accepted, reframed for, yet not by, Indigenous peoples, and then are unchallenged when imposed on Indigenous peoples. A scoping review was conducted and reported in line with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The review involved the participation of local Aboriginal Research Cultural Advisory Groups who participated and approved the analysis of the findings and collaborated on the design and writing of the paper. Eight publications drew on Aboriginal constructs of resilience in examining the effectiveness of programs, processes, and practices to promote individual and/or collective resilience and well-being. Most studies emphasized the need for strategies to strengthen individual or community connection to culture to foster resilience. Six studies used culturally validated strength-based tools to measure resilience, while two relied on Western constructs. This review reveals both the distinctive colonial characteristics of adversity experienced by Aboriginal people and the range of coping strategies and protective resources that support the development of resilience within different Aboriginal communities in diverse research sites across Australia. Importantly, many studies confirm adversity is linked to the enduring legacies of colonization, continuous and cumulative transgenerational grief and loss, structural inequities, racism, and discrimination. These external factors of adversity are unique to Aboriginal populations, as are the protective factors that entail strengthening connection to culture (including language reclamation), community, ancestry and land (including management and economic development) which contribute to individual and collective resilience. These findings suggest that Aboriginal community resilience is strengthened through the collective experience of adversity, such as transgenerational grief and loss, and the resulting support structures and shared resources that are developed and maintained through cultural practices to strengthen the bonds and mutual reciprocity to participate in transformative strategies to address adversity. This review highlights that strategies such as building on community strengths, capacities, and resources is critical when strengthening resilience within Indigenous communities across Australia.

scholarly journals Effects of food policy actions on Indigenous Peoples’ nutrition-related outcomes: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. e002442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Browne ◽  
Mark Lock ◽  
Troy Walker ◽  
Mikaela Egan ◽  
Kathryn Backholer
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Nutrition Policy ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionIndigenous Peoples worldwide endure unacceptable health disparities with undernutrition and food insecurity often coexisting with obesity and chronic diseases. Policy-level actions are required to eliminate malnutrition in all its forms. However, there has been no systematic synthesis of the evidence of effectiveness of food and nutrition policies for Indigenous Peoples around the world. This review fills that gap.MethodsEight databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature, published between 2000 and 2019. Relevant websites were searched for grey literature. Articles were included if they were original studies, published in English and included data from Indigenous Peoples from Western colonised countries, evaluated a food or nutrition policy (or intervention), and provided quantitative impact/outcome data. Study screening, data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken independently by two authors, at least one of whom was Indigenous. A narrative synthesis was undertaken with studies grouped according to the NOURISHING food policy framework.ResultsWe identified 78 studies from Canada, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand and the USA. Most studies evaluated targeted interventions, focused on rural or remote Indigenous communities. The most effective interventions combined educational strategies with policies targeting food price, composition and/or availability, particularly in retail and school environments. Interventions to reduce exposure to unhealthy food advertising was the only area of the NOURISHING framework not represented in the literature. Few studies examined the impact of universal food policies on Indigenous Peoples’ diets, health or well-being.ConclusionBoth targeted and universal policy action can be effective for Indigenous Peoples. Actions that modify the structures and systems governing food supply through improved availability, access and affordability of healthy foods should be prioritised. More high-quality evidence on the impact of universal food and nutrition policy actions for Indigenous Peoples is required, particularly in urban areas and in the area of food marketing.

scholarly journals Feasting for Change: Reconnecting with Food, Place & Culture

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jen Bagelman ◽  
Fiona Deveraux ◽  
Raven Hartley
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Promising Practices ◽  
Coast Salish ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
Digital Stories

<p>This paper examines and shares the promising practices that emerged from an innovative project, entitled “Feasting for Change,” in promoting health and well-being. Taking place on Coast Salish territories, British Columbia, Canada, Feasting for Change aimed to empower Indigenous communities to revitalize traditional knowledge about the healing power of foods. This paper contributes to a growing body of literature that illuminates how solidarities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities can be fostered to support meaningful decolonization of mainstream health practices and discourses. In particular, it provides a hopeful model for how community-based projects can take inspiration and continual leadership from Indigenous Peoples. This paper offers experiential and holistic methods that enhance the capacity for intergenerational, land-based, and hands-on learning about the value of traditional food and cultural practices. It also demonstrates how resources (digital stories, plant knowledge cards, celebration cookbooks, and language videos) can be successfully developed with and used by community to ensure the ongoing process of healthful revitalization. </p>

scholarly journals The Wisdom of and Science behind Indigenous Cultural Practices

Genealogy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Borunda ◽  
Amy Murray
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Health Domains ◽  
Mental Well Being

Conquest and colonization have systematically disrupted the processes by which Indigenous communities of the Americas transmit cultural knowledge and practices from one generation to the next. Even today, the extended arm of conquest and colonization that sustain oppression and culturicide continue to inflict trauma upon Indigenous people. Yet, current scientific research now attests to how Indigenous cultural practices promote healing and well-being within physical as well as mental health domains. This examination addresses Indigenous cultural practices related to storytelling, music, and dance. In drawing from evidence-based research, the case is made for not only restoring these practices where they have been disrupted for Indigenous people but that they have value for all people. The authors recommend reintroducing their use as a means to promote physical, spiritual, and mental well-being while recognizing that these practices originated from and exist for Indigenous people.

scholarly journals Otsin: Sharing the spirit--Development of an indigenous rural nursing practice course

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Blackstock
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Nursing Practice ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Cultural Safety ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Teaching Pedagogy ◽  
Rural Nursing ◽  
Undergraduate Nursing ◽  
Northern Community

Otsin is the spirt of Gitxsan Peoples and is reflected by the Gitxsan author sharing the journey in the development of a unique third year undergraduate nursing practice course. The nursing practice course immerses students in a combined rural and an interdisciplinary indigenous nursing practice. The practice course is based on a student centered, context-based teaching pedagogy using a two-eyed seeing approach. The theoretical tenet of place is reconceptualized to reflect Indigenous communities and rural nursing practice. The metaphor of weaving together cedar strips is used to reflect a journey that takes students through the experiences of living and practicing in a rural northern community while embracing on the land experiences, cultural practices, traditions, language and ceremonies. The traditional academy curricula are challenged to broaden the lens beyond the classroom theatre walls to rural, indigenous nursing practice experiences. The weaving of the cedar strips together and allows students to construct their understanding of the impacts of colonization on Indigenous Peoples and an opportunity to be guided by the community to practice cultural safety.

scholarly journals Building Healthy Community Relationships Through Food Security and Food Sovereignty

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Treena Delormier ◽  
Kaylia Marquis
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Personnel Turnover ◽  
Healthy Community

ABSTRACTBackgroundFood insecurity disproportionately affects Indigenous Peoples and is linked to poor health outcomes. Indigenous Peoples’ food systems once sustained their thriving societies; however, colonial policies of displacement and imposed assimilation severed connections to Indigenous food systems and lands, disrupting identity, culture, and well-being.ObjectiveIn this article we share a grass-roots designed program that addresses food security and heeds Haudenosaunee teachings. The Story of Creation, the Great Law, and Ohénton Karihwatéhkwen (the words that come before all else) were the basis of the framework. The program acknowledges and uses community strengths and skills to enhance social connections and links with land and creation.MethodsThe program brought together interested and knowledgeable community members and stakeholders to discuss and better understand food security in the community. This group formed as an advisory group called Ieiénthos Akotióhkwa – ‘Planting Group’ who shaped the food security activities.ResultsThe program delivered workshops to build skills and share knowledge about food production and preparation. It targeted diverse participant interests and needs within an environment meant to nurture social connections. The program planted food-bearing trees and plants and created a seed library to create edible landscapes. We invited a broad scope of community knowledge- and skill-holders to share their talents with the community, to reinforce positive connections with each other, and to carry on cultural practices.ConclusionsChallenges included program sustainability linked to short-term funding and personnel turnover. Strengths involved using a culturally based framework that enhanced program coherence, and facilitated collaboration with local initiatives focused on well-being, practicing culture, and respecting the environment. Haudenosaunee teachings hold values and principles for a society that provides food for all. These teachings are a framework for a culturally rich program to support food security skills and resources, but also Indigenous cultural identity and practices.

scholarly journals Moving and Enhancing System Change

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-7
Author(s):  
Suzanne Stewart ◽  
Angela Mashford-Pringle
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
System Change ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Residential School ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Education And Employment ◽  
A Site

All Indigenous peoples across the globe have experienced multiple historical colonial aggression and assaults. In Canada and the USA for example, education was used as a tool of oppression for Indigenous peoples through residential school. Child welfare, health and health care, and forced land relocation are also sites of intensive and invasive harms. Health services continue to be a site of systemic and personal oppression for Indigenous peoples across Canada and the world (Reading 2013). For many years, Indigenous peoples have faced discrimination and racism when accessing biomedical health care. Implementation of colonization in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere, have been well documented to adversely influence aspects of health in many Indigenous communities worldwide and linked to high rates of mental health, education, and employment challenges (see Loppie & Wein, 2009; Mowbray, 2007; Paradies, Harris, & Anderson, 2008); these traumas are rooted attempts in cultural extermination and deep-set pains in regard to identity and well-being (Stout & Downey, 2006; Thurston & Mashford-Pringle, 2015).

scholarly journals Study protocol for a prospective process evaluation of a culturally secure rehabilitation programme for Aboriginal Australians after brain injury: the Healing Right Way project

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. e046042
Author(s):  
Rachel Skoss ◽  
Jane White ◽  
Mandy J Stanley ◽  
Melanie Robinson ◽  
Sandra Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injury ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Randomised Control Trial ◽  
Cross Sectional

IntroductionAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter respectfully referred to as Aboriginal) people are Australia’s First Peoples, having the longest continuous culture in the world and deep spiritual connections with ancestral land. Improvements in their health and well-being is a major policy goal of Australian governments, as the legacy of colonisation and disruption of cultural practices contribute to major health challenges. Lack of culturally secure services impacts participation of Aboriginal people in health services. Aboriginal people with a brain injury typically experience poor access to rehabilitation and support following hospital discharge. ‘Healing Right Way’ (HRW) is a randomised control trial aiming to improve access to interdisciplinary and culturally secure rehabilitation services for Aboriginal people after brain injury in Western Australia, improve health outcomes and provide the first best practice model. This protocol is for the process evaluation of the HRW trial.Methods and analysisA prospective mixed methods process evaluation will use the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to evaluate implementation and intervention processes involved in HRW. Data collection includes qualitative and quantitative data from all sites during control and intervention phases, relating to three categories: (1) implementation of trial processes; (2) cultural security training; and (3) Aboriginal Brain Injury Coordinator role. Additional data elements collected from HRW will support the process evaluation regarding fidelity and intervention integrity. Iterative cross-sectional and longitudinal data synthesis will support the implementation of HRW, interpretation of findings and inform future development and implementation of culturally secure interventions for Aboriginal people.Ethics and disseminationThis process evaluation was reviewed by The University of Western Australia Human Research Ethics Committee (RA/4/20/4952). Evaluation findings will be disseminated via academic mechanisms, seminars at trial sites, regional Aboriginal health forums, peak bodies for Aboriginal health organisations and the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (https://healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/).Trial registration numberACTRN12618000139279.

First nation policing program and policy-making

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 54-57
Author(s):  
Dalton Breutigam ◽  
Elisabeth Fortier
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Expert Advice ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Police Services ◽  
Privacy Act ◽  
Effective Community

The well-being of Indigenous peoples in Canada has been impacted by the historical interactions between the federal government and Indigenous communities. There is currently an over representation of Indigenous peoples in the justice system and a lack of police services meeting the cultural needs of First Nations communities. The Canadian government has instituted a program to assist in the appropriate delivery of police services to Indigenous communities through the First Nations Policing Program (FNPP). The purpose of this research is to explore how federal policing authorities make decisions about Indigenous policing, specifically the FNPP. Various methods of research were used, such as searching through publicly available federal policy documents and data. These resources were acquired by requesting information through the Access to Information and Privacy Act. The findings of this research demonstrate that the FNPP attempts to undertake consultations for the development of appropriate policies for First Nations communities. However, this consultation can be undermined by groupthink in small communities. Consultations might be improved using the Delphi principle, a method that assists in developing suitable policies for policing. The relevance of this discussion extends beyond the important issue of Indigenous over-representation in the justice system, also addressing the need for effective community policing for the unique circumstances of each community. Balancing community-focused expert advice using the Delphi method, and considering the risk of groupthink, consultation processes may allow individual communities to move towards effective policing using the FNPP.

scholarly journals Cree Elders’ Perspectives on Land-Based Education: A Case Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-91
Author(s):  
John Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Education Research ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Indigenous Cultures ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Indigenous Land

This study deals with the notion that Indigenous peoples are concerned with preserving their communities, nations, cultural values, and educational traditions. Indigenous peoples have a land-based education system that emerges out of their own worldviews and perspectives, which need to be applied to research concerning Indigenous cultures. This work explores Indigenous land-based education through the perspectives of Cree Elders of Northern, Manitoba. Six Cree Elders were interviewed to explore the ideas and practices of land-based education. The article engages discussion of Indigenous land-based education stemming from Elders’ teachings of Indigenous knowledge, cultural values, identity, and vision. Informed by Cree Elders, this qualitative study articulates an Indigenous interpretation of land-based education. Research findings demonstrate that Indigenous land-based education can be used to promote well-being among Indigenous peoples in Canada. While the study is based on the Cree experience in Northern Manitoba, its message is significant to many other Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Drawing on the Elders’ teachings, policy recommendations are generated for advancing Indigenous land-based education

The Ongoing Psychological Colonization of North American Indigenous People: Using Social Psychological Theories to Promote Social Justice

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Fryberg ◽  
Rebecca Covarrubias ◽  
Jacob A. Burack
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous People ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
North American ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
The Past ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
The Media ◽  
Psychological Risks

Colonizing events of the past and present continue to disrupt and change the cultural practices, histories, families, and languages of North American Indigenous peoples. As a result, Indigenous people experience a cultural disconnect between the past and the future, what we refer to as a disruption of traditional cultural cycles, in ways that foster psychological risks. In this chapter, we first discuss how the ongoing colonization of Indigenous people in contemporary society, with specific examples from the media and education, undermines psychological well-being. Second, we offer a theory of culture change as a “promotion” approach to target and mend the cultural disruptions brought on by colonizing practices and thereby to improve well-being. Finally, we offer research-based action items for social psychologists and for society more generally to alleviate the ongoing colonization of Indigenous people.

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