Dietary Intakes of Traditional Foods for Dene/Métis in the Dehcho and Sahtú Regions of the Northwest Territories

A dietary transition away from traditional foods and toward a diet of the predominantly unhealthy market is a public health and sociocultural concern throughout Indigenous communities in Canada, including those in the sub-Arctic and remote regions of Dehcho and Sahtú of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The main aim of the present study is to describe dietary intakes for macronutrients and micronutrients in traditional and market food from the Mackenzie Valley study. We also show the trends of contributions and differences of dietary intakes over time from 1994 data collected and reported by the Centre for Indigenous People’s Nutrition and Environment (CINE) in 1996. Based on 24-h dietary recall data, the study uses descriptive statistics to describe the observed dietary intake of the Dene First Nations communities in the Dehcho and Sahtú regions of the NWT. Indigenous people in Canada, like the sub-Arctic regions of Dehcho and Sahtú of the NWT, continue to consume traditional foods, although as a small percentage of their total dietary intake. The observed dietary intake calls for action to ensure that traditional food remains a staple as it is critical for the wellbeing of Dene in the Dehcho and Sahtú regions and across the territory.

Accounting for Cultural Capital—Sustainability Agenda of Charities Serving the First Nations People towards Self-Determination—Evidence from the Northern Territory, Australia

This study examined the role of the First Nations beneficiary charities in contributing to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Northern Territory, Australia, as a way of attaining self-determination by closing the expectations gap between First Nations people and the mainstream Australians. Informed by the theory of self-determination (ethical and functional strands), a latent content analysis of 118 charities serving the First Nations people was conducted, coding the summary of their activities to ascertain their strategic engagement with the SDGs. A network analysis was also carried out to examine the charities’ connections with each other and their collective contribution towards the SDGs. The findings show that charities contribute to creating cultural capital through social capital, followed by intellectual capital dimensions. However, charities contributed little to building environmental capital dimension of the First Nations people. This study examined charities’ engagement with SDGs to build cultural capital in furtherance of self-determination of Australia’s First Nations people.

Comprehensive Nutrition Interventions in First Nation-Operated Schools in Canada

Comprehensive school-based nutrition interventions offer a promising strategy to support healthy eating for First Nations children. A targeted strategic review was performed to identify nutrition interventions in 514 First Nation-operated schools across Canada through their websites. Directed content analysis was used to describe if interventions used 1 or more of the 4 components of the Comprehensive School Health (CSH) framework. Sixty schools had interventions. Nearly all (n = 56, 93%) schools offered breakfast, snack, and (or) lunch programs (social and physical environment). About one-third provided opportunities for students to learn about traditional healthy Indigenous foods and food procurement methods (n = 18, 30%) (teaching and learning) or facilitated connections between the school and students’ families or the community (n = 16, 27%) (partnerships and services). Few schools (n = 10, 17%) had a nutrition policy outlining permitted foods (school policy). Less than 1% (n = 3) of interventions included all 4 CSH components. Results suggest that most First Nation-operated schools provide children with food, but few have nutrition interventions that include multiple CSH components. First Nation-operated schools may require additional financial and (or) logistical support to implement comprehensive school-based nutrition interventions, which have greater potential to support long-term health outcomes for children than single approaches.

Program Report: Nîsohkamâtowak—Helping Patients and Families Living With Kidney Disease in Northern Saskatchewan

Purpose of the Program: Nîsohkamâtowak, the Cree word for Helping Each Other, is an initiative to close gaps in kidney health care for First Nations and Métis patients, their families, and communities in northern Saskatchewan. Nîsohkamâtowak emerged from a collaboration between the Kidney Health Community Program and First Nations and Métis Health Services to find ways to deliver better care and education to First Nations and Métis people living with kidney disease while acknowledging Truth and Reconciliation and the Calls to Action. Sources of Information: This article describes how traditional Indigenous protocols and storytelling were woven into the Nîsohkamâtowak events, gathering of patient and family voices in writing and video format, and how this work led to a collaborative co-designed process that incorporates the Truth and Reconciliation: Calls to Action into kidney care and the benefits we have seen so far. The teachings of the 4 Rs—respect, reciprocity, responsibility, and relevance, were critical to ensuring that Nîsohkamâtowak reports and learning were shared with participants and the communities represented in this initiative. Methods: Group discussions and sharing circles were facilitated in several locations throughout northern and central Saskatchewan. Main topics of discussion were traditional medicines, residential schools impact, community and peer supports for kidney disease patients, and cultural safety education for health care providers. Key Findings: The general themes selected for improvement were education, support within the local community, traditional practices and cultural competency, and delivery of services. To address these gaps in kidney care, the following objectives were co-created with First Nations and Métis patients, families, and communities for Kidney Health to provide culturally appropriate education and resources, to ensure appropriate follow-up support to include strengthening connections to communities and other health authorities, to incorporate traditional practices into program design, and to ensure appropriate service delivery across the spectrum of care with a focus on screening and referral, which is strongly linked to coordination of care with local health centers. Implications: As a result of this work, the Kidney Health Community Program restructured the delivery of services and continues to work with Nîsohkamâtowak advisors on safety initiatives and chronic kidney disease awareness, prevention, and management in their respective communities. The Truth and Reconciliation and Calls to Action are honored to close the gaps in kidney care. Limitations: Nîsohkamâtowak is a local Kidney Health initiative that has the good fortune of having dedicated funding and staff to carry out this work. The findings may be unique to the First Nations and Métis communities and people who shared their stories. Truth and Reconciliation is an ongoing commitment that must be nurtured. Although not part of this publication, the effects of COVID-19 have made it difficult to further advance the Calls to Action, with more limited staff resources and the inability to meet in person as in the past.

Early detection of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants at high risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months corrected age: LEAP-CP prospective cohort study protocol

IntroductionNeurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), including cerebral palsy (CP), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), are characterised by impaired development of the early central nervous system, impacting cognitive and/or physical function. Early detection of NDD enables infants to be fast-tracked to early intervention services, optimising outcomes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants may experience early life factors increasing their risk of neurodevelopmental vulnerability, which persist into later childhood, further compounding the health inequities experienced by First Nations peoples in Australia. The LEAP-CP prospective cohort study will investigate the efficacy of early screening programmes, implemented in Queensland, Australia to earlier identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants who are ‘at risk’ of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes (NDO) or NDD. Diagnostic accuracy and feasibility of early detection tools for identifying infants ‘at risk’ of a later diagnosis of adverse NDO or NDD will be determined.Methods and analysisAboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander infants born in Queensland, Australia (birth years 2020–2022) will be invited to participate. Infants aged <9 months corrected age (CA) will undergo screening using the (1) General Movements Assessment (GMA); (2) Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE); (3) Rapid Neurodevelopmental Assessment (RNDA) and (4) Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Aboriginal adaptation (ASQ-TRAK). Developmental outcomes at 12 months CA will be determined for: (1) neurological (HINE); (2) motor (Peabody Developmental Motor Scales 2); (3) cognitive and communication (Bayley Scales of Infant Development III); (4) functional capabilities (Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test) and (5) behaviour (Infant Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment). Infants will be classified as typically developing or ‘at risk’ of an adverse NDO and/or specific NDD based on symptomology using developmental and diagnostic outcomes for (1) CP (2) ASD and (3) FASD. The effects of perinatal, social and environmental factors, caregiver mental health and clinical neuroimaging on NDOs will be investigated.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been granted by appropriate Queensland ethics committees; Far North Queensland Health Research Ethics Committee (HREC/2019/QCH/50533 (Sep ver 2)-1370), the Townsville HHS Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/QTHS/56008), the University of Queensland Medical Research Ethics Committee (2020000185/HREC/2019/QCH/50533) and the Children’s Health Queensland HHS Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/20/QCHQ/63906) with governance and support from local First Nations communities. Findings from this study will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.Trial registration numberACTRN12619000969167.