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Ward LM, Hill MJ, Antane N, Chreim S, Olsen Harper A, Wells S. "The Land Nurtures Our Spirit": Understanding the Role of the Land in Labrador Innu Wellbeing. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:5102. [PMID: 34065830 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We examined Indigenous views of wellbeing, aiming to understand how the Labrador Innu view influence of land on their health. The Innu live in two First Nation communities (Sheshatshiu and Natuashish) in the subarctic portion of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Their views on land and wellbeing are context specific and have not been studied; our research addresses this significant gap in literature. Findings highlight that the experience of being on the land with family and community, learning cultural knowledge, and gaining a sense of identity play a major role in enhancing wellbeing. Externally imposed policies and programs conceiving Indigenous land as a physical place only fail to understand that land sustains wellbeing by emplacing knowledge systems and cultural identity.
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Ward LM, Hill MJ, Chreim S, Poker C, Olsen Harper A, Wells S. Developing an Innu framework for health research: The canoe trip as a metaphor for a collaborative approach centered on valuing Indigenous knowledges. Soc Sci Med 2020; 266:113409. [PMID: 33069960 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Indigenous communities increasingly assert their right to self-determination by requiring that participatory research approaches be used, valuing and prioritizing Indigenous knowledges, for the purpose of improving Indigenous health. While frameworks that focus on Indigenous knowledges are being developed, these must be adapted or developed by Indigenous communities because their knowledge is specific to place and inherent to their lived experience. No community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework for health research has been developed with the Labrador Innu. In addition, while the literature emphasizes the importance of relationship in research with Indigenous communities, the process of establishing relationships is underspecified. Within this context, we describe our experience in developing a CBPR framework for health research in a study that is community-initiated and fitting within Innu self-determination. We highlight the importance of paying attention to the theoretical roots of CBPR, arguing that this helps researchers focus on the centrality of Indigenous knowledges (in this case, Innu knowledge). This requires that non-Indigenous researchers question assumptions of universality regarding their own knowledge and see all knowledges as equitable. Such posture of humility allows non-Indigenous researchers to enter relational spaces that join researchers and Indigenous communities. Within these spaces, a true collaborative approach is enabled and Indigenous knowledges are uncovered and become foundational in the inquiry process. We illustrate these ideas by describing a model for opening relational spaces that include Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers. We then present a framework that uses the metaphor of canoeing together to capture our CBPR approach for use in Innu health research. We outline the behaviors of non-Indigenous researchers to build and solidify relationships with Indigenous community researchers over time. This article is useful for non-Indigenous researchers interested in relational approaches to research with Indigenous communities, and for Indigenous leaders and researchers who seek community solutions through research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonor M Ward
- Population Health PhD Program, Faculty of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
| | - Mary Janet Hill
- Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation, Innu Nation of Labrador, Sheshatshiu, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
| | - Samia Chreim
- Population Health PhD Program, Faculty of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
| | - Christine Poker
- Mushuau Innu First Nation, Innu Nation of Labrador, Natuashish, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
| | - Anita Olsen Harper
- National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence, Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Samantha Wells
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Ontario, London; School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
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