Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing
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Addressing the gap within the gap
Get PDFA new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has provided vital information about the numbers, demographic characteristics, and health and welfare status of the Stolen Generations and their descendants, which will influence future policy and service development. It has also measured the ongoing impact of past policies which led to the forced removal of tens of thousands of children from their families, by documenting high levels of disproportionate disadvantage across most of 38 critical health and welfare factors analysed.By showing that the Stolen Generations and their families experience greater levels of adversity than other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (who are already at a disadvantage in Australia), we can see a direct link between traumatic childhood experiences, inter-generational trauma, and many of the social and health issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities today.The Healing Foundation is using this data to help build an Action Plan for Healing and promote the need for increased and specific healing-centred services across areas of Australia where the Stolen Generations and their descendants live
Healing Complex Trauma 1: A unity of minds, hearts, and Culture
Get PDFThis article presents discussion suggesting that healing from complex trauma, including the intergenerational transmission of trauma, not only requires holistic treatment, but also training and educational resources for healthcare professionals to better facilitate healing. The training program is based on the mentoring process held in many Indigenous traditions throughout British Columbia, where one learns methods and theories through life experience. Tracing the contributing factors of trauma as it relates to colonisation and Indigenous wellbeing, this paper offers discussions for the necessity of reconceptualising the concept of trauma and its relationship with expressions of cyclical violence and compensatory behaviours to avoid reality, including sexual violence and substance use, respectively. This reconceptualisation of trauma, founded on ancestral teachings of a unity of heart, mind, and culture; draws on strengths of Western science while grounding itself in common Indigenous ancestral wisdom, informed an experimental curriculum entitled Healing Complex Trauma 1: Finding the Internal Language that served as both treatment and training module for 16 Indigenous (and two non-Indigenous) health and wellness service providers for Indigenous populations. The curriculum was developed by Dr Vickers in consultation with the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute and Dr Bessel van der Kolk, and was delivered in Tk’emlups territory British Columbia, Canada from May 28th—June 29th, 2018. The program found success through three distinctly hybrid treatment and educational streams, including a) the neurobiology of trauma, Beginner levels I, II, and III from the Somatic Experiencing (SE) Training Institute; b) group therapy for personal processing and experiential learning of SE methodologies; c) integration through art therapy and qi gong movement. The program was grounded on common cultural values and principles of respect and unity. One participant, an Indian Residential School Survivor, fluent in his Indigenous language and on faculty at an Indigenous training Institute remarked: “this program will always work.” It is recommended that locations throughout the world experiencing high rates of trauma-related violence and compensatory behaviours, including sexual violence and substance use, integrate and promote curriculums that underline this aforementioned connection, including its deep colonial roots and intergenerational nature.
Deer hunting: An innovative teaching paradigm to educate Indigenous youth about physical literacy
Get PDFIntroduction: Many Indigenous youth do not have the opportunity to participate in traditional hunting practices. These skills are being lost to colonial conveniences that negatively influence physical activity (PA) participation and health. Objective: Understand the contribution of PA for health and fitness through deer hunting as a means to improve physical literacy (PL) among Indigenous youth. Methods: Case study and proof of concept, demonstrating the feasibility of an Indigenous youth learning about PL through deer hunting. Results: Deer hunting requires both low and high-intensity PA. In a single day, this individual easily surpassed the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (CPAG) for adults of 150 min/week by accumulating 161 minutes of moderate PA. On day-2, he accumulated an additional 114 minutes of vigorous PA. However, almost 60% of all reported PA was performed at a low intensity, indicative of sedentary behaviour. Experiential learning opportunities, like this, provide a unique opportunity to learn about the components of PL. Conclusion: Deer hunting exceeds CPAG PA thresholds required to maintain health, despite large portions of hunting activity being sedentary. This innovative teaching paradigm provides an effective learning opportunity to promote PL
Indigenous data sovereignty in action: The Food Wisdom Repository
Get PDFThe rapidly expanding digital ecosystem has placed Indigenous data sovereignty (IDS) in high relief. The context of what, how, when, why, and by whom data is collected and controlled determines social narratives. Colonised data and data over which Indigenous people have sovereignty can produce vastly different results in decision-making, policy development, outcome assessment, and accountability.The authors, while at the Research for Indigenous Community Health (RICH) Center, recognised that while health information is available, it is currently dispersed, disconnected, and difficult to access. Thus they proposed the development of a Food Wisdom Repository (Repository), with support from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, to provide an abundance of meaningful data, resources, and information sharing opportunities emerging from Indigenous health efforts. Drawing from the existing health needs, extant literature, and guidance from their external advisory committee, the authors proposed the development of an online digital repository of wise food practices that is grounded within Indigenous knowledges (IK) and IDS.The theoretical framework underlying the Repository is explained, including IDS that centres and privileges an Indigenous worldview, IK, and wise practices in order to reverse the wave of biased or omitted data affecting Indigenous communities. Future plans for the online digital Repository include ongoing needs assessments, and hosting strengths-based data and stories that resist, recollect, and reclaim Indigenous ways of health, wellness, as well as innovations to address challenges in the field of Indigenous food, nutrition, health, and wellness
Digital and data sovereignty - Guest editorial
Get PDFJournal of Indigenous Wellbeing: Te Mauri – Pimatisiwin editorial board member Dr Amohia Boulton introduces the Digital and Data Special Issue, Volume 4, Issue 1
Summary findings of an exploratory data gathering exercise on Māori suicide in Te Waipounamu
Get PDFThis paper presents the findings of a recently completed exploratory data gathering exercise on Māori suicide in Te Waipounamu (South Island of New Zealand). The data gathering exercise was conducted through Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu, the Whānau Ora commissioning agency in the South Island. Data from the Coronial Services of New Zealand and relevant information from the District Health Boards were explored for the South Island. In-depth interviews with whānau (families) and a pilot survey on mental wellbeing were also conducted. Results from the exercise indicate that whānau access suicide intervention health services only after a suicide incident or suicide attempt. On the whole, these health services generally use a clinical/health-based approach. Whānau, however, pointed out that a culturally grounded whole-of-whānau approach is required to address issues around mental health and suicide, particularly among young whānau. Strengthening and maintaining cultural relational ties, networks, and whānau connections have been consistently identified by whānau in Te Waipounamu as important not only for Māori mental and emotional wellbeing more generally, but also for preventing suicide.
Reflections on Indigenous sovereignty
Get PDFDr Tahu Kukuai provides a guest commentary on Indigenous digital and data sovereignt
Te Kete Tū Ātea: Towards claiming Rangitīkei iwi data sovereignty
Get PDFThis article overviews the Te Kete Tū Ātea research project, which aimed to identify and address the iwi (tribal) data needs of the Rangitīkei Iwi Collective (Collective) thereby contributing to their establishment of iwi data sovereignty. This four-year study, carried out in two phases, adopted a Kaupapa Māori approach meaning that it was Māori led, Māori controlled, and privileged a Māori world view. The research drew on participatory action research methods under the broader umbrella of a Kaupapa Māori approach. The iwi information framework, also named Te Kete Tū Ātea, was developed during phase one of the research. The need for the framework was highlighted by the challenges Collective members face in planning for future iwi development in the frequent absence of access to coherent sets of iwi population-level data. Though the data needs of each iwi differ, common data needs also exist. Te Kete Tū Ātea iwi information framework has been designed to support the iwi making up the Collective to address their own specific data needs using five framework domains. In phase two of the study an element of the framework, the economic domain, was tested with iwi resulting in better positioning them to access and draw on population-level economic data
Closing the gaps in cancer screening with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis populations: A narrative literature review
Get PDFThe objective of this review is to identify cancer screening rates amongst First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to inform cancer screening practices by identifying facilitators and barriers from interventions specific to Indigenous peoples. The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer along with First Nation, Inuit, Métis stakeholders recognise the need to improve cancer screening rates among the Indigenous peoples of Canada (Beben & Muirhead, 2016). And, together, developed the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Action Plan on Cancer Control which included four strategic areas of focus:Community-based health human resource skills and capacity, and community awarenessCulturally responsive resources and servicesAccess to programs and services in remote and rural communitiesPatient identification systems (Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, 2011).This narrative literature review identifies several areas in information management and cancer screening that need attention to effectively improve cancer screening participation rates and associated health outcomes in First Nation, Inuit, and Métis populations. Cancer screening program development needs to be inclusive of those receiving the screening; barriers and facilitators to screening are cancer-specific and provide valuable information for improving cancer screening. Information is available to markedly improve cancer screening uptake within First Nation, Inuit, and Métis people.
Closing the health service gap: Métis women and solutions for culturally-safe health services
Get PDFMétis peoples, while comprising over a third of the total Indigenous population in Canada, experience major gaps in health services that are culturally-safe. This is problematic given Métis peoples experience severe disparities in health determinants and outcomes compared to the non-Indigenous Canadian population. At the same time, Métis are unlikely to engage in health services that do not value their cultural identities, often utilising mainstream options.Traditionally, Métis women were central to the health and well-being of their communities. However, due to decades of colonial legislation and land displacement, female narratives have been silenced, and Métis identities have been fractured. This has resulted in having direct implications on Métis peoples current health and access to health services. Solutions to filling the Métis health service gap may lie in the all too often unacknowledged or missing voices of Métis women. Given these contexts, this commentary aims to generate critical discussion on the culturally-safe health care gap for Métis peoples in Canada. It does this by calling on policymakers, health care workers, and researchers alike to engage with Métis women regarding the health of Métis communities, and finding solutions towards identifying and implementing pathways to culturally-safe healthcare