Search Results (173)

The Red River Jig is a traditional Métis dance practiced among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. While exercise improves physical health and fitness, the impacts of cultural dances on wholistic health are less clear. This study aimed to investigate the psychosocial (cultural and mental), social, physical function, and physical fitness benefits of a Red River Jig intervention. In partnership with Li Toneur Nimiyitoohk Métis Dance Group, Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults (N = 40, 39 ± 15 years, 32 females) completed an 8-week Red River Jig intervention. Social support, cultural identity, memory, and mental wellbeing questionnaires, seated blood pressure and heart rate, weight, pulse-wave velocity, heart rate variability, baroreceptor sensitivity, jump height, sit-and-reach flexibility, one-leg and tandem balance, and six-minute walk test were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Community, family, and friend support scores, six-minute walk distance (553.0 ± 88.7 m vs. 602.2 ± 138.6 m, p = 0.002), jump, leg power, and systolic blood pressure low-to-high-frequency ratio increased after the intervention. Ethnic identity remained the same while affirmation and belonging declined, leading to declines in overall cultural identity, as learning about Métis culture through the Red River Jig may highlight gaps in cultural knowledge. Seated systolic blood pressure (116.5 ± 7.3 mmHg vs. 112.5 ± 10.7 mmHg, p = 0.01) and lower peripheral pulse-wave velocity (10.0 ± 2.0 m·s⁻¹ vs. 9.4 ± 1.9 m·s⁻¹, p = 0.04) decreased after the intervention. Red River Jig dance training can improve social support, physical function, and physical fitness for Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults. Full article

The Sonora Estuarine Biocultural Corridor (CBES) is made up of six coastal wetlands with mangrove forest, internationally certified as Ramsar Sites. Four are part of indigenous territories whose inhabitants have serious development lags and low water security. Five are within one or more of six irrigation districts of national relevance. The objective is to learn about the socio-environmental problems of the CBES, focused on the issue of water, as well as community proposals for solutions. Intercultural, mixed methodology approach. Prospecting visits were carried out in the six estuaries of the CBES, and 84 semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts from all social sectors who know the problems of the CBES in three (out of six) estuaries associated with indigenous territories. The main problem is centered on the issue of water: they receive contaminated water from agroindustry, aquaculture, and the municipal service; the fresh water of the rivers is almost nil, rainfall has decreased while the heat increases, and marine and terrestrial biodiversity decreases. This affects the food and economic security of the local population and generates conflicts between the different productive activities. A multisectoral organization that integrates the six estuaries would improve community wellbeing and, in turn, climate resilience. Full article

Indigenous Peoples have stewarded Indigenous traditional ecological knowledges (TEK) for millennia. Health-related TEK represents vital knowledge that promotes Indigenous health and wellbeing. Yet, the intergenerational protection of TEK continues to be threatened by various factors, including climate change, which underscores the importance of strengthening and supporting Indigenous-managed TEK repositories. Using a scoping review methodology, we aimed to identify documents for setting up health-related TEK repositories within Indigenous communities. A systematic search was completed in multiple databases—Medline, PubMed, CABI abstracts, Canadian Public Policy Collection, and JSTOR—with manual searches carried out on relevant Indigenous repositories and Google. Content analysis was then carried out with the nine documents meeting our inclusion criteria. We characterized six overarching categories and twelve sub-categories from the included documents. These categories covered impacts on Indigenous TEK repositories resulting from colonial processes, with TEK being seen as diverse, living knowledge protected by longstanding cultural protocols. Concerns surrounding TEK repository management included the need for platforming Indigenous data sovereignty and Indigenous Peoples’ access and ownership. Wise practices of Indigenous-led repository development demonstrated clear examples of data governance processes in action. Indigenous communities were seen to be vital in contributing to key policies and protocols that protect health-related TEK. Full article

Our study investigates the drivers that foster the emergence of entrepreneurial responses to climate change among Indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples possess distinct worldviews and approaches to enterprise that prioritize community well-being and environmental stewardship over individual profit. Conventional entrepreneurship theories do not adequately capture Indigenous business approaches, leaving a limited understanding of how Indigenous communities merge traditional ecological knowledge with entrepreneurial activities to adapt to climate challenges. Through a systematic literature review (65 articles) and a case study of six Sri Lankan Vedda communities, we identified 15 key drivers that shape Indigenous climate-adaptive ventures and categorized them under five themes: (1) place-based relationships (resource stewardship, territorial connections, environmental risk factors); (2) intergenerational learning (traditional knowledge transfer, adaptation learning, collective experience); (3) community institutions (social networks, institutional support, overcoming the agency–structure paradox); (4) collective capacity (access to information, access to capital, community-oriented entrepreneurial traits); and (5) culturally aligned venture strategies (Indigenous business models, traditional products, local market relationships). Our study demonstrates how Vedda communities integrate entrepreneurship with cultural values to enhance climate resilience. Our research advances the field of Indigenous entrepreneurship while providing insights for policymakers and practitioners to support culturally appropriate climate adaptation strategies that enhance both community well-being and environmental sustainability. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alaska communities faced an extremely challenging situation given their socioeconomic, cultural, and demographic characteristics, as well as issues related to remoteness and colonial legacy. This paper seeks to advance the understanding of the gendered impacts and implications of crises like the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous women in Alaskan urban and rural communities through a resilience lens. The paper addresses two primary research questions: (1) What are the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous women in urban and rural Alaska, and specifically what are the gendered implications in the personal, sociocultural, and economic domains? (2) What are the strengths associated with women’s responses to COVID-19 that contribute to individual and community resilience during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and what are the constraints? This research is based on seventeen in-depth thematic interviews conducted in the city of Anchorage, the hub community of Nome, and its neighboring rural communities on the Seward Peninsula. Using the deficit-based approach combined with a strength-based perspective, this study provides a comprehensive examination of Indigenous women experiences during the pandemic across key domains of gendered impacts and responses, also providing a first-ever analysis of differences between rural and urban settings. The results revealed that despite significant challenges in personal, sociocultural, and economic domains, women demonstrated resilience and resourcefulness, while serving as caregivers at home and across their communities. The Indigenous holistic concepts of health and well-being, along with values of care, mutual support, and strong social and kinship ties, combined with traditional land- and water-based activities and cultural practices, play a crucial role in times of crisis, significantly contributing to building resilience and fostering empowerment at both the individual and community levels. Full article

This article investigates the colonial disruption of Māori parenting practices and its enduring effects on Indigenous identity and belonging. It explores how colonisation imposed Western parenting models, disrupting communal caregiving, and severing connections to whakapapa (ancestry) and whenua (land). Grounded in Kaupapa Māori methodologies, this research highlights pre-colonial parenting, attachment, and child development practices, demonstrating their alignment with contemporary child development theories and their potential to address intergenerational trauma. Drawing on oral literature, archival records, and studies, this paper proposes a framework for restoring ancestral parenting principles. It emphasises the importance of these practices in rebuilding cultural confidence, enhancing child wellbeing, and strengthening whānau relationships. By integrating ancestral principles into trauma-informed care, attachment-based parenting models, and culturally affirming teaching, the article envisions pathways for healing and resilience in Māori communities, contributing to broader Indigenous resurgence. Full article

Background: The quality of healthcare experiences for Indigenous communities is worse when compared to non-Indigenous patients. Bias and discrimination within healthcare systems relate to worsened care and worsened health outcomes for Indigenous patients. The purpose of this study was to learn about the experiences of Indigenous people within healthcare settings, as well as their viewpoints for improving healthcare delivery to this population. Methods: Indigenous research methods were employed in this study as clinic administrators and staff, elders, and Indigenous researchers collaborated on the study purpose, design, and analysis. Twenty Indigenous patients participated in one of four focus groups regarding their experiences with healthcare systems. Results: Seven main themes emerged, highlighting participants’ experiences during health encounters, in relation to healthcare systems, and Indigenous health beliefs. Participants discussed challenges and barriers in each area and offered recommendations for care delivery to this population. Conclusions: Participants in this study highlighted that biased care results in poor quality of healthcare delivery and that there are actionable steps that providers and systems of healthcare can take to reduce bias within healthcare systems. The provision of culturally congruent care is imperative in improving the health and well-being of Indigenous communities. Full article

Our children are our future. As noted in the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), “There is no resource that is more vital to the continued existence and integrity of Indian tribes than their children”. Native Americans have always fought for and prioritized child wellbeing and will continue to strive for self-determination. Primarily focusing on Indigenous people in the area now known as the United States, this article first discusses the historical underpinnings of Native American experiences in child welfare systems and the ways Native Americans have historically exercised self-determination in child protection matters, including resistance to boarding schools and child removal, and strategies to retain authority with ICWA. Next, it offers examples of exerting self-determination to repair past harms of child welfare systems and relational severance, and prevent future harms, through efforts involving truth and reconciliation, homecoming ceremonies, child-environment reconnection and protection, legal systems, and social work education initiatives. Centering content in ways that are relevant for Indigenous Peoples, it then explores how child welfare systems can be transformed to ensure Native Peoples’ rights to raise our children within our families, cultures, and communities, with emphases on cultural strengths and relational understandings. Full article

(1) Background: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities faced disproportionate COVID-19 infection rates and a higher prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs). Telehealth emerged as a key strategy to address these health disparities. (2) Objective: In response to a call to action from an urban Indian organization (UIO), our multidisciplinary team conducted a community-based participatory study to (1) examine the integration of Native practices in SUD treatment during COVID-19, and (2) develop provider training modules based on these findings. (3) Methods: Using a mixed methods approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with six community SUD providers, surveyed 91 clients, and analyzed 278 de-identified health records from the UIO Native-serving facility in the Southwest U.S. from May 2020 to May 2021. (4) Results: As of October 2024, analysis of Aim 1 is ongoing. With UIO engagement, findings from Aim 1 are being translated into training modules for Aim 2. (5) Conclusion: This community-driven study lays the foundation for future research on Indigenous mental well-being, centering strength, resilience, and cultural knowledge in substance use treatment. Findings will be disseminated through presentations and publications with Native and non-Native communities, treatment centers, educators, and leaders. Future studies will assess the effectiveness of the training modules among clinicians. Full article

At a time marked by deepening socio-political divides and systemic inequities, this paper revisits findings from a previously conducted interpretive phenomenological research study and offers new critical reflections on the transformative potential of liberating worldviews, with Indigenous worldviews as a central example, in K-12 gifted education. Conversations with 14 Indigenous K-12 educators, researchers, and advocates revealed how liberating worldviews—rooted in relational, holistic, and community-centered perspectives—challenge dominant Western paradigms of giftedness that often perpetuate exclusion. Expanding on these findings, this paper proposes eight tenets to guide educators and researchers in embracing liberating worldviews that foster equity, creativity, and cultural responsiveness. Within the current political climate, where inclusion is increasingly under threat, these reflections underscore the urgency of reimagining educational systems to align with liberating worldviews that promote justice, sustainability, and collective well-being. The proposed tenets aim to empower practitioners and researchers alike to disrupt oppressive practices, affirm liberating ways of knowing and being, and engage in K-12 education spaces—particularly as White, non-Indigenous educators and researchers—in ways that respectfully and genuinely reimagine and advance education systems to embrace liberating worldviews. Full article

Interventions taking place on the land are culturally well aligned for Native peoples, as they are often developed by the community and incorporate traditional knowledge, values, and practices. However, research on the effectiveness and characteristics of such programs is lacking. This scoping review examined outdoor and land-based prevention interventions for Indigenous adolescents ages 10–25 in the United States and Canada to identify program characteristics such as origination, aims, activities, duration, evaluation methods, and outcomes. Over three-fourths (77%) of the 153 programs identified were community-derived. The programs were principally strength-based and promoted protective factors for general wellbeing. The most common delivery format was short camps. Nearly all programs (97%) included an element of culture. The activities most often seen were recreation (84%), subsistence living (65%), and Elder knowledge sharing (63%). Thirty-three studies measured outcomes and included quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method study designs. Studies found positive impacts on participants’ self-esteem and mental health; connections to culture, cultural pride, and identity; and connections to community including peers and Elders. The literature on outdoor and land-based prevention interventions for Indigenous youth is growing rapidly. Understanding program components is a first step to identifying the elements critical to effective programs for Indigenous youth. Full article

This paper explores the crucial role of Cree elders’ knowledge in revitalizing Indigenous food sovereignty, focusing on food as a cornerstone of Cree identity, spirituality, and wellbeing. Based on a study of Cree elders in Manitoba in 2020, this paper highlights the depth of Cree food knowledge, intertwined with spiritual practices, language, and land ethics. Using an Indigenous research paradigm, ten Cree elders were interviewed and shared their experiences of traditional communal practices, the detrimental impacts of colonialism on food systems, and the spiritual connections between food, land, and community. The elders emphasized the need for education and the preservation of Cree languages, which encode critical knowledge for sustaining food practices. Through their stories, elders illustrated how food sovereignty is not merely about physical sustenance but involves maintaining sacred relationships and responsibilities to the land and all its inhabitants. This research underscores the importance of Cree knowledge in reclaiming and sustaining Indigenous food systems, essential for the health and resilience of Cree communities. Full article

Background: Family caregivers provide most (75–90%) of the essential unpaid care and support for individuals living with chronic conditions, disabilities, and age-related needs in the community, with about half performing medical tasks traditionally performed by professionals. Caregivers also assist with 15 to 35% of the care in congregate care settings. Yet despite their critical contributions to patient care, caregivers face stress, declining well-being, and insufficient recognition in healthcare systems. Addressing these challenges requires innovative, person-centered approaches to training healthcare providers. Co-design or co-production are participatory research methods that involve individuals with lived experience to ensure relevance and impact. Objective: This study sought to understand how participatory co-design principles influenced learning, collaboration, and engagement among diverse participants in developing a caregiver-centered education program for healthcare providers. Actionable recommendations for optimizing co-design processes are provided. Methods: Eighty-five participants from a team of 155 collaborators, including caregivers, healthcare providers, educators, policymakers, and leaders, participated in ten focus group sessions conducted in Zoom breakout rooms. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Thorne’s interpretive description and Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Participants described the co-design process as fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and skill enhancement. Exposure to diverse perspectives expanded transformative understanding and prompted reflection on caregiver support within professional practices. Skilled facilitation ensured equitable engagement. Challenges included information overload and personal time constraints. Participants liked using breakout rooms to mitigate the dynamics of large group management. Still, they recommended pre-meeting materials, flexible scheduling, and expanding stakeholder diversity (e.g., rural, Indigenous, and immigrant caregivers). Conclusions: Co-design fosters meaningful, caregiver-centered education through collaboration and inclusivity. Addressing logistical challenges and representation gaps can further enhance the impact of co-design and empower multi-level, interdisciplinary partners to inform equitable healthcare education. Full article

This study examines Indigenous community-led water sustainability in Western Canada through relational and decolonial lenses, addressing the interplay between traditional knowledge, environmental governance, and cultural identity. The relational and decolonial frameworks emphasize water as a living entity integral to environmental sustainability and community well-being, contrasting with extractive Western models that prioritize economic gains. Using a community-led collaborative methodology, the research engaged Elders, Knowledge-keepers, and youth in discussions and land-based activities, reinforcing intergenerational knowledge transfer. The findings showcase critical challenges to Indigenous water governance, including industrial encroachments, climate change, and colonial environmental management systems that marginalize Indigenous perspectives. These human-created challenges threaten Indigenous water quality and disrupt Indigenous sustainable governance, underlining the need for alternative, adaptive frameworks. Despite these challenges, Indigenous communities are reclaiming water sustainability through initiatives that implement traditional knowledge, cultural revitalization, and collaborative governance models. Such efforts emphasize respect, reciprocity, and stewardship, promoting long-term environmental sustainability. Full article

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter, respectfully, Indigenous) men’s health and social indicators reflect an ongoing legacy of social disruption with profound implications for broader family and community contexts. In response to recognized needs, healing programs have been implemented within Australia. The literature on relevant best practices for Indigenous men’s healing was explored to inform the planning and implementation of a local program. A scoping review of electronic databases was undertaken to retrieve information between 2012 and 2022 on social and emotional healing programs for Indigenous men that included a program evaluation. Of the 2123 identified articles, many lacked a program evaluation or were not specific to male participants, with nine meeting the inclusion criteria for the review. Six central elements that supported the programs’ reported efficacy were identified: kinship, cultural understanding, a view of healing as being holistic, a strengths-based approach, a male leadership team, and a consistent meeting space. These elements were important for the social and emotional healing of the Indigenous male participants. Based on these findings, there is an increased need for the identified elements to be incorporated into programs for Indigenous men to accompany ongoing efforts in improving the wellbeing of the Indigenous population overall. Full article