Grant: Catalyst Grant: Indigenous Approaches to Wellness Research

With a population of approximately 4000 people, Wikwemikong Unceded Territory is one of the largest First Nations communities in Canada. While the community is thriving in many ways, there is also an increase in opioid addiction. The community has responded by developing cultural healing services to support clients involved in opioid replacement therapy. The cultural healing approach includes land-based programming and traditional Indigenous healing and counseling methods. We propose to conduct research with clients, clinical and traditional providers and knowledge keepers to gain a better understanding of how these approaches support wellness after drug addiction. We intend to examine which additional social and justice services are necessary to support wellness. We will also analyze health information data to contextualize the outcomes from a clinical perspective. This research will be highly relevant for all current models of opioid addiction treatment in First Nations in Canada.