Grant: Operating Grant - HIV/AIDS CBR Program - Indigenous

For First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people in Manitoba, relationships to land, community, and culture have been disrupted by colonial violence, impacting Indigenous women, two-spirit, trans, and gender-diverse people's health, including HIV and sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections (STBBI). While the resurgence of Indigenous birth work has led to the reclamation of the role of helper/doula, the role of Indigenous doulas in HIV care and prevention is poorly understood. There is an urgent need to understand how Indigenous doulas can support women, as well as two-spirit, trans, and gender-diverse people when it comes to HIV/STBBI care cascade. We propose a community-based research study that will use interviews, sharing circles, and Indigenous storywork to explore the role of Indigenous doulas in HIV/STBBI prevention and care of Indigenous women, and two-spirit, trans, and gender-diverse people living with, or at risk of, HIV/STBBI in Manitoba. Our methodology integrates Indigenous and decolonizing Two-Eyed Seeing approaches, guided by an Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Holders. Our study is culturally grounded in Indigenous philosophies, methodologies, and ceremony-related elements. We will conduct 14 sharing circles with 70 participants, and 30 individual interviews to explore the role of Indigenous doulas in HIV care. We will train 60 doulas and implement an HIV doula training program at a community organization, Ka Ni Kanichihk (an Indigenous-led community organization that supports the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people). Our research will be the first study on the role of doulas in HIV/STBBI care cascade in Canada. The findings from this study will contribute important new information regarding the role of doulas in HIV/STBBI prevention and care, as well as inform services, interventions, and campaigns for Indigenous people in Manitoba. It will also build capacity among Indigenous people living with HIV and Indigenous-led agencies in Manitoba.