Grant: Project Grant

Historic and contemporary colonial structures have led to extensive and lasting social and health inequities for Indigenous people in Canada. The persistence of colonization as a root cause of these inequities is particularly evident for urban dwelling Indigenous people. Most cities in Canada have invested billions of dollars in creating healthy urban environments that rarely reach or serve the needs of the Indigenous people that reside there. Over the past three years, our research team documented inequities in access and use of one of these investments, the expansion of urban Mikanah/Meskanow/aen pchi shmayn (ways/paths/trails). This study will provide these knowledge users with evidence-based policy and practice recommendations co-created with First Nations families and Elders/Knowledge Keepers for how to implement urban trails in an equitable way for First Nations people. The Indigenous implementation science methods we will use to study urban trail implementation will serve as a template for studying changes to traditional Indigenous lands in urban areas in Canada, to ensure they do not exacerbate health and social inequities for urban dwelling First Nations people.