Grant: Project Grant

Background: Our Sohki Teyhew Group consists of community members and Elders, community partners and researchers. Since 2014 we have worked on research about aging women's wellness in Maskwacis, a large rural First Nation community in Alberta. Our recent research has found that women believe that maintaining and sharing healthy traditional cultural practices (such as preparing and cooking traditional food, gardening and crafts) can improve the health of individuals and the community. Our planned research will take these ideas forward. Research Question: Can younger First Nations women be encouraged to learn traditional skills from female Maskwacis Elders and does this learning lead to enhanced community engagement, wellness and/or quality of life for Elders and/or younger women? Methods: 1.Develop opportunities to exchange cultural knowledge - we shall develop and implement intergenerational community activities and workshops, involving Elders with specific knowledge and expertise about cultural activities and younger women who wish to be introduced/reintroduced to cultural skills. The particular skills will depend on the wishes of potential participants, but may include making traditional food, crafts, and gardening. 2.Evaluation of the impact of workshops - At the start of workshops, Elders and participants will complete questionnaires about wellness, quality of life and community engagement. A year later, they will complete the same questionnaires. We shall also interview Elders and participants to identify the value of specific cultural activities, and the potential for increasing opportunities for intergenerational activities. Expected outcomes: This research will build on Sohki Teyhew's experience to reinforce Elders' roles as knowledge keepers, develop alternative ways for younger women to learn traditional skills, and evaluate the effect of the proposed interventions on the quality of life and wellness of Elders and younger women.