Grant: New Investigator Award -PA: Research in First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Health

There is considerable evidence that significant health inequities exist for Indigenous peoples when compared to majority populations, including greater presence of disease, lower health outcomes, and barriers to healthcare access due to cultural tensions between Indigenous cultural knowledge and biomedicine. These health inequities experienced by Indigenous peoples, both globally and in Canada, are connected to a political, societal, and historical legacy of colonialism that has had adverse effects on the social determinants of health (i.e., poverty, housing, and social marginalization). In collaboration with Indigenous individuals, communities, and organizations in Canada and Belize, this 5-year program of research will move beyond descriptions of health inequity to build evidence based knowledge of health and social equity interventions that address priority needs for (1) Indigenous peoples living with HIV/AIDS in Saskatoon and Winnipeg, (2) Q'eqchi' Indigenous healers and Maya populations in Belize, and (3) Indigenous youth living in urban contexts of Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Halifax. Within a global health transformative framework, a "two-eyed seeing" community-based research approach is followed whereby Indigenous and academic expertise collaborate to execute research all objectives. This program of research will close the gaps of current inequities by working authentically alongside Indigenous community partners to address priority needs and concerns that have emerged in each context. Together, these projects can significantly advance our understanding of community-based and collaborative health initiatives that improve social equity and wellness among Indigenous populations.