Grant: Master's Award - HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research: Aboriginal Stream

Objective: This initiative will explore how Métis women and youth understandings of 'place' [1] (as a social determinant of health) impacts on their ability to exercise sexual and reproductive health rights that create conditions of vulnerability to HIV. Research Questions:Within this project, we are interested in learning more about Métis specific health needs in HIV prevention. Specifically, we want to explore from the perspectives of women and youth: How does relationship to land impact their vulnerability to HIV? In exploring this broad question we will work with two Métis communities (one in Ontario and another in Alberta) and seek to answer the following questions: 1.) What traditional knowledge relating to sexual and reproductive teachings exists within your community? 2.) How do these sexual and reproductive teachings relate to HIV and AIDS vulnerability? 3.) Since the woman's womb is the 'first environment,' how does environmental justice/land affect HIV and AIDS? 4.) Within the context of resource extraction activities, how can women and youth build on the strengths of the land to prevent HIV? RESARCH DESIGN & METHODS Four innovative arts-based techniques will be used to make the complex connections between land and HIV prevention for Métis women and youth. 1.) Image elicitation 2.)Community mapping 3.) Land tours, and 4.) Belly Casts