Grant: Catalyst Grant: Indigenous Approaches to Wellness Research

In 2012, men who are federal prisoners in the Pacific Region of British Columbia (BC) began making and donating needed items such as furniture, toys, clothing and drums for First Nations communities. The project, called Work 2 Give, has created a federal prison-community partnership with the Tsilhqot'in First Nations in the Central Interior of BC. The prisoners, many of whom are Indigenous, engage in meaningful work within the institutions, knowing they are contributing to improved quality of life and well-being for children and their families (e.g., making beds for children). In a small ongoing study being conducted about the impact of Work 2 Give on the prisoners and the recipient communities, we have learned that the communities themselves have much to contribute to expand the impact, relevance and reach of the project to benefit both the Tsilhqot'in peoples and the prisoners involved in making the items. Several participants acknowledge the importance of the items received but the greater impact about being able to "help our men inside". To foster the maximal impact of Work 2 Give for Indigenous wellness and for prisoner rehabilitation, we propose Tsilhqot'in ways of knowing and values be integrated into the current model that, at the moment, is primarily driven by the Correctional Services of Canada. In this grant, we will collaborate with our established prison and community partners to learn from the communities using co-created methods and inclusive approaches to bring Tsilhqot'in knowledge and cultural perspectives on wellness into the current Work 2 Give model. The aim is to generate a more effective Work 2 Give intervention to propel future research to achieve reciprocal benefit, both for the prisoners' potential for rehabilitation through meaningful work and giving to others, and Indigenous wellness for Tsilhqot'in children, families and communities.