Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

In Canada, First Nations are fighting devastating health issues using Indigenous healing knowledge. Health problems are most concerning for First Nations youth, who face the remnants of colonialism, cultural genocide, intergenerational trauma from residential schools, and poverty. Although many national groups have called for Indigenous youth as leaders in decision making, little action has been taken to explore Indigenous youth leadership initiatives in Canada. Researchers in the field of health risk communication, which is broadly concerned with how people communicate about the risks associated with health issues such as obesity and disease, have recently conducted some successful projects with Indigenous youth. Youth have contributed to better understandings of health problems and solutions, enhanced their strengths and health, and created positive rippling effects in their communities. A promising health intervention appears to be participatory risk communication, an approach that lets First Nations youth take the lead to create and present messages about health. At the same time, they learn Indigenous traditional knowledge skills and how to be co-researchers. This approach aims to improve youth's health, health communications, and community health outcomes, but requires further validation across various First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. I will conduct one case study with the Yellowknives Dene First Nations (YKDFN) in Ndilo and Dettah, NT. I will use an Indigenous community-based participatory research approach to highlight community strengths and Indigenous knowledge while identifying my connections to the community as a YKDFN member. During multiple participatory stages of health message development, based on Indigenous traditional knowledge and culture, YKDFN youth will exercise leadership, develop on-the-land skills that promote health, strategize to reduce health risk behaviors, and co-research outcomes of the intervention.