Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

This project explores how Indigenous mentorship models strengthen the health of Indigenous Peoples by shaping how community based health promotion research is learned and practiced. In Indigenous contexts, mentorship is understood as a relationship grounded in reciprocity and shared responsibility. These learning relationships nurture the learner's growth and support their ability to engage with communities in ways that are safe, respectful, and culturally grounded. The research draws on a three year mentorship relationship between a Haudenosaunee mentor and a Métis graduate student within a community based health promotion research project. The project involved supporting five First Nations communities in sharing and adapting a Kanien'keha:ka community mobilization model for healthy living through workshops, training sessions, and community led activities. Using Indigenous storytelling and collaborative reflection, the learners examined their experiences and identified key areas of personal growth. Narrative and thematic analyses were used to understand how cultural values, gender, and other social identities shaped the mentorship and influenced the learner's approach to community engagement. The mentorship led to transformational changes in the learners, helping them deepen their cultural grounding, strengthen relational accountability, and navigate challenging situations in a good way. These experiences fostered resilience and strengthened their capacity to work alongside communities in respectful and culturally grounded ways. This work highlights Indigenous mentorship as an important approach for strengthening the capacity of community members and researchers involved in Indigenous health promotion. By centering relationship, cultural grounding, and reciprocal learning, mentorship supports the development of community driven approaches to health promotion that strengthen wellness across Indigenous communities.