Grant: Project Grant

Too long have health inequities born from systematic settler colonial discrimination plagued Indigenous communities in Canada. Despite colonial policies and ongoing systematic oppression, however, Indigenous wellness knowledge and cultural healing practices still endure today. As an exemplary place of healing and knowledge, the Turtle Lodge in Sagkeeng First Nations has been developing since 2002 as an innovative model of Indigenous education and flourishing, advancing several unique initiatives over the years. To date, no formal health and wellness research has been conducted with or led by Turtle Lodge and its related community activities. The founder of Turtle Lodge, Elder Dave Courchene, and the other Elders and Knowledge Keepers connected with Turtle Lodge now feel its timely to advance a process of respectful Indigenous-led, strengths-based health and wellness research in order to meet three overall objectives: (1) understand and explore several innovative community health and wellness initiatives facilitated by and held within Turtle Lodge; (2) build vital knowledge of Indigenous health and wellness perspectives and practices from the wisdom of respected Elders and Knowledge Keepers connected with Turtle Lodge; and (3) advance Indigenous-led partnerships with medical practitioners by developing a framework for strengthening the working relationships between Indigenous knowledge holders and biomedical practitioners. By advancing these three interrelated objectives, this Indigenous-led 5-year project will build evidence-based Indigenous knowledge of effective approaches that can improve the resilience, wellness, and health outcomes for Indigenous peoples in Manitoba. This project also provides critical insights about the ways in which such knowledge can be developed and strengthened, and the partnerships that are crucial in order to effectively translate that knowledge to benefit Indigenous communities, medical practitioners, and Canadian society more broadly.