Weaving Indigenous Methodologies into Ceremony: Revitalizing the nêhiyaw Language and Transforming Indigenous Health. Jaqueline Anaquod
Across Canada, many Indigenous communities assert that the use of their traditional language and culture are factors that contribute to their health and wellness. Although literature on health is extensive current studies on the relationship between Indigenous language use and health are very limited, but the few available are quite promising. The aim of this project is to provide communities, researchers, and policy makers with knowledge related to how health is connected to Indigenous language through specific experiences and narratives from Indigenous Cree people. The proposed collaborative research aims to explore strength-based factors that contribute to positive health outcomes in the context of language retention and use. The research will be grounded in Indigenous decolonizing epistemology and community based participatory-action research methodologies that explore the Cree language and its relation to health. Indigenous methodologies in the project will be collecting personal narratives through story-telling and sharing circles with participants in ceremony. Relationships to identity, land, culture, and ways of knowing contribute to Indigenous health; Indigenous language is foundational to each of these relationships. Indigenous cultural identity is central to the health and understanding of oneself and has been recognized by researchers as a key determinant of health. How is retention and use of the Cree language connected to health and does it have implications to reduce risk factors associated with health disparities in Indigenous communities? This study is one step in rectifying a gap in the literature and is necessary to inform practices in language revitalization and Indigenous health and wellness.
Understanding Relationalism for Indigenous Methodologies Carrie LaVallie Current western-based treatments are proving to be of minimal benefit in the healing process of people living with addiction in addressing spiritual needs. People seeking ways to meet spiritual needs are often told they must look to Christianity or the East for accepted spiritual practices. People healing should have access to culturally responsive ways. Indigenous ceremonies offer ways for Indigenous people to tap into meeting inherent spiritual needs in order to strengthen success in healing. Elders have identified that to help people healing from addiction methods must unite both Indigenous and western approaches. A process of decolonization must take place to provide supportive, effective healing ways. To better understand how harmonizing may take place, research is required. A respectful and appropriate approach to research, in harmonizing both ways of knowing, is using Indigenous methodologies. Before using Indigenous Methodologies an understanding of relational ontology must be achieved. This presentation expands on previous presentations by this presenter on Indigenous Methodologies as they are situated within a relational ontology. A relational ontology believes that we are all connected; this connection is relational. This presentation introduces the four elements (respect, reciprocity, relevance, and responsibility) inherent in a relational ontology and how they are articulated into an Indigenous methodology as identified by Indigenous methodologists Maggie Kovach, Linda Tuhiwai-Smith, and philosophers Anne Waters. Understanding a relational ontology when working with Indigenous methodologies is key in decolonizing western-based aftercare services to assist people living with addiction in meeting spiritual needs.
Indigenous Recruitment Strategies for the School of Public Health Saima Khan
