Community-led agenda outlined in Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health strategy
Model will see funding flow directly to Indigenous communities, researchers
First Nation communities will soon be able to take the lead on research regarding the health of Indigenous Canadians.
On Thursday, the national Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health launched a five-year strategic plan. Backed by $43-million in federal funding, one of the institute's main priorities is to work with First Nations communities, elders and knowledge keepers to improve the health of Indigenous people.
"Communities not only know all of the health issues that they're facing, they have the solutions," said the institute's scientific director, Carrie Bourassa.
"It's important for us to start asking them, 'So you know the problems? What are the solutions?' and let's be the facilitator to address those, instead of us trying to come in with the answers when we don't know what's going on."
She calls elders and knowledge keepers the PhDs of First Nation communities.
Funding goes directly to communities
In the past, First Nation communities may have had to partner with a university in order to access the funding. Now, the funding will flow directly to communities, which allows them to control the research and determine where to share the new knowledge.
Rather than focusing on specific diseases, the institute will examine the underlying factors that influence wellness and resilience, looking at things including Indigenous self-determination and environmental factors.
The strategy also aims to increase the number of Indigenous researchers through researcher mentorship programs and a focus on land-based healing strategies, including the use of traditional medicines.
Margaret Kisikaw Piyesis, chief executive officer with the All Nation Hope Network in Regina, a collective of Indigenous peoples organizations focused on AIDS, HIV and hepatitis C, says it's critical elders and knowledge keepers control where the research funding is focused.
"As Indigenous people, we've been doing research since the beginning of time," she said.
"As we move forward and look at where that knowledge has to come from, the foundation has to be built for us to be able to look for solutions that are going to make a difference for the people," she said. "It has to come from the old ones."
The first grants under the program will be awarded in the 2019-2020 academic year.