Journal publishes promising Indigenous wellness research and practices

A special thematic issue of the International Journal of Indigenous Health (IJIH), based at the University of Victoria, in collaboration with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), features wellness-based health research and practices to strengthen individuals and communities.

The 15 journal articles cover topics such as Indigenous nursing knowledge, community-based palliative care, youth mental health based on Inuit knowledge and ways of knowing, colonization and chronic illness, and traditional food systems among others. The issue is available online.

In addition to publishing high quality papers, IJIH shares research presented through an Indigenous lens and grounded in meaningful partnerships. This is the first collaboration between the IJIH and the FNHA – which promotes health through wellness as an important part of their mandate.

“Indigenous people whether in BC, across Canada or internationally are looking for ways to increase wellness in their own communities. Community-based research that is inclusive and fully engages Indigenous communities is both meaningful and beneficial,” says Dr. Charlotte Loppie, the journal’s editor and director of UVic’s Centre for Indigenous Research Community-Led Engagement (CIRCLE).

The centre, established in 2008, provides a supportive environment for students, researchers and communities to engage respectfully in research activities that aim to address the health disparities and celebrate the wellness experienced by First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada.

“This collaborative journal contributes to an emerging evidence base showcasing practices passed down from our Elders that have helped our people since time immemorial,” says Richard Jock, FNHA chief operating officer. “Knowledge transfer and knowledge exchange are priorities for the FNHA to support, promote and share in a good way. The more we can document and learn from Indigenous ways of health and healing the better we can plan and implement the changes needed for better health outcomes.”

About the International Journal of Indigenous Health: Published bi-annually by the Aboriginal Health Research Networks Secretariat at the University of Victoria in Canada, the IJIH was established to advance knowledge and understanding to improve Indigenous health. The peer-reviewed, open-access journal seeks to bring knowledge from diverse intellectual traditions together with a focus on culturally diverse Indigenous voices, methodologies and epistemology.

About the First Nations Health Authority: The FNHA is responsible for the planning, management, service delivery and funding of health programs in partnership with First Nations communities in BC. In October of 2013 the FNHA took over responsibility over the administration of federal health programs and services formerly delivered by Health Canada. Guided by the vision of embedding cultural safety and humility into health service delivery, the FNHA works to reform the way health care is delivered through direct services, provincial partnership collaboration, and health systems innovation.

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