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Working collaboratively with Indigenous populations necessitates a focus on partnerships at the core of sharing, implementing and disseminating Indigenous knowledge. The Tri-Council Policy 2 ISSN: ISSN 1837-0144 © International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies Statement (CIHR, 2010) notes that respectful, reciprocal and ethical research standards must be applied to research with Indigenous communities. Métis collaborators identified that relationships must be regarded as the central focus of sharing Metis knowledge. Utilizing an investigation on the health benefits of participating in cultural activities, specifically harvesting, we demonstrate how applying mixed methods meets and informs these research standards and creates a unique, participatory Indigenous research method relevant for Métis people. Building from these research standards, this collaboration developed a method of investigation that shares Indigenous knowledge of population health. This method promotes a sustainable research relationship, moving beyond fragmented research projects and making relational connections between people, data sources and findings

Globally, Indigenous Peoples suffer disproportionately higher rates and complications of diabetes and obesity than non-Indigenous people. Western health interventions combined with culturally appropriate Traditional approaches can reduce incidence, prevalence, and related co-morbidities. This literature review reports effective culturally relevant Traditional and Western diabetes and obesity prevention and management intervention programs for Indigenous populations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Experiential, immediate, interactive, and low-cost programs, co-developed and delivered by local Indigenous people within the communities they live, are most effective in improving health and wellbeing. Key themes of success of Togetherness, Empowerment, and Local Familiarity inform action for policy and practice changes adaptable for chronic disease prevention, treatment, and self-management programs for Indigenous Peoples globally.

Increasing Indigenous health care professional presence in health care aims to reduce health inequities of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Nurses are the largest health professional group and nurse graduates the main source of recruitment. The quality of graduate transition to practice is evident in the literature; however, little is reported about Indigenous new graduates. We describe using Indigenous methodology and two-eyed seeing (Indigenous and Western perspectives) in exploring Indigenous transition experiences. Talking circles provided a safe environment for nurses, nurse educators and students, health managers, and policy makers to discuss Indigenous new graduate case scenarios. The methodology was critical in identifying challenges faced, recommendations for change, and a new collective commitment for cultural safety education, and ethical and respectful relationships within education, practice, and policy.

AbstractIndigenous peoples in Canada often experience a greater burden of poor health and wellness relative to non-Indigenous Canadians due to a legacy of colonisation and racism. However, Indigenous mental wellness outcomes vary by community, and it is essential to understand how a community has been impacted by the determinants to improve mental wellness outcomes. This article shares insight from a research partnership with the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society, an urban Indigenous community service organisation. The study used a decolonising, qualitative methodology in which urban Indigenous Elders shared their knowledge of mental wellness and experiences of services and supports. Elders described mental wellness holistically, connected to their relationships, land, language and culture. They described several determinants of wellness including identity, poverty, transportation, abuse and trauma. Elders shared experiences of culturally unsafe care and identified colonisation as root causes of poor mental wellness. They shared how some determinants affect urban Indigenous communities uniquely. This included limited transportation to cultural activities outside urban centres, such as medicine picking, the importance of urban organisations (such as Aboriginal Friendship Centres) in developing social support networks, and the role of discrimination, racism and inequitable care as barriers to accessing services in urban centres.