Aboriginal Medicine and Health

Project Description: In this interdisciplinary, seminar-based virtual training, we will critically examine key determinants of Indigenous health as we engage with various concepts, theories, methods, historical and ethical issues. Based on a review of the contemporary literature, we will explore differences between the health and social status of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and identify processes leading to these gaps. We will discuss case studies from Canada to examine ongoing health and healing measures that are being led by Aboriginal communities. Students will be able to learn the critical review of a scholarly paper, critically measure the health status of Aboriginal people in Canada in contemporary time, and produce a research paper at the end of the project. Project Learning Outcome: Upon successful completion of this project, students will be able to: Identify cultural and theoretical frameworks for understanding traditional knowledge systems and medicines as they relate to Indigenous health and wellness; Examine how colonialism, and its related processes, have disrupted Indigenous health and wellness; Describe and critique the range of methods and methodologies used in Indigenous health scholarship; Think critically and innovatively about how Indigenous research can be most beneficial for supporting Indigenous health and wellness, across varying places and environments. Technical guideline: The research needs to be grounded on Indigenous research paradigm. Based on the objectives of the study, we have tentatively chosen the following methods to conduct research. If a student intends to use a different methods, she/ he needs to consult the research supervisor and discuss the feasibility of the technique. The methods might change according to project need. The project will be guided by OCAP principles. The project recommends a mixed method approach by using both Indigenous and non-indigenous techniques. A student can follow both or any one of them. Open ended interview: We will have project virtual gathering and after each gathering, only the Elders participants from the gathering can be interviewed. The interview questions will be open-ended and will focus on the history, practice and benefits of cultural and traditional knowledge. Story telling: During the gathering the Elders will be requested to share cultural stories related to the particular skill. Data on significance of cultural practices should be analyzed and thematized and correlated with participants’ response. Pre-requisite: Students must have foundational knowledge of aboriginal history, politics and culture. They should also have some basic knowledge on conducting research with Aboriginal Elders and community protocols on connecting with Elders. Priorities will be given to students who has completed UCN's research methodology course with Aboriginal and Northern Studies Program.

Aboriginal Oral History Methodology

Project Description: Emphasis will be placed on the cultural, practical and critical issues involved when using oral history methods. Topics include interview techniques, data collection and analysis, appropriation, ethics, protocol and global and regional examples of oral historical projects. Central to the course is the fact that Aboriginal oral histories continue to be told, retold, validated and interpreted within Aboriginal communities and also within cross-cultural contexts such as academic communities, the courts and in curriculum development. Students are given the opportunity to carry out a small-scale oral history project. At the end of the project students will be able to independently complete a research project. Project Learning Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Demonstrate critical thinking, observational and analytical skills; 2. Demonstrate written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills by actively participating seminars and engaging in critical discussion; 3. Demonstrate an understanding of interview techniques, data collection and analysis, ethics, protocol and global and regional examples of oral historical projects; 4. Identify issues related to oral history methodologies, particularly as it relates to Aboriginal peoples and communities. Project Pre-requisite: There are some pre-requisite for this project. Students much have basic knowledge on Aboriginal history and politics and also foundational knowledge on conducting research with Aboriginal communities and interviewing Elders. Priorities will be given to students who have taken Introduction to Aboriginal Studies and Research Methodology in Aboriginal and Northern Studies Program courses with UCN. Students must have basic knowledge on Interview outlines and questions, OCAP principles, effective interviewing techniques, legal and ethical concerns of research. Objectives: To acquire skills on oral history methodology, students will write a research proposal, complete the research ethics protocol, complete REB CORE tutorial, prepare interview questions, conduct one interview, analyze interview data and write the final research report. They can choose any topic related to Aboriginal history culture politics from the past and can interview one Elder. Deliverable: Students will produce one paper at the end of the project.

Aboriginal Oral History Methodology 2023

Project Description: Emphasis will be placed on the cultural, practical and critical issues involved when using oral history methods. Topics include interview techniques, data collection and analysis, appropriation, ethics, protocol and global and regional examples of oral historical projects. Students are given the opportunity to carry out a small-scale oral history project and interview Elders and knowledge keepers.Students are given the opportunity to carry out a small-scale oral history project and interview Elders and knowledge keepers. Project Learning Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Demonstrate critical thinking, observational and analytical skills; 2. Demonstrate written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills 3. Demonstrate an understanding of interview techniques, data collection and analysis, ethics, Aboriginal research protocols 4. Identify issues related to Aboriginal oral history methodologies.

Indigenous food and health sovereignty in time of Covid 19

Project Description: Aboriginal food and health sovereignty refers to people’s right to acquire and celebrate traditional food and collective wellbeing which involves cultural, spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional security of individual and community. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown methods, this time of survival preparation—and practicing customary, land-based knowledge and focusing on mental health and self-care—became all the more urgent in many Aboriginal families and communities. This claim raises two questions. The first is about what type(s) of community programs are likely to achieve benefits for Aboriginal people. The second is how community members are sharing the impact of the program activities with others. Based on these questions this research project will focus on community resiliency and the diverse ways health and food sovereignty are being practiced and perceived at the community and individual level in the time of the Covid 19 pandemic. The project will work with First Nation communities in northern Manitoba and give participants opportunities to do qualitative interviews to gather knowledge from community narratives. Project Scope: The mission of UCN’s strategic plan is to serve northern communities and people with education, training, teaching, learning, and research while being inclusive and respectful of diverse Indigenous and northern values (UCN Strategic plan, 2021). This research intends to initiate a knowledge-sharing process between northern communities and UCN students, support groups, and researchers. Aboriginal communities in northern Manitoba have been resilient since time immemorial and people in these communities have been fighting colonialism, environmental racism, and many other systemic oppressions for centuries while holding on to their insights and wisdom of traditional knowledge which are the foundation of their resiliency. There is much to learn from them and this research will create a respectful knowledge-sharing process and will contribute to UCN’s strategic plan. The learning process will be created through the following activities: a) documenting local interventions towards health and food sovereignty; b) creating educational resources for community programs and; c) generating online discussions amongst students, academicians and support groups, and community members through webinars and social media communication to understands the relationship between health and food sovereignty with Indigenous self-determination Project Skill Development Opportunity for Students and Deliverables: The project will teach participants diverse skills such as Indigenous research methods Community-based participatory research Conversational Interview Methods Qualitative data analysis Literature review Designing and publishing academic posters The supervisor will provide weekly guidance and lectures to the team. Each student can choose their own project topic and can decide to produce different types of deliverables, it could be either academic report or paper or academic poster. Project Objectives: Community-led understanding of knowledge has been recognized as a way of decolonizing research. However, highlighting community narratives as a key source of knowledge is not systematically addressed in health and food sovereignty research involving Indigenous peoples in the world. Our objective will be to · Do a systematic literature review of health and food sovereignty knowledge gathered from community narratives. · Conduct a comparative analysis of the Aboriginal health and food sovereignty looking at past, present, and future state of knowledge. · Gather community perspectives of food, health, and community well being in the time of Covid · Share community stories with students and academicians through webinars and online gatherings. · Invite community supportive philanthropy and academic research organizations to support the project and help create educational resources