Standing Buffalo First Nations

 

Ocanku Duta Amani: Paths to living well Ð Youth

 

Project Overview

Research literature about Aboriginal youth has primarily focused on biomedical issues, such as disease incidence, mental health challenges, and substance abuse. The following project focuses on exploring societal, cultural and environmental influences that impact Aboriginal youth on Ôbeing or becoming wellÕ. Using a community-based, participatory research (CBPR) approach, which includes methods such as photovoice and sharing circles, Aboriginal youth on Standing Buffalo Dakota First Nations will participate in identifying, exploring, and investigating the meaning of the concepts of Ôpaths to being and becoming well.Õ These youth will also assist in identifying critical components, barriers and facilitators that impact their Ôpaths to being and becoming wellÕ. This research will be used in the development and piloting of a culturally and age appropriate Ôpaths to being and becoming wellÕ interactive tool for on-reserve Aboriginal youth.

 

Contributions to Current Knowledge

Knowing the demographics of this sub-population of the Aboriginal population raises questions and challenges regarding the current and anticipated social and health needs for this group. Aboriginal youth are disproportionately affected by issues of lower social and economic status (Statistics Canada, 2001), higher suicide rates (NAHO, 2004), and higher incidence of infectious and sexually transmitted diseases (Health Canada, 2000). Young (2003) stated that the existing research does not adequately consider the unique health needs of Aboriginal children. According to Majumdar, Chambers, and Roberts (2004), it is increasingly apparent that relevant and appropriate data about knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours respecting Aboriginal children and youth must be collected. This study will focus exclusively on Aboriginal youth through a respectful research approach bringing together a culturally familiar communication strategy (i.e., sharing circles) and an innovative technologically-informed methodology (i.e., photovoice).

 

Research Approach

The methodology that will be used for this project is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach as describe by Stringer (1999). Community-based research is collaboration between community groups and researchers for the purpose of creating new knowledge or understanding about a practical community issue in order to bring about change. Community-based research therefore is collaborative, participatory, empowering, systematic, and transformative (Hills & Mullet, 2000). In this study, we are using photovoice which provides youth the opportunity to develop their personal and social identities and can be instrumental in building social competency (Strack, Magill, & McDonagh, 2004; Youniss & Yates, 1997). Wang (2003) reflects that Òphotovoice methodology attempts to blend the principle of photography as personal voice with the politics of photography as community voice in order to reach policy makersÓ (p. 181). In this study, the strategy will enable the youth to photograph their everyday health realities.

 

Research Team

The research design for this project emerges out of a four year collaborative partnership between Standing Buffalo Dakota First Nations, the University of Saskatchewan, First Nations University, and the University of Regina.

 

Contributions of Research Project

This research project potentially contributes to the recognition of youth, generally, and on-reserve Aboriginal youth, specifically, as partners in health research. The research methods selected will potentially enable the youth participants to increase their personal and social identity. In addition, the involvement of youth in this project may contribute to their voices being heard by their community and the policy/decision-making authorities and may influence these sectors in their understanding and response to the health needs of this group. The research seeks to be inclusive of a growing and often under-involved sub-population. Additionally, there is limited experience with Aboriginal youth and photovoice documented in the literature so this research can contribute significantly to increasing utilization of such methods. The exposure to research with Aboriginal youth may lead to interest in participating in research and potentially pursing research careers.