Incorporating First Nations, Inuit and Métis Traditional Healing Spaces within a Hospital Context: A Place-Based Study of Three Unique Spaces within Canada's Oldest and Largest Mental Health Hospital.

Globally and historically, Indigenous healthcare is efficacious, being rooted in Traditional Healing (TH) practices derived from cosmology and place-based knowledge and practiced on the land. Across Turtle Island, processes of environmental dispossession and colonial oppression have replaced TH practices with a colonial, hospital-based system found to cause added harm to Indigenous Peoples. Growing Indigenous health inequities are compounded by a mental health crisis, which begs reform of healthcare institutions. The implementation of Indigenous knowledge systems in hospital environments has been validated as a critical source of healing for Indigenous patients and communities, prompting many hospitals in Canada to create Traditional Healing Spaces (THSs). After ten years, however, there has been no evaluation of the effectiveness of THSs in Canadian hospitals in supporting healing among Indigenous Peoples. In this paper, our team describes THSs within the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada's oldest and largest mental health hospital. Analyses of 22 interviews with hospital staff and physicians describe CAMH's THSs, including what they look like, how they are used, and by whom. The results emphasize the importance of designating spaces with and for Indigenous patients, and they highlight the wholistic benefits of land-based treatment for both clients and staff alike. Transforming hospital spaces by implementing and valuing Indigenous knowledge sparks curiosity, increases education, affirms the efficacy of traditional healing treatments as a standard of care, and enhances the capacity of leaders to support reconciliation efforts.

Decolonizing health in Canada: A Manitoba first nation perspective.

INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND: Global persistence of health inequities for Indigenous peoples is evident in ongoing discrepancies in health and standards of living. International literature suggests the key to transformation lies in Indigenous efforts to control Indigenous health and healthcare. Previous authors have focused upon participation, structural transformation, and culturally appropriate healthcare recognized as a political right as fundamental tenets of Indigenous control. Contextualizing Indigenous health and wellness falls within a growing discussion on decolonization - a resituating of expertise that privileges Indigenous voice and interests. METHODS: The study is a qualitative, grounded theory analysis, which is a constructivist approach to social research allowing for generation of theory in praxis, through interactions and conversations between researchers and participants. One hundred eighty-three interviews with additional focus groups were held between 2013-15 in eight Manitoba First Nation communities representing different models of health delivery, geographies, accessibilities, and Indigenous language groups. Community research assistants and respected Elders participated in data collection, analysis and interpretation. Line-by-line coding and constant comparative method led to the discovery of converging themes. FINDINGS: Ultimately four main themes arose: 1) First Nation control of healthcare; 2) traditional medicine and healing activities; 3) full and meaningful community participation; and 4) cleaning up impacts of colonization. Joint analyses and interpretation of findings revealed substantial evidence that communities were looking profoundly into problems of improperly delivered services and health inequities. Issues were consistent with those highlighted by international commissions on reconciliation, health, Indigenous rights and liberties. To those documents, these findings add ground upon which to build the transformative agenda. RESULTS & DISCUSSION: Communities discussed the need for creation of protocols, constitution and laws to ensure growth of a decolonizing agenda. Inclusive to the concept are holistic, preventative, traditional health perspectives, and Indigenous languages. Colonization impacts were of critical concern and in need of undoing. Sharing of social and political efforts is seen as pivotal to change and includes all members of communities.

Exploring Métis health, spirituality and well-being: a patient-oriented community-based qualitative study with the Métis Nation of Alberta - Region 3.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of Métis-guided participatory research on factors that contribute to individual, family and community well-being, such as developing social support and engaging in cultural, social and historical processes for healing and health. The purpose of this study was to explore links among health, spirituality and well-being within the Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) - Region 3. METHODS: In the largest of 12 MNA - Region 3 communities, together with a working group of 9 community members, informal and elected leaders, and an Elder, we codeveloped a qualitative structured survey exploring health, spirituality and well-being. Following face-to-face distribution of the paper survey to community members (February to March 2019), we engaged with 7 working group members in coding and theme development. Results were shared with the community. RESULTS: Thirty-one community members requested surveys, with 29 participants aged 28-80 years (mean 54.77 yr, standard deviation 15.31 yr) completing the surveys (94% completion rate). Six participants were in the working group that codeveloped the survey. An overarching theme of connection and 4 corresponding subthemes were identified; central to well-being was maintaining connection and balance in mental, emotional, spiritual and physical aspects of health. Connection to Métis ancestry required understanding identity; connection to community involved feeling at home; connection to land included belonging; and connection to tradition encompassed blending of cultures. INTERPRETATION: Connection among ancestry, land, community and tradition contributed to well-being in our sample. Under the direction of each MNA region, exploration of health, spirituality and well-being with the use of our survey could be considered in community-specific Métis-guided ways across the remaining 5 MNA regions; the survey may also be of use to other provincial bodies in the Métis Nation.

Long-term treatment outcomes in a First Nations high school population with opioid use disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To assess for long-term positive effects of buprenorphine treatment (BT) on opioid use disorder (OUD) at a Nishnawbe Aski Nation high school clinic. DESIGN: Postgraduation telephone survey of high school students between March 2017 and January 2018. SETTING: Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School in Thunder Bay, Ont. PARTICIPANTS: All 44 students who had received BT in the high school clinic during its operation from 2011 to 2013 were eligible to participate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Current substance use, BT status, and social and employment status. RESULTS: Thirty-eight of the 44 students who had received BT in the high school clinic were located and approached; 32 consented to participate in the survey. A descriptive analysis of the surveyed indicators was undertaken. Almost two-thirds (n = 20, 62.5%) of the cohort had graduated from high school, more than one-third (n = 12, 37.5%) were employed full time, and most (n = 29, 90.6%) rated their health as "good" or "OK." A greater percentage of participants who continued taking BT after high school (n = 19, 61.3%) were employed full time (n = 8, 42.1% vs n = 4, 33.3%) and were abstinent from alcohol (n = 12, 63.2% vs n = 4, 33.3%). Participants still taking BT were significantly more likely to have obtained addiction counseling in the past year than those participants not in treatment (n = 9, 47.4% vs n = 1, 8.3%; P = .0464). CONCLUSION: The study results suggest that offering OUD treatment to youth in the form of BT in a high school clinic might be an effective strategy for promoting positive long-term health and social outcomes. Clinical treatment guidelines currently recommend long-term opioid agonist treatment as the treatment of choice for OUD in the general population; they should consider adding youth to the population that might also benefit.

The experiences of Indigenous people with cancer in Saskatchewan: a patient-oriented qualitative study using a sharing circle.

BACKGROUND: Although disparities in cancer rates, later diagnoses and lower survival rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people have been documented, little is known about how Indigenous patients with cancer encounter the health care system. We explored perceptions and experiences of Indigenous patients with cancer and their families to understand better how 2 key concepts - trust and world view - influence cancer care decisions. METHODS: In this patient-oriented study that included participation of 2 patient partners, qualitative data were collected from Indigenous patients with cancer and their families using an Indigenous method of sharing circles. The sharing circle occurred at a culturally appropriate place, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Saskatoon, on Sept. 22, 2017. The first patient partner started the sharing circle by sharing their cancer journey, thus engaging the Indigenous methodology of storytelling. This patient partner was involved in selecting the data collection method and recruiting participants through snowballing and social media. Trust and world view were employed as meta themes to guide our examination of the data. In keeping with Indigenous methodology, interview transcripts were analyzed using narrative analysis. The themes were reviewed and verified by a second Indigenous patient partner. RESULTS: There were 14 participants in the sharing circle. The 2 meta themes, trust and world view, comprised 8 subthemes. The meta theme trust included mistrust with diagnosis and Western treatment after cancer therapy, protection of Indigenous medicine and physician expertise with treatment recommendations. The world view meta theme included the following subthemes: best of both worlds, spiritual beliefs, required to be strong for family and importance of knowing Indigenous survivors. INTERPRETATION: This study displayed complex relations between trust and world view in the cancer journeys of Indigenous patients and their families. These findings may assist health care providers in gaining a better understanding of how trust and world view affect the decision-making of Indigenous patients regarding cancer care.