Well-being Of Indigenous Communities Research Articles

A wellbeing perspective of Indigenous tourism in Sri Lanka

COVID-19 has impacted severely on all sectors of the tourism industry. However, only a handful of studies have investigated how Indigenous communities and their tourism operations have coped during the pandemic. We offer a Spaces of Wellbeing perspective that is novel in the context of Indigenous tourism research and addresses alternative frameworks that consider the wellbeing of Indigenous communities. This should be central to our understanding of sustainable tourism development and the building of resilient tourism operations. Through a collaborative research partnership built on trust, and respect for traditional social ranks, explored this framework in conversational walk-along interviews to raise how the wellbeing spaces of the Vedda people in Sri Lanka were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We Need to Live off the Land": An Exploration and Conceptualization of Community-Based Indigenous Food Sovereignty Experiences and Practices.

Although Indigenous food systems are sustainable in nature, many of these systems have been forcibly altered among Indigenous communities within Canada, as a consequence of colonization. Indigenous Food Sovereignty (IFS) movements work to counteract the dismantling of Indigenous food systems as well as the negative health impacts of environmental dispossession experienced by Indigenous communities. Through community-based participatory research methodologies and the utilization of Etuaptmumk, or two-eyed seeing, this research project explored community perspectives of IFS in Western Canada. Reflexive thematic analysis of qualitative data collected during a sharing circle held with community members identified the influence of Indigenous Knowledge and community support on three main aspects of Indigenous food sovereignty, including (1) environmental concerns, (2) sustainable practices and (3) a strong relationship with the land and waters. Through the sharing of stories and memories related to traditional foods and current sovereignty projects, community members identified concerns for their local ecosystem as well as a desire to preserve its natural state for generations to come. The strengthening of IFS movements is critical to the overall wellbeing of Indigenous communities within Canada. Support is needed for movements that honour relationships with traditional foods and recognize traditional lands and waters as necessary for healing and sustaining the health of Indigenous communities.

The Well-Being of Indigenous Communities in the Pacific Northwest: Anthropometric Evidence from British Columbia’s Jails, 1864-1913

The Well-Being of Indigenous Communities in the Pacific Northwest: Anthropometric Evidence from British Columbia’s Jails, 1864-1913

Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Indigenous Communities: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians.

Indigenous peoples in the United States experience many health disparities and barriers to accessing health care services. In addition, Indigenous communities experience poor social drivers of health, including disproportionately high rates of food insecurity, violence, and poverty, among others. These challenges are unsurprising, given historical societal discrimination toward Indigenous peoples and government policies of violence, forced relocation with loss of ancestral home, and erasure of cultures and traditions. Indigenous peoples have displayed resilience that has sustained their communities through these hardships. Through treaties between the federal government and Indigenous nations, the federal government has assumed a trust responsibility to provide for the health and well-being of Indigenous populations through the direct provision of health care services and financial support of tribally operated health systems. However, despite serving a population that has endured substantial historical trauma and subsequent health issues, federal programs serving Indigenous peoples receive inadequate federal funding and substantially fewer resources compared with other federal health care programs. Access to care is further challenged by geographic isolation and health care workforce vacancies. Given the history of Indigenous peoples in the United States and their treatment by the federal government and society, the American College of Physicians (ACP) asserts the federal government must faithfully execute its trust responsibility through increased funding and resources directed toward Indigenous communities and the undertaking of concerted policy efforts to support the health and well-being of Indigenous people. ACP believes that these efforts must be community-driven, Indigenous-led, and culturally appropriate and accepted, and center values of respect and self-determination.

78.2 Impact of Climate Change on the Health and Well-Being of Indigenous Communities in Australia

78.2 Impact of Climate Change on the Health and Well-Being of Indigenous Communities in Australia

Impact on mental health and wellbeing in Indigenous communities due to land loss resulting from industrial resource development: protocol for a systematic review

BackgroundIndigenous Peoples are impacted by industrial resource development that takes place on, or near, their communities. Existing literature on impacts of industrial resource development on Indigenous Peoples primarily focus on physical health outcomes and rarely focus on the mental health impacts. To understand the full range of long-term and anticipated health impacts of industrial resource development on Indigenous communities, mental health impacts must be examined. It is well-established that there is a connection between the environment and Indigenous wellbeing, across interrelated dimensions of mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health.MethodsThis paper identifies how the Community Advisory Team and a team of Indigenous and settler scholars will conduct the review. The literature search will use the OVID interface to search Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Global Health databases. Non-indexed peer-reviewed journals related to Indigenous health or research will be scanned. Books and book chapters will be identified in the Scopus and PsycINFO databases. The grey literature search will also include Google and be limited to reports published by government, academic, and non-profit organizations. Reference lists of key publications will be checked for additional relevant publications, including theses, dissertations, reports, and other articles not retrieved in the online searches. Additional sources may be recommended by team members. Included documents will focus on Indigenous Peoples in North America, South America, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Circumpolar regions, research that reports on mental health, and research that is based on land loss connected to dams, mines, agriculture, or petroleum development. Literature that meets the inclusion criteria will be screened at the title/abstract and full-text stages by two team members in Covidence. The included literature will be rated with a quality appraisal tool and information will be extracted by two team members; a consensus of information will be reached and be submitted for analysis.DiscussionThe synthesized evidence from this review is relevant for land use policy, health impact assessments, economic development, mental health service planning, and communities engaging in development projects.Systematic review registrationRegistered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; Registration number CRD42021253720)

Changes in Sharing and Participation are Important Predictors of the Health of Traditional Harvest Practices in Indigenous Communities in Alaska

The well-being of Indigenous communities in Alaska is inextricably linked to traditional harvest practices (THPs) such as hunting, fishing, and gathering local wild foods. Regional trends in the health of THPs have not been quantitatively evaluated in Alaska. Therefore, we surveyed Indigenous residents in the Western Coastal (n = 623) and Interior (n = 437) Regions of Alaska to estimate perceptions of the extent and cause of change in the health of THPs over the last ten years. We found that THPs improved in Western Coastal and declined in Interior Alaska. The best predictors of improvement or decline in the health of THPs were 1) change in the ability to share the harvest, 2) change in participation in hunting and fishing activities, and 3) extent of challenges caused by climate change. The odds of a decline in the health of THPs were 8 to 13 times higher for households that reported a decrease in sharing of traditional foods.

Ethnic Identity and Self-Esteem as Mediators of the Effects of Cultural Involvement on the Wellbeing of Indigenous Andean People

Evaluate the relationship between the cultural involvement and the different dimensions of the Lickan-Antay well-being, as well as the possible mediating effect of ethnic identity and the self-esteem in this relationship. An observational design was used. Three hundred ninety-five Lickan-Antay adult men and women residing in Lickan-Antay development areas and in two cities and northern Chile participated. The variables well-being, Lickan-Antay cultural involvement, self-esteem, and ethnic identity were measured with validated ad hoc scales and with good fit indicators. Cultural involvement has a positive direct effect on dimensions of Lickan-Antay well-being, and total and specific indirect effects on all dimensions of Lickan-Antay well-being, through self-esteem and ethnic identity. Self-esteem and ethnic identity explain an important part of the relationship between cultural involvement and the different dimensions of Lickan-Antay well-being. The results were discussed in the light of previous theories on cultural involvement, ethnic identity, and self-esteem and their relationship with well-being in indigenous communities, recognizing the particularities of these last ones in the Andean Latin American context.

COVID-19, MEDICAL CARE, AND DATA SOVEREIGNTY

Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic, Native American communities were not only heavily impacted by the virus but other socioeconomic factors as well. The Navajo Nation was at the forefront, setting an example for the United States and general public on establishing policies and ground efforts to minimize the spread of the virus through Navajo land. However, as the virus spread, it also revealed the interconnectedness surrounding Indigenous communities and Indigenous women. Through the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Movement, researchers found a lack of data as reports present unreliable and underreported information involving racial misclassification and data genocide. Data regarding Indigenous community COVID-19 statistics reflect historical trauma, especially in the exclusion of Indigenous communities from data sets and analyses used to make health policy decisions. I conclude this article by emphasizing the necessity of including Indigenous sovereign bodies in the dispersal of gathered data sets and establishing an amicable relationship promoting the well-being of Indigenous communities between social scientists and Native communities.

Retrieving Intangibility, Stemming Biodiversity Loss: The Case of Sacred Places in Venda, Northern South Africa

Sacred sites and landscapes mirror indigenous peoples’ identity, well-being and sense of place. In Venda, northern South Africa, such places are preserved through myths and legends. Following a scoping study, which also involved engagement with indigenous communities, we reveal how human-driven destruction of biodiversity contributes towards significant losses of such heritage. Large-scale agriculture, mining and commercial plantations around Thathe forest, Lake Fundudzi and Phiphidi waterfalls are not only destroying these places, but also impoverishing indigenous peoples. This is not sustainable from the perspective of heritage conservation, survival and well-being of indigenous communities. Recognising intangible values expressed through myths and legends is necessary in heritage conservation and in addressing some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Where are the opportunities to address system barriers preventing equitable cardiovascular outcomes for indigenous populations?

The health and wellbeing of indigenous communities across the globe are affected by the substantial burden of cardiovascular disease.1–3 Burden disproportionally sits with younger indigenous people compared with non-indigenous populations, affecting the cultural, social, and economic strength of communities.

Indigenous perspectives on wellness and health in Canada: study protocol for a scoping review

BackgroundIndigenous communities are often portrayed from a deficit-based lens; however, Indigenous communities have self-determined perspectives of health and well-being that are strength based. The objective of this study will be to systematically map the literature on perspectives, concepts, and constructs of wellness and well-being in Indigenous communities in Canada.MethodsA scoping review protocol was designed following the Arksey and O’Malley framework. We will search the following electronic databases (from inception onwards): MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, Anthropology Plus, Bibliography of Native North Americans, Canadian Business and Current Affairs, and Circumpolar Health Bibliographic Database. Grey literature will be identified through searching dissertation databases, Google Scholar, and conference abstracts. We will include all types of literature in English, published and unpublished, including any study design, reviews and meta-analyses, dissertations, reports, and books. The literature considered should describe or reflect Indigenous perspectives that identify concepts or constructs related to well-being or wellness; literature can be from any setting in Canada. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text reports, and abstract data. Data analysis will involve quantitative descriptions (e.g. frequencies) and qualitative content analysis methods.DiscussionThis review will provide a synthesis of the literature on Indigenous perspectives, concepts, and constructs of wellness and well-being in Canada. We anticipate the study will contribute to improve our understanding of how Indigenous communities conceptualize and embody wellness. Our findings will provide a basis for engaging Indigenous stakeholders in future health research and informing future interpretations of how wellness is conceptualized, whether written or unwritten.

Impacts of Environmental Changes on Well-Being in Indigenous Communities in Eastern Canada.

Climate change and natural resource exploitation can affect Indigenous people’s well-being by reducing access to ecosystem services, in turn impeding transmission of traditional knowledge and causing mental health problems. We used a questionnaire based on the Environmental Distress Scale (EDS) and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) to examine the impacts of environmental changes on 251 members of four Indigenous communities in the eastern Canadian boreal forest. We also considered the potential mitigating effects of sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, parenthood, and time spent on the land) and protective factors (i.e., health, quality of life, resilience, life on the land, life in the community, and support from family and friends). Using linear regression, model selection, and multi-model inference, we show that the felt impacts of environmental changes increased with age but were lower for participants with higher quality of life. The effect of resilience was opposite to expectations: more resilient participants felt more impacts. This could be because less resilient individuals ceased to go on the land when environmental changes exceeded a given threshold; thus, only the most resilient participants could testify to the impacts of acute changes. Further research will be needed to test this hypothesis.

Our Shared Relationship with Land and Water: Perspectives from the Mayangna and the Anishinaabe

The health and well-being of Indigenous communities are deeply connected to respect for the rights of nature. This relationship is informed by their unique knowledge systems which view the world as an interdependent unity of beings with their environment. Drawing on concepts from ecopsychology, interviews with Indigenous peoples and Elders in the Bosawas Reserve (Nicaragua) and the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation (Canada), and qualitative research conducted by the authors, this paper presents a comparative case study analysis of the experience of Mayangna communities around issues of forest protection and Anishinaabe perspectives on water. For the Mayangna peoples, the health of their communities is intrinsically connected to respect for Mother Earth. They struggle for enforcement of existing laws to prevent the deforestation of the Bosawas Reserve, home to their communities and to diverse ecosystems. Similarly, for First Nations peoples in Canada, water, the lifeblood of Mother Earth, is essential for the preservation of a traditional and contemporary way of life. For many of these communities, a lack of water security is a persistent problem which influences all aspects of life. Codified in Indigenous knowledge systems and taught by First Nations Elders are teachings for balanced relationships with creation—behavior necessary for survival and to ensure sustainability for future generations. These cases point to the need for a decolonizing framework to resource management, calling for holistic and participatory perspectives to governance, and recognition of spiritual and cultural relationships with nature.

Tradition and modernity side-by-side: experiential tourism among Quechua communities

ABSTRACTExperiential tourism can be a catalyst for enhancing the wellbeing of indigenous communities. Yet, experiential tourism is a conundrum as cultural adaption to increase tourists’ satisfaction can threaten authenticity. This study examined the dialectic between experiential tourism and traditional culture among seven Quechua communities in Peru offering experiential tourism, by addressing three questions: (1) What is the perceived the role of ancestral traditions in experiential tourism? (2) To what extent modernism permeates into their lifestyles?, and (3) How do they negotiate ancestral traditions and modernism? Data collected in 2015 revealed that locals involved in tourism considered a priority to keep their ancestral traditions alive by passing them on to new generations; those not involved in tourism are less compliant of cultural authenticity. As a result, study communities showed signs of acculturation, syncretism and re-authentication. Findings also revealed that tourism is perceived as the catalyst for keeping and recovering traditional cultural manifestations, while modernism of certain practices is a necessity. This study contributes to the tourism scholarship by stressing the necessity to negotiate the coexistence of modernity and traditions in experiential tourism. Findings also elucidate policy and marketing suggestions to increase the positive effect of experiential tourism in heritage preservation.

Braiding Strands of Wellness

Drawing on Anishinabe concepts of holistic health and well-being, this article explores ways that repatriation of ancestral remains and cultural items can contribute to healing and well-being in Indigenous communities. The focus is on “Indigenous storywork” and embodied practices amongst those who are engaged in reclaiming ancestral remains and cultural items, with examples from the author’s experience in repatriation, reburial, and reclaiming cultural heritage. The author describes her work developing a graphic narrative about repatriation as a method of storywork. She describes her use of comics and other storywork practices in teaching, and as a means of bringing Indigenous teaching and learning practices into higher education.

Picturing health: health advocates for Indigenous communities in British Columbia, Canada

Photographer Philomena Hughes, working with Nadine Caron and Indigenous communities in northern British Columbia, Canada, has taken this series of photographs of people involved in supporting the health and wellbeing of Indigenous communities in this region. All the pictures were taken around Prince George, BC.

Change Pathways in Indigenous and Nonindigenous Youth Suicide.

Multivariate dynamic relationships among suicide attempts, anxiety and/or depressive symptoms, hope, and help-seeking were examined across time in Native Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian adolescents, using data from a 5-year longitudinal cohort study (N=7,317). The rate of suicide attempts decreased over time, but this reduction was significantly less among Native Hawaiian youth than their non-Hawaiian peers. There were also significant differences between groups in hope and help-seeking, with Native Hawaiian youth increasing help-seeking and decreasing hope to a greater degree. Youth-centered, cultural approaches to suicide prevention are essential in enhancing well-being in indigenous communities.

Student Health and Well-Being in Indigenous Communities: “No One Is Healed Until Everyone Is Healed”

In this interview, Maggie MacDonnell, recipient of the 2017 Global Teacher Prize, discusses how growing up near a First Nations reserve in Nova Scotia opened her eyes to inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. She talks about the influence of Moses Coady, who instilled in her an appreciation for co-operative development, and T’hohahoken Michael Doxtater, an Indigenous scholar at McGill University, whose message, “No one is healed until everyone is healed,” she did not fully appreciate until she began working in the Inuit village of Salluit. She describes the life situation of the youth living in this kind of closed community where addiction and violence often become part of their everyday experience. Her interventions with this group of at-risk youth have helped decrease the school drop-out rate, improve students’ work and social skills, and raise awareness about suicide prevention. She concludes by giving advice to teachers who may be interested in working with students in remote communities.

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Australian Army’s Aboriginal Community Assistance Program from a Military Participant Perspective

Study/Objective Evaluating the effectiveness of the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Programs (AACAPs) from a military participant perspective provides the objective of this research. The study will identify areas of concern and provide guidance on current military policy, doctrine and protocol. Background Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Programs (AACAPs) represent a co-operative initiative between the Australian Army and Australian Government, that delivers complex support for Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Assistance (HA/DR) to improve the health and well-being of indigenous communities. Since 1997, the Army has conducted a number of AACAPs in remote Indigenous communities within continental Australia. No previous evaluations of these programs exist. Methods A ‘Quality Improvement’ study underpins this evaluation. Shewhart’s “Plan, Do, Study, Act” Model provides the guiding framework for the study. Allen’s Logic Model exemplifies the most appropriate framework to articulate the program needs and objectives, and to delineate the processes inherent in the program for this evaluation. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) evaluation model for public health programs, provides the evaluation standards to examine the delivery of health care to the deployed force in an austere environment. Part 1 of the study will be a desktop examination of current military policy, doctrine and protocol relating to AACAP. Part 2 will overlay personal experience from military participants in the AACAPs through a semi-structured interview, to enable deployed health personnel the opportunity to comment on their experiences. Analysis will comprise quantitative and qualitative method, specifically descriptive statistics and thematic analysis respectively. Army has approved all required governance, and ethics approval will be sought from Monash University. Results This is a proposed study, no results are available. Conclusion The benefit of this research will be gaining new knowledge with context of a humanitarian focused military task, through the lens of quality improvement to build capacity and enhance capability.