Collaborating with Indigenous Peoples and communities

Understand the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization on Indigenous health.

• The ICHP website contains a comprehensive compilation of resources on these topics.
• The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health offers a wealth of resources related to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples.
• It also may be worth visiting the Indigenous Health Data and Aging Research page at McMaster University.
• A range of cultural safety courses are available, including one from San’yas.

Apply wise Indigenous health research practices, such as Indigenous data sovereignty.

• Foundational texts on Indigenous health research methodology include Research is Ceremony by Shawn Wilson and Decolonizing Methodologies by Linda Tuhiwai Smith.
• A recent webinar series, produced by the ICHP in partnership with Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services and Noojmowin Teg Health Centre, may also prove helpful. 
• For more information about conducting research in partnership with Indigenous communities, we recommend this free course from Queen’s.
• The First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) also offers a course on the First Nations data governance principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP®).

Take the time required to work in a good way.

• Trusting and meaningful relationships between researchers and community members takes time – it is best to plan accordingly.
• Likewise, meaningful research partnerships with Indigenous communities begin at the project design stage (identifying a topic, defining a research question, choosing the methodology and methods) and encompasses the entirety of the project, up to and including knowledge translation and the dissemination of results – again, its best to leave time for collaboration and coordination.