COVID-19 Pandemic:
realities and needs of First Nations
living in urban area
principal investigators
Amanda Canapé, Marie-Eve Poitras,
Kate Bacon,
Sharon Hatcher
Funding
Research Chair in Optimal Professional Practices
in Primary Care
study setting
Saguenay Native Friendship Center
themes
COVID-19, First Nations, urban environment, needs, Indigenous people
Co-construction and storytelling
This project's co-construction and storytelling collaboration with the Saguenay Native Friendship Centre (now Centre Mamik) is based on a co-construction and culturally safe intervention approach. Several meetings were held to identify the expectations and needs of the center's members and those of the research team before launching the study.
In Aboriginal culture, events and discussion points are brought to life through storytelling, and this is how the team gathered various testimonies on the needs of the urban Aboriginal community in Saguenay during the COVID-19 pandemic. The infographic below illustrates the development of the relationship between the research team and the Saguenay Native Friendship Centre, as well as the stages and spin-offs of the project.
Why?
According to the Statistics Canada census, approximately 6,500 Indigenous people, including 1,760 First Nations people, live in the Saguenay region. Most come from the Innu and Atikamekw communities. The third alternate between the city and the community, and the majority come for studies or work. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible to believe that the issues and their needs are even more significant. Responding to needs means better understanding the concerns, services available and service gaps Aboriginal people perceive. The current COVID-19 pandemic may be difficult for Indigenous people to perceive. This project stems from a need for the Saguenay Native Friendship Center to understand better the needs of the Aboriginal people attending the center to offer services that meet these needs. Thus, this incredible adventure started in the winter of 2020.
What are our goals?
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Describe the needs of members of Aboriginal people living in urban areas in the COVID-19 pandemic context.
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Prioritize needs that can be met by CAAS representatives in partnership with CIUSSS representatives from SLSJ.
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Develop strategies and service offerings that could better meet the needs of Indigenous members living in urban areas in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How?
This descriptive qualitative participatory research was carried out through sharing circles, a methodology based on Aboriginal cultural principles where everyone comes together and discusses a topic. The sharing circles made it possible to collect the ideas and suggestions of Aboriginal people living in urban areas about the four spheres of the health of Aboriginal culture: spiritual, mental, physical and emotional. Thus, five meetings took place: 3 in presence and 2 with a digital platform to comply with health instructions. Finally, a web survey Survey Monkey was posted online, where participants could prioritize the development of the desired services.
What results have we had so far?
At the end of the data collection and analysis, the team could establish the needs that an appropriate service offer must meet. Among the elements that the participants mentioned, we note, among other things, an accompaniment service with an interpreter during hospital visits, online workshops on various themes related to Aboriginal culture and for entertainment, Ashapituan and a gathering place in a natural environment as well as the distribution of food baskets.
Part of the research team and participants during the Sharing Circle with the elder Marcel Pwtitkwe, October 2020.
Résultats
Au terme de la collecte des données et des analyses de celles-ci, il a été possible pour l’équipe d’établir les besoins qui doivent être comblés par une offre de services appropriée. Parmi les éléments ayant été mentionnés par les personnes participantes, on note entres autres un service d’accompagnement avec interprète lors de visites à l’hôpital, des ateliers en ligne sur des thèmes variés en lien avec la culture autochtone et pour se divertir, un shapituan et un lieu de rassemblement en milieu naturel, ainsi que la distribution de paniers alimentaires.
Poster presenting the results of the study
You can browse the different stages of the project and the results through this poster. It also won the Public's Favorite award during the Réseau-1 Québec Annual Day in June 2021!
Scoping review: Culturally safe interventions for support for chronic diseases among aboriginal people living in Urban
principal investigators
Amanda Canapé, Marie-Eve Poitras,
Kate Bacon,
Sharon Hatcher
Funding
Research Chair in Optimal Professional Practices
in Primary Care
study setting
Saguenay
themes
First Nations,
Urban, Needs, Indigenous, Primary Care
Scientific article
The scientific article reporting the study results is a fine collaboration with Kate Bacon and Amanda Canapé (members of the former Saguenay Native Friendship Centre) and is available in English.
What are our goals?
This literature review aimed to identify existing frameworks or innovations that are culturally appropriate for First Nations people in managing their chronic diseases in a primary care setting. We extracted from the study culturally safe interventions to deploy and strategies for integrating the perception of Aboriginal patients into improving front-line care!
Results
The infographic below outlines the study methodology and findings. Strategies were identified to meet the needs of chronically ill urban Aboriginals in the different spheres of holistic health. Please note that since the entire article was written in English, the infographic is only available in that language.
For further information, don't hesitate to contact the team, and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have about the project!
Click here to access the high-resolution pdf!
