Sharing our wisdom: a holistic aboriginal health initiative
Colonization has had a profound effect on Aboriginal people’s health and the deterioration of traditional Aboriginal healthcare systems. Health problems among Aboriginal people are increasing at an alarming pace, while recovery from these problems tends to be poorer than among other Canadians. Abori...
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University of Victoria
2016
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ftarcabc:oai:arcabc.ca:dc_43842 2024-06-02T08:06:42+00:00 Sharing our wisdom: a holistic aboriginal health initiative Howell, Teresa (howellt) (Author) Auger, Monique (Author) Gomes, Tonya (Author) Brown, Francis L. (Author) Leon, Alannah Y. (Author) (Author) 2016 https://arcabc.ca/islandora/object/dc%3A43842 https://doi.org/10.18357/ijih111201616015 English eng University of Victoria International Journal of Indigenous Health https://arcabc.ca/islandora/object/dc%3A43842 dc:43842 uuid: ada19dfe-2b9b-480b-8f7e-84a0a86591b3 issn: 2291-9368 doi:10.18357/ijih111201616015 https://doi.org/10.18357/ijih111201616015 © 2016. Authors http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Indigenous peoples--Medicine--Canada First Nations--Medicine--Canada Indigenous peoples--Health and hygiene--Canada Indigenous peoples--Urban residence--Canada First Nations--Health and hygiene--Canada First Nations--Urban residence--Canada Ethnoscience--Canada Urban health--Canada Spiritual healing--Canada Holistic medicine--Canada Traditional medicine--Canada article Text 2016 ftarcabc https://doi.org/10.18357/ijih111201616015 2024-05-06T00:30:44Z Colonization has had a profound effect on Aboriginal people’s health and the deterioration of traditional Aboriginal healthcare systems. Health problems among Aboriginal people are increasing at an alarming pace, while recovery from these problems tends to be poorer than among other Canadians. Aboriginal people residing in urban settings, while maintaining strong cultural orientations, also face challenges in finding mentors, role models, and cultural services, all of which are key determinants of health. Using a participatory action framework, this study focused on understanding and describing Aboriginal traditional healing methods as viable approaches to improve health outcomes in an urban Aboriginal community. This research investigated the following questions: (a) Do traditional Aboriginal health practices provide a more meaningful way of addressing health strategies for Aboriginal people? (b) How does participation in health circles, based on Aboriginal traditional knowledge, impact the health of urban Aboriginal people? Community members who participated in this project emphasized the value of a cultural approach to health and wellness. The project provided a land-based cultural introduction to being of nə́c̓aʔmat tə šxʷqʷeləwən ct (one heart, one mind) and learning ways of respectful listening xwna:mstəm (witness) tə slaχen (medicines) (listen to the medicine), through a series of seven health circles. The circles, developed by Aboriginal knowledge keepers, fostered a healthy sense of identity for participants and demonstrated the ways of cultural belonging and community. Participants acknowledged that attending the health circles improved not only their physical health, but also their mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Peer reviewed Final article published traditional Aboriginal health practices holistic health traditional Aboriginal knowledge health inequity health outcomes community-based healing participatory action research urban Aboriginal health Article in Journal/Newspaper First Nations Arca (BC's Digital Treasures) Canada International Journal of Indigenous Health 11 1 111 132 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Arca (BC's Digital Treasures) |
op_collection_id |
ftarcabc |
language |
English |
topic |
Indigenous peoples--Medicine--Canada First Nations--Medicine--Canada Indigenous peoples--Health and hygiene--Canada Indigenous peoples--Urban residence--Canada First Nations--Health and hygiene--Canada First Nations--Urban residence--Canada Ethnoscience--Canada Urban health--Canada Spiritual healing--Canada Holistic medicine--Canada Traditional medicine--Canada |
spellingShingle |
Indigenous peoples--Medicine--Canada First Nations--Medicine--Canada Indigenous peoples--Health and hygiene--Canada Indigenous peoples--Urban residence--Canada First Nations--Health and hygiene--Canada First Nations--Urban residence--Canada Ethnoscience--Canada Urban health--Canada Spiritual healing--Canada Holistic medicine--Canada Traditional medicine--Canada Sharing our wisdom: a holistic aboriginal health initiative |
topic_facet |
Indigenous peoples--Medicine--Canada First Nations--Medicine--Canada Indigenous peoples--Health and hygiene--Canada Indigenous peoples--Urban residence--Canada First Nations--Health and hygiene--Canada First Nations--Urban residence--Canada Ethnoscience--Canada Urban health--Canada Spiritual healing--Canada Holistic medicine--Canada Traditional medicine--Canada |
description |
Colonization has had a profound effect on Aboriginal people’s health and the deterioration of traditional Aboriginal healthcare systems. Health problems among Aboriginal people are increasing at an alarming pace, while recovery from these problems tends to be poorer than among other Canadians. Aboriginal people residing in urban settings, while maintaining strong cultural orientations, also face challenges in finding mentors, role models, and cultural services, all of which are key determinants of health. Using a participatory action framework, this study focused on understanding and describing Aboriginal traditional healing methods as viable approaches to improve health outcomes in an urban Aboriginal community. This research investigated the following questions: (a) Do traditional Aboriginal health practices provide a more meaningful way of addressing health strategies for Aboriginal people? (b) How does participation in health circles, based on Aboriginal traditional knowledge, impact the health of urban Aboriginal people? Community members who participated in this project emphasized the value of a cultural approach to health and wellness. The project provided a land-based cultural introduction to being of nə́c̓aʔmat tə šxʷqʷeləwən ct (one heart, one mind) and learning ways of respectful listening xwna:mstəm (witness) tə slaχen (medicines) (listen to the medicine), through a series of seven health circles. The circles, developed by Aboriginal knowledge keepers, fostered a healthy sense of identity for participants and demonstrated the ways of cultural belonging and community. Participants acknowledged that attending the health circles improved not only their physical health, but also their mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Peer reviewed Final article published traditional Aboriginal health practices holistic health traditional Aboriginal knowledge health inequity health outcomes community-based healing participatory action research urban Aboriginal health |
author2 |
Howell, Teresa (howellt) (Author) Auger, Monique (Author) Gomes, Tonya (Author) Brown, Francis L. (Author) Leon, Alannah Y. (Author) (Author) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
title |
Sharing our wisdom: a holistic aboriginal health initiative |
title_short |
Sharing our wisdom: a holistic aboriginal health initiative |
title_full |
Sharing our wisdom: a holistic aboriginal health initiative |
title_fullStr |
Sharing our wisdom: a holistic aboriginal health initiative |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sharing our wisdom: a holistic aboriginal health initiative |
title_sort |
sharing our wisdom: a holistic aboriginal health initiative |
publisher |
University of Victoria |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://arcabc.ca/islandora/object/dc%3A43842 https://doi.org/10.18357/ijih111201616015 |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
First Nations |
genre_facet |
First Nations |
op_relation |
International Journal of Indigenous Health https://arcabc.ca/islandora/object/dc%3A43842 dc:43842 uuid: ada19dfe-2b9b-480b-8f7e-84a0a86591b3 issn: 2291-9368 doi:10.18357/ijih111201616015 https://doi.org/10.18357/ijih111201616015 |
op_rights |
© 2016. Authors http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.18357/ijih111201616015 |
container_title |
International Journal of Indigenous Health |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
111 |
op_container_end_page |
132 |
_version_ |
1800751650320678912 |