| Summary: | Indigenous People in Canada are aging faster, experience more health challenges, and report higher rates of chronic conditions earlier in life compared to the general Canadian population. Métis older adults report lower health status than their First Nations counterparts. Indigenous People living in remote and northern rural communities are likely to experience unique health challenges and report poorer health status compared to those in urban centers. Indigenous lands provide vital resources that are essential for supporting the spiritual, mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of people. For many years Métis people have lived off their traditional lands for their livelihoods and cultural meanings, which have implications for their health and wellbeing. One area has received scant attention in a growing literature highlighting these disparities is aging. Little is known of the contribution of the land and place attachment on aging well among rural Indigenous people, and even less is known for the Métis people. The purpose of this research was to investigate Métis older adults’ relationship with their land, exploring their perceptions of the influence of space and place on aging well in Île-à-la-Crosse, a community in northern Saskatchewan, using Community-based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR). Research strategies used in this thesis included a community-engaged research framework, with community members of Île-à-la-Crosse. Métis older adults (55 years and older) participated in semi-structured and spatial interviews to highlight their perceptions and attachment to their land and territory; to identify changes occurring on their land; and, to determine strategies specific to their northern Saskatchewan Métis community to age well. These strategies were complemented by Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This project elicited participants’ unique sense of place and identified land-related supports and stressors that influence older Métis adults’ attachment to place and being well. Key themes include: ...
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