Resource Tag: FIRST NATIONS

A systematic review and meta-analyses of birth outcomes among Indigenous women (predominantly from Canada, the United States and Australia) outlined factors associated with the higher risk: reduced access to standard prenatal care; inaccurate estimation of gestational age and subsequent complications of post-term pregnancies; pre-existing medical conditions; high rates of multiparity; young maternal age; marital status; […]

Developed in partnership with First Nations, the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework (the Framework) presents a shared vision for the future of First Nations mental wellness programs and services and practical steps towards achieving that vision. A response to the mental health and substance use issues that continue to be a priority concern for many […]

Mental health and substance use issues continue to be a priority concern for many First Nations communities. While there are different kinds of specific mental health issues that can affect communities, mental wellness is a broader term that can be defined as a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own […]

Many Hands, One Dream: New perspectives on the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and youth was a gathering that marked the collaborative efforts of 11 national organizations engaging a wider community to help define child health, acknowledge the barriers and strengths of the current health system, and to articulate what a desirable future […]

This document embodies an earnest intent to capture the wisdom of the approximately 200 invited leaders who attended Reconciliation: Looking Back, Reaching Forward—Indigenous Peoples and Child Welfare on October 26, 27, and 28, 2005, in Niagara Falls, Canada. It is intended to serve as a foundation for the development of community-based action plans. We offer this document as […]

Aboriginal peoples have lived in what is now Canada long before the arrival of the first European settlers. Indeed, the history of Canada would be incomplete without the stories of First Nations people, Métis and Inuit. The same is true of its future. Past censuses have emphasized two key characteristics of the Aboriginal population: that Aboriginal […]

“In a passionate call to action, Harold Johnson, Cree trapper and Crown Prosecutor, examines alcohol–its history, its myths, and its devastating impact on his community. Confronting what he calls a crime against humanity–one in every two will die an alcohol-related death in northern communities–Johnson refuses to be silent any longer. Asserting that the “lazy, drunken […]

Running title: Enjoy and share the spirit of life. We’re on a journey.

“It all comes down to making the right life choices,” says the NHL’s legendary Reggie Leach, and this intimate biography lays bare the decisions that led him to become one of the best snipers in hockey history. Nicknamed the Riverton Rifle for his thrilling speed and deadly shooting skills, Leach overcame a childhood marked by […]

Chanie, misnamed Charlie by his teachers, was a young boy who died on October 22, 1966, walking the railroad tracks, trying to escape from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School to return home. Chanie’s home was 400 miles away. He didn’t know that. He didn’t know where it was, nor how to find it, but, […]

Suicide is a concern for many Indigenous communities in Canada. Suicide rates in Canada have decreased but rates in Saskatchewan remain above the national average. In northern Saskatchewan, where First Nations and Métis people make up 85% of the population, suicide rates are well above the national rate. The majority of reported suicides in this […]

This paper brings forth the voices of adult Aboriginal First Nations community members who gathered in focus groups to discuss the problem of youth suicide on their reserves. Our approach emphasizes multilevel (e.g., individual, family, and broader ecological systems) factors viewed by participants as relevant to youth suicide. Wheaton’s conceptualization of stressors and Evans-Campbell’s multilevel […]

When freelance journalist Alexandra Shimo arrives in Kashechewan, a fly-in, northern Ontario reserve, to investigate rumours of a fabricated water crisis and document its deplorable living conditions, she finds herself drawn into the troubles of the reserve. Unable to cope with the desperate conditions, she begins to fall apart. A moving tribute to the power […]

Objectives. We evaluated the impact of a comprehensive, multitiered youth suicide prevention program among the White Mountain Apache of Arizona since its implementation in 2006. Methods. Using data from the tribally mandated Celebrating Life surveillance system, we compared the rates, numbers, and characteristics of suicide deaths and attempts from 2007 to 2012 with those from […]

The effects of unresolved trauma can be carried across generations through different pathways. The psychological, social and physiological levels (including changes at the epigenetic level) are always interacting. This workshop will concentrate on the psychological level, with a focus on how individual development, conjugal relationships and family dynamics can be burdened by the consequences of […]

The status of Canada’s First Nations is widely debated, but the debate is often based on abstract visions rather than actual evidence. Against the backdrop of the world-wide research findings on governance and economic progress, this paper marshals the empirical evidence on the factors that improve the well-being of Canada’s First Nations. Specifically, it synthesizes […]

This paper brings forth the voices of adult Aboriginal First Nations community members who gathered in focus groups to discuss the problem of youth suicide on their reserves. Our approach emphasizes multilevel (e.g., individual, family, and broader ecological systems) factors viewed by participants as relevant to youth suicide. Wheaton’s conceptualization of stressors and Evans-Campbell’s multilevel […]

Suicide rates are significantly higher among First Nations, Métis and Inuit than among the non-Aboriginal population, particularly for younger age groups. Suicidal thoughts, which precede suicide attempts and completions, have been reported to be higher in some Aboriginal groups compared to the non-Aboriginal population. This factsheet presents prevalence of lifetime and past-year suicidal thoughts among […]

Before internationally acclaimed author Joseph Boyden penned his bestselling novel Three Day Road and his Scotiabank Giller Prize–winning novel, Through Black Spruce, he published a powerful collection of thirteen stories about modern Aboriginal life that made readers and reviewers take notice. These stories of love, loss, rage and resilience match virtuosic style with clever wit […]

Indigenous Writes, Chelsea Vowel initiates myriad conversations about the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canada. An advocate for Indigenous worldviews, the author discusses the fundamental issues—the terminology of relationships; culture and identity; myth-busting; state violence; and land, learning, law and treaties—along with wider social beliefs about these issues. She answers the questions that many people […]

AlbertaÕs Child and Youth Advocate (Òthe AdvocateÓ) is an independent officer reporting directly to the Legislature of Alberta, deriving his authority from the Child and Youth Advocate Act (CYAA). The Advocate has the authority to conduct investigations into systemic issues related to the death of a child receiving designated services, or who had received Child […]

~

The notions of resilience that have emerged in developmental psychology and psychiatry in recent years require systematic rethinking to address the distinctive cultures, geographic and social settings, and histories of adversity of indigenous peoples. In Canada, the overriding social realities of indigenous peoples include their historical rootedness to a specific place (with traditional lands, communities, […]