Best Practices to Support the Self-Determination of Indigenous Communities, Collectives, and Organizations in Health Research through a Provincial Health Research Network Environment in British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

In Canada, the health research funding landscape limits the self-determination of Indigenous peoples in multiple ways, including institutional eligibility, priority setting, and institutional structures that deprioritize Indigenous knowledges. However, Indigenous-led research networks represent a promising approach to transforming the funding landscape to better support the self-determination of Indigenous peoples in health research. The British Columbia Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (BC NEIHR) is one of nine Indigenous-led networks across Canada that supports research leadership among Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) communities, collectives, and organizations (ICCOs). In this paper, we share three best practices to support the self-determination of ICCOs in health research based on three years of operating the BC NEIHR: (1) creating capacity-bridging initiatives to overcome funding barriers; (2) building relational research relationships with ICCOs (“people on the ground”); and (3) establishing a network of partnerships and collaborations to support ICCO self-determination. Supporting the self-determination of ICCOs and enabling them to lead their own health research is a critical pathway toward transforming the way Indigenous health research is funded and conducted in Canada.

Indigenous Health Research Mentorship within Post-Secondary Institutions in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand: A Scoping Review

“…Indigenous mentorship in post-secondary institutions is identified as a critical component in not only the academic and personal growth of students, ECRs, IHRs, and faculty members, but also facilitates a richness of cultural wealth, identity, and supports confident Indigenous health leaders to actively pursue health research and projects that would benefit their community(ies) [8,15,19]. In Canada, the creation of Indigenous mentorship programs such as the Launching Native Health Leaders (LNHL), Indigenous Capacity and Development Research Environments (ICDRE), and the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR) are examples of catalysts that not only provide meaningful mentorship spaces for Indigenous students, scholars and ECRS, but also increase Indigenous representations in health and research fields [7,20].…”