“Every One of Us Is a Strand in That Basket”: Weaving Together Stories of Indigenous Wellness and Resilience From the Perspective of Those With Lived and Living Experience With HIV/Hepatitis C Virus

Abstract

This article primarily focuses on the stories shared by Indigenous women with living and/or lived experiences of HIV/hepatitis C virus from the Vancouver Downtown East Side who attended the "Awakening our Wisdom" retreat. Weaving together the story of an Indigenous approach to research that informed the design of the retreat and the findings that emerged, a basket is formed that highlights the ways settler-colonialism within Canada has produced a system of health care that has neglected the Indigenous experience. The emerging themes of Connection, Disconnection, and Reconnection offers teachings for Indigenous journeys of resilience and wellness for those living with HIV/hepatitis C virus. These findings may help health care practitioners identify health care places and spaces that are in need of decolonization and offer, from an Indigenous perspective, the next steps forward for a health care system that promotes Indigenous engagement and retention in care.

Thinking With Community: A Critique of Resilience and Well-being

“…More so, activism, support groups, and other avenues to uphold their strengths and self-determination, and empower resilience, could be stifled in the face of limited resources or inequities. Among studies included in this issue, the theme of interpersonal relationships in supporting or hindering resilience is made apparent (Heidebrecht et al, 2022; Hollingdrake et al, 2022; Ojukwu et al, 2022; Williams et al, 2022).…”

“…What if we look for alternatives to preconceived ideas of what resilience looks like? Ambrose et al (2022), Heidebrecht et al (2022), Hollingdrake et al (2022), and Koch et al (2022) speak about reciprocity and disruptions as elements of resilience. This notion of reciprocity is not just the person who has to be resilient but something more that happens across socioecological levels.…”

“…Holistic health approaches empower resilience; thus, policies that support innovative and diverse treatment strategies will positively influence resilience. In this special issue, we are pleased to note studies which examined the conceptualizations, perceptions, manifestations of, and interventions to promote resilience within unique racial (Koch et al, 2022; Ojukwu et al, 2022), ethnic (Heidebrecht et al, 2022; Williams et al, 2022), gender (Ambrose et al, 2022; Koch et al, 2022; Ojukwu et al, 2022; Williams et al, 2022), aging groups of people living with HIV (Didero et al, 2022; Fazeli et al, 2022; Oliveira et al, 2022; Oursler et al, 2022) and intersections of these (Koch et al, 2022; Ojukwu et al, 2022; Williams et al, 2022). These marginalized groups remain widely understudied.…”