Listening to First Nations women’ expressions of heart health: mite achimowin digital storytelling study

Abstract

Historically, heart health was approached holistically by First Nations (FN) peoples, which was integrated into daily living. Caring for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of individuals, community, family, and the living environment was integral. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada demonstrates the decimation of health practices through governmental policy to destroy the cultural foundations of FN peoples. Relational systems and ways of living were outlawed, and the health of FN people suffered. A digital storytelling study collaborated with Manitoba FN women with lived experience of caring for a biomedical-diagnosed heart condition. The objective was to identify concepts, language, and experiences of heart health among FN women. Six women created five digital stories; four are available publically online. Themes addressed by the storytellers include: changes to diet and lifestyle, related health conditions, experiences with healthcare system, residential schools, and relationships with children and grandchildren. The intersection of Western and FN knowledges heard in the women's stories suggests heart health knowledge and care is embedded within historical and social contexts. Insights into the non-dichotomous relationship between FN and biomedical knowledge of heart health, along with their conceptualisations of heart, suggests historical and social roots underlying heart health issues First Nations women face.

Elevating the uses of storytelling approaches within Indigenous health research: a critical and participatory scoping review protocol involving Indigenous people and settlers

“…We define the concept of storytelling as participant-driven and created story-centered narratives [ 15 ]. Storytelling approaches can include, but are not limited to, sharing circles that invite a story [ 18 ], digital storytelling [ 5 ], yarning as a conversational process [ 25 ], Pūrākau [ 40 ], and storytelling in narrative inquiry [ 23 ]. A more detailed list of relevant storytelling approaches and terminology will be gathered through our Relational Network discussions and our literature review.…”

“…In Canada, the Tri-Council Policy Statement [ 2 , 3 ] clearly outlines that research concerning Indigenous peoples must be respectful, involving engagement and collaboration and resulting in reciprocal relationships. Within Indigenous health research, storytelling has emerged as an approach that acknowledges Indigenous oral traditions, creates spaces to share wholistic knowledge about health and illness experiences, and invites community involvement [ 4 , 5 ]. As a research method, storytelling privileges the voices of those often marginalized and silenced within society; thus, it can be a powerful decolonizing approach [ 4 ].…”

“…The arts can engage people physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and spiritually and provide a vessel for holistic knowledge, which is harmonious with Indigenous values and history. There are numerous examples of storytelling in Indigenous health research which demonstrate its potential for illuminating Indigenous knowledge and practices [ 5 , 15 , 22 – 25 ]. For example, researchers have used storytelling in a participatory action research project to engage with the community and understand Inuit peoples’ experiences of living with diabetes [ 22 ].…”

“…Digital storytelling, which involves the creation of a 3–5-min video using multimedia materials (i.e., narrative, photographs, music) to tell a personal story, is increasingly being used in Indigenous health research [ 26 , 27 ]. Fontaine, Wood, Forbes, and Schultz [ 5 ] used digital storytelling to collaborate with First Nations’ women with experiences of a heart condition to understand concepts, language, and experiences about their heart health. Other members of this current research team found a digital storytelling workshop to be instrumental in engaging with First Nations’ women about their experiences with breast cancer [ 28 ].…”

Digital Storytelling as a Patient Engagement and Research Approach With First Nations Women: How the Medicine Wheel Guided Our Debwewin Journey

“…The stories can also be used to share the study findings with patients, health care providers, policy makers, and academics. In previous research, digital storytelling has engaged the community, illuminated issues of importance to participants, meaningfully captured participants' complex experiences, and provided an engaging mode to share research findings (Bennett, 2016;Fontaine et al, 2019;Goopy and Kassan, 2019;Gubrium et al, 2016;Hammond et al, 2018).…”