About Us
About Us
Our Commitment: Access to Health Research
Participation and Empowerment of Aboriginal Peoples in Research to Improve Health and Well-being.
Aboriginal health continues to be a key area for research development and knowledge translation in Canada.Research and knowledge sharing are needed to address the ongoing health disparities in Canada’s Aboriginal peoples and in other indigenous societies.Health research and knowledge sharing will enable Aboriginal peoples to contribute to and indeed resolve these health issues through self-determination.
The Aboriginal Capacity and Developmental Research Environments program of the CIHR Institute of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health was launched in 2001.It was designed to address the major issue facing Aboriginal health research, namely the issue of insufficient capacity to carry out relevant research in this emerging field.This lack of capacity is apparent in the numbers of trainee researchers in the area of Aboriginal health.The lack of capacity is equally apparent in the limitations faced by Aboriginal communities in designing and carrying out health research that meets their needs.Capacity development is also needed for the wider cadre of academic health researchers to help them more effectively engage with Aboriginal peoples to address important health issues.As a network for Aboriginal health research, the Alberta NEAHRNetwork has progress to report in all three of these areas, and we continue to provide mentorship and support.However, more work needs to be done.This Network Environments for Aboriginal Health Research application will address capacity development requirements in all three of the key areas above.Our role as a network will be to facilitate, to bring people together – trainees with communities and academics – and create opportunities for research and knowledge sharing.The major themes for the new ACADRE-NEAHR grant application will include:
Transmitting the Message, Learning from Others: Knowledge transfer and exchange, community to community, community to university, and university to community, will allow the world, indigenous and non-indigenous, to know about Indigenous Peoples’ understanding of health and how to improve it.Learning from the experience of other indigenous peoples will lead to better health practice and outcomes.We have a body of knowledge developed within the network to communicate as well as to develop sustainable relationships with Indigenous communities.
Access to Health Research for Indigenous Peoples: This is a basic right of Indigenous Peoples.Health Research, conducted by and for Indigenous Peoples, represents the way forward to improving the health of Indigenous Peoples worldwide.Health research should not be relegated to the outside community; Indigenous communities need to take control of the agenda.This is the real indigenous health access theme – taking control of our own healthy future through research, capacity building and knowledge translation.Health is the end-product of capacity building.
Specific Themes: We anticipate that participatory action research projects might address the following:Access to culturally appropriate health care and services, urban and rural; Indigenous approaches to chronic conditions and care; Indigenous approaches to dealing with mental health issues; healthy living / resilience; environmental issues / connection to the land; traditional practice / healing; cultural awareness and cultural competency in health service delivery and in health research; social determinants of health – application to research and knowledge translation.
Our Principles for Aboriginal Health Research
The following principles build upon AlbertaCentre for Child, Family and Community Research (ACCFCR) values and practices, to which the AlbertaNEAHRhas contributed. Collectively, these principles form a foundation for Aboriginal health research supported by the Alberta NEAHR.
Research must benefit Aboriginal people.
Aboriginal communities should become aware of the need for health research and its potential to make a positive difference in the community. Investigators must ensure that research is conceived, structured, and communicated so that the findings will benefit, not harm, Aboriginal people and their communities.
Research must be culturally appropriate and relevant to the community.
Aboriginal research must respect and reflect the culture and traditions of Aboriginal people. Researchers must work together with the community to establish research projects with objectives that are needed and relevant to the community, as well as develop ethical guidelines that ensure that research is conducted in a culturally appropriate way and is accountable on all levels.
Research should build upon the strengths of Aboriginal people and communities.
Research on Aboriginal concerns should focus on strengths rather than problems, and in seeking to resolve problematic situations within Aboriginal communities, researchers should take their cue from the Aboriginal culture. They should seek to raise awareness among Aboriginal people that problems can be solved and that research plays an essential role in identifying and remedying them.
Aboriginal people must be full participants in the research that affects them.
Aboriginal people need to be able to participate fully in identifying the problems in their communities and in developing priorities for research into the issues that affect their lives. They should have abundant and meaningful opportunities to make decisions about this research--opportunities that respect Aboriginal culture, traditions, and ceremony.
Aboriginal research capacity must be enhanced.
Aboriginal people must play an integral part in research on issues that affect their lives and communities, but they have to have opportunities to learn about the role of research, the research process, and be taught the skills to conduct the research. An Alberta cadre of well-trained Aboriginal researchers would ideally be best equipped to conduct Aboriginal research.
Effective partnerships strengthen the potential to conduct effective Aboriginal research.
Effective partnerships with the many other groups involved in research provide the opportunity to enhance the quality of Aboriginal research. The level of expertise in conducting Aboriginal research varies among these groups, such that all partners should gain from such collaboration.
Elders must be consulted about Aboriginal research conducted in their communities.
Elders are valued and respected members of the community. They maintain and teach traditional knowledge, give a perspective on the past and the future, andensure things are done in a proper and respectful way. As leaders within their communities, they must be consulted about research that is proposed or being conducted. At least one Elder should be part of the research team and involved in all stages of the research.
The different types of Aboriginal communities must be recognized.
Aboriginal communities are diverse in their background and makeup, ranging from groups bound together by their Aboriginal heritage to groups who happen to live together in one place. Protocols can vary from one community to another; the research team need to identify and honour them when building partnerships between the Aboriginal and academic communities.
Unique cultural issues that affect Aboriginal research must be considered and accommodated during the ethics process.
Cultural issues can affect the way research is structured and the strategies used in collecting data. The AAN will support only Aboriginal health research projects that have undergone an ethics development process that addresses and accommodates unique Aboriginal cultural considerations.
Research findings about Aboriginal people must be communicated to Aboriginal communities.
Researchers must communicate their findings to the Aboriginal communities who participated in the research project in a meaningful and accessible form. Research findings must be written in plain language that is easily understandable by all. They should also be translated into indigenous languages where relevant and requested by the community.
Aboriginal communities must have ownership and control of the research findings.
The Aboriginal community who participated in the research owns the data, and has the right to control its use and dissemination. Researchers must negotiate agreements covering sample collection and storage, data storage, data sharing, and future use of the data with the communities.
NEAHR Team Members & Collaborators
NEAHR Team Members
Cora Weber-Pillwax |
University of Alberta |
Betty Bastien |
University of Calgary |
Lola Baydala |
University of Alberta |
Brenda Cameron |
University of Alberta |
Dwayne Donald |
University of Alberta |
Lauralyn Houle |
Northern Lakes College |
Gail Jardine |
University of Calgary |
Richard Long |
University of Alberta |
Brenda Parlee |
University of Alberta |
Anna Santos Salas |
University of Alberta |
Evelyn Steinhauer |
University of Alberta |
Lorna Williams |
University of Victoria |
Noreen Willows |
University of Alberta |
Daniele Behn-Smith |
University of Alberta |
Esther Tailfeathers |
Blood Tribe Clinic, Standoff |
Stanley Wilson |
University of Saskatchewan |
NEAHR Collaborators
Rita Marten |
Athabasca Tribal Corporation |
Victor Gladue |
Elder/Cree Knowledge Teacher |
Joyce Beaver-Cerny |
Michif Cultural and Resource Institute |
C. John Crier |
Pe Sakastew Healing Centre |
Alice Reid |
Bigstone Health Commission |
Gladys Cardinal |
Oski Pasikoniwew Kamik School |
Telephone
Alberta NEAHR office (University of Alberta) |
780-492-1827 |
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Abbreviation: A shortened form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole.
Acronym: A pronounceable word formed from the beginnings (letter or syllable) of other words and thus representing the phrase so formed.
NEAHR: Network Environments for Aboriginal Health Research
AADWP: Aboriginal Alcohol & Drug Worker Programme
AAHRP: Atlantic Aboriginal Health Research Program
AANSE: Aboriginal Ambassadors in the Natural Sciences and Engineering
AASLD: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
ABMRF: Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation
ACCU: Aboriginal Cancer Care Unit
ACHIEVE: ACtion for Health equity IntErVEntions
ACUNS: Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies
ACYRN: Aboriginal Community Youth Resiliency Network
ADRD: Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
AFN: Assembly of First Nations
AFSP: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
AHCAP: Aboriginal Health and Community Administration Program
AHF: Aboriginal Healing Foundation
AHIP: Aboriginal Health Initiative Program
AHRN: Arctic Health Research Network
AHS-AMHB: Alberta Health Services - Alberta Mental Health Board
AICR: Association for International Cancer Research
AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
AK-NEAHR: Anisnabe Kekendazone - Network Environments for Aboriginal Health Research
AMS: Associated Medical Services
APCFNC: Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs
ART: AntiRetroviral Therapy
AS: Autism Speaks
ASHWINI: ASsociation for Health Welfare In the Nilgiris - India
AVL: Anthropology Visualization Laboratory at the university of alberta
BBBS: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Saskatoon
BC CLEAR: British Columbia Clean Air Research
BCAAFC: British Columbia Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres
BCAAFC-PAYC: British Columbia Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres - Provincial Aboriginal Youth Council
BCEOHRN: British Columbia Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network
BCMSF: British Columbia Medical Services Foundation
BOOST: Building Opportunities, Opening Students' Tomorrows!
CAAN: Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network
CAG: Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
CAHR: Canadian Association of HIV Research
CAHR: Centre for Aboriginal Health Research
CAM: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM:
CANFAR: CANadian Foundation for Aids Research
CAP: Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
CBHSSJB: Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay
CBR: Community Based Research
CCFC: Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada
CCFF: Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
CCMB: Cancer Care ManitoBa
CCMC: Commission for Case Manager Certification
CCO: Cancer Care Ontario
CCSA: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and prevention
CEECD: Centre of Excellence for Child Development
CEO: Chief Executive Officer
CERAH: Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health
CGCRC: Canadian Glaucoma Clinical Research Council
CHEO: Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
CHPCA: Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
CHSRF: Canadian Health Services Research Foundation
CIDA: Canadian International Development Agency
CIET: Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales
CINE: Centre for Indigenous peoples' Nutrition and Environment
CIRMF: Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville
CIS: Canadian Incidence Study of reported child abuse and neglect
CISEPO: Canadian International Scientific Exchange Program
CLSC: Centres locaux de services communautaires
CMA: Canadian Medical Association
CMA: Census Metropolitan Area
CMD: Common Mental Disorders
CMHRU: Culture and Mental Health Research Unit of the department of psychiatry, jewish general hospital
CMM: Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq
CNIB: Canadian National Institute for the Blind
CBPR: Community-based Participatory Research
CO-PI: CO-Principal Investigator
COTF: Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation
CPHA: Canadian Public Health Association
CSFS: Carrier Sekani Family Services
CUISR: Community University Institute for Social Research
CV: Curriculum Vitae
CWB: Community Well-Being
CYHRNet: Child & Youth Health Research Network
DARE: Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects
DHMSA: Diploma in the History of Medicine of the Society of Apothecaries
DIAND: Department of Indian and Northern Affairs and Development
DMARD: Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug
EBL: EthnoBiology Letters
EMSC: Emergency Medical Services for Children
EoG: End-of-Grant
EVD: Electronic Video Documentary
FAE: Fetal Alcohol Effecs
FALCON: First American Land-grant College and Organization Network
FAS: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
FASD: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
FBCYICN: Federation of British Columbia Youth in Care Networks
FN: First Nation(s)
FNHC: First Nations Health Council
FNIHB: First Nations and Inuit Health Branch
FNIRHS: First Nation and Inuit Regional Health Survey
FNUC: First Nations University of Canada
FOA: Funding Opportunity Announcement
FRCPC: Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada
FSIN: Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations
FUN: Friends Uniting for Nature
GDI: Gabriel Dumont Institute
GHR: Global Health Research
GiA: Grant-in-Aid
GIHRS: Global Indigenous Health Research Symposium
GLMA: Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
HC: Health Canada
HIRD: statistics canada Health Information and Research Division
HIRGC: assembly of manitoba chiefs Health Information and Research Governance Committee
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HLN: Honouring Life Network
HLS: Hospital Libraries Section
HoPN: Health of Population Networks
ICAH: Information Centre on Aboriginal Health
ICC: Indigenous Cultural Competency
ICIHRP: International Collaborative Indigenous Health Research Partnership
ICWR: Indigenous Child Welfare Research network
IDRC: International Development Research Centre
IHMEC: International Health Medical Education Consortium
IHRDP: Indigenous Health Research Development Program
IHRKTN: Indigenous Health Research Knowledge Transfer Network
IIPS: International Institute for Population Studies
IK: Indigenous Knowledge
INAC: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
IPHRC: Indigenous Peoples' Health Research Centre
IPV: Intimate Partner Violence
IRESCO: Institute for REsearch, Socio-economic Development and Communication
ISG: Sub Group on Indigenous children and young people
ITA: Industry Training Authority
ITK: Inuit Tapirit Kanatami
IYH: It's Your Health
KSDPP: Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project
KT: Knowledge Translation
LLSC: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada
MAHC: McGill Aboriginal Healing Clinic
MCC: Medical Council of Canada
MFN CAHR: Manitoba First Nations Centre for Aboriginal Health Research
MHRG: Mi'kmaq Health Research Group
MJFF: Michael J. Fox Foundation for parkinson's disease
MLA: Medical Library Association
MNC: Metis National Council
MOHLTC: Ministry Of Health and Long Term Care
MS: Multiple Sclerosis
MSFHR: Michael Smith Foundation of Health Research
MUHC: McGill University Health Centre
MYST: McGill Youth Study Team
NAAF: National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation
NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
NADACA: Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselling Association
NADD: Novel Approaches to Drug Discovery
NAHO: National Aboriginal Health Organization
NCADI: National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
NCCAH: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health
NCE: Networks of Centres of Excellence of canada
NEAC: National Ethics Advisory Committee - New Zealand
NEAR BC: Network Environments for Aboriginal Research British Columbia
NET: New Emerging Teams
NFB: National Film Board of canada
NGC: National Guideline Clearinghouse
NICWA: National Indian Child Welfare Association
NIH: National Institutes of Health
NIMBY: Not In My BackYard
NITHA: Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority
NMHA: Native Mental Health Association
NMHRT: Native Mental Health Research Team
NNADAP: National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program
NNAPF: National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation
NOSM: Northern Ontario School of Medicine
NSD-PFC: NeuroSciences Division of the canadian physiotherapy association and the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada
NWAC: Native Women's Association of Canada
OALE: Outdoor Adventure Leadership Experience
OCAP: Ownership, Control, Access and Possession
OGS: Ontario Graduate Scholarship program
OGTT: Oil and Gas aboriginal Trades and Technology
OISE: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
OMIM: Online Mendelian Inheritence in Man database
PABC: Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia
PAGC: Prince Albert Grand Council
PaM: Para el Mundo
PAR: Participatory Action Research
PARC: Prairie Adaptation Research Collaboration
PBDE: PolyBrominated Diphenyl Ether
PD: Parkinson's Disease
PHAC: Public Health Agency of Canada
PLoS: Public Library of Science medicine
PMC: PubMed Central
PRAM: Participatory Research at McGill
PRE: interagency advisory Panel on Research Ethics
PSAB: Procurement Srategy for Aboriginal Business
PSIF: Physicians' Services Incorporated Foundation
PTO: Political Territory Organization
PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
RAMQ: Régie de l'Assurance Maladie du Québec
RAP: Research Affiliate Program
RCAP: Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
RDC: Research Data Centres
RFP: Requests For Proposals
RHS: Regional Health Survey
RN: Registered Nurse
RNG: Research Network Grants
RRHAN: Red Road Hiv/Aids Network
SBHAC: Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada
SCE: cihr - Standing Committee on Ethics
SFU: Simon Fraser University
SHRF: Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation
SIEC: Suicide Information and Education Centre
SMAHHRP: Seeking Models for Aboriginal Health & Human Resources
SMI: Severe Mental Illness
SPHERU: Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit
SRC: Saskatchewan Research Council
SRCFC: Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation of Canada
SRO: Special Research Opportunity grants
TBA: To Be Announced
TBD: To Be Determined
TCPS: Tri-Council Policy Statement
TEK: Traditional Ecological Knowledge
TIFRC: Tungasuuvingat Inuit Family Resource Centre
TRIP: Turning Research Into Practice
U of R: University of Regina
U of S: University of Saskatchewan
U of T: University of Toronto
UBC: University of British Columbia
UCCB: University College of Cape Breton
UN: United Nations
UNBC: University of Northern British Columbia
UNSI: Union of Nova Scotia Indians
UNYA: Urban Native Youth Association
UQAM: Université du Québec à Montréal
USIC: Understanding the Strengths of Indigenous Communities
UVIC: University of VICtoria
VIHA: Vancouver Island Health Authority
WGIFS: Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty
WHC: Wikwemikong Health Centre
WHO: World Health Organization
YIHR: York Institute for Health Research