Purpose

There is limited research exploring how indigenous knowledge systems can enhance contemporary science. This case study investigated the impact of an immersive Māori cultural experience on the personal and professional development of a diverse group of physical activity academics.

Methods

In October 2023, 15 researchers from 10 countries were invited to Aotearoa New Zealand to participate in a five-day workshop for the Lancet Series on Physical Activity. For the first three days, participants were immersed in te ao Māori (the Māori world/worldview) and mātauranga Māori (traditional Māori knowledge) through activities such as waka ama (outrigger canoeing), mihi maioha (breathing exercises), a marae visit (meeting ground), tākaro (games), a kapa haka demonstration (performing arts), and a private viewing of Māori taonga (treasures) housed at the Auckland Museum. Seminar sessions discussed the importance of movement to Māori and the spiritual connection between Māori and the natural environment. Data were collected using three methods: (1) anonymous surveys before and after the workshop, (2) structured interviews, and (3) participant observations. Quantitative and qualitative data were collated, coded, and analysed using a phenomenological approach.

Results

Three main themes emerged from the analysis. (1) Personal transformation. Considerable personal value was placed on the rediscovery of ancestral concepts relating to human and planetary health. (2) Intragroup interactions. The process fostered a ‘safe space’ for emotional exchanges, enabling deep sharing and critical inquiry. (3) Adapting research practice. There was a common desire to integrate indigenous methods/knowledge into current practice, but uncertainty on how this might be done. Overall, participants experienced meaningful personal growth and appreciation for the link between indigenous culture, holistic wellbeing, and the natural world.

Conclusions

This case study provides an example of the potentially transformational personal impact of a facilitated discovery of indigenous knowledge and ways of being. The deep significance of the natural world in many indigenous cultures has particular relevance to climate change mitigation and prevention efforts, and could be a means to strengthen links between physical activity research and environmental sustainability. However, further long-term observation is required to determine if this approach can have a meaningful influence on professional practice.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly affected everyone but has the potential to exacerbate existing health inequities for Indigenous Peoples. First Nations (FNs) in Canada experienced higher food insecurity rates pre-pandemic. Few studies have examined how the pandemic affected food access experiences, how these changed, and how communities responded. This study explored the implications of COVID-19 on traditional food access experiences and coping strategies amongst two First Nations communities to understand food environments. 

Methods: We conducted 41 in-depth interviews and 2 modified Talking Circles with two communities participating in the Food, Environment, Health and Nutrition of First Nations Children and Youth (FEHNCY) study. In-depth interviews were conducted with community food experts to understand the policies and programs that were developed to promote food security and with parents/caregivers to understand their experiences and decisions around food access and preparation during the pandemic. Modified Talking Circles were conducted with Community Advisory Circles to confirm and clarify findings. A phenomenological analysis was used to elicit rich descriptions focusing on community members' experiences of food access in the context of COVID-19.

Results: Participants' experiences highlighted community resilience, revitalizing traditional food practices and access issues to address territorial restrictions and land dispossession. For both FN communities, having access to and sharing traditional foods during the pandemic was connected with a sense of food security, increased food self-determination and pride in their cultural identity. The pandemic offered a chance for reflection and connection to the land and cultural values. It was an opportunity to acknowledge and take pride in the traditional ways of being and doing. Participants felt more secure for themselves, their families, elders, and the community when they had opportunities to hunt and practise traditional ways of getting food. 

Conclusion: This analysis is one of the first to explore FNs food environment as experiences within the context of the pandemic. The findings highlight strong evidence for policymakers to support Indigenizing nutrition and wellness research, emphasizing resilience and revitalizing reciprocal relationships with foodways.

Purpose: A growing number of researchers are choosing to engage with Indigenous knowledge systems in physical activity (PA) and nutrition-focused research projects. Despite increasing interest in using Indigenous knowledge systems, researchers often gauge the quality of their work by Western standards of rigor (e.g. the concepts of reliability, validity, and generalizability in positivist research). This undermines the value of Indigenous knowledge systems in academia and contributes to skepticism about the authenticity of community-academic relations. The purpose of this study was to identify quality criteria that may be used to determine the rigor of Indigenous community-engaged research projects focusing on PA and nutrition.

Methods: A total of 18 Elders, knowledge holders, community members, and researchers (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) involved in community-engaged research projects representing different Nations, geographies, and genders took part in talking circles. Each talking circle lasted between 45 minutes and 1 hour. All notes were photographed and talking circles were transcribed verbatim. Talking circles were analyzed using the inductive thematic analysis process outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006), with additional notes used to strengthen interpretation (Halcomb & Davidson, 2006).

Results: Participants in the talking circles identified three quality criteria (contextual, practical, and self-determined) that were used to gauge the rigor of community-engaged Indigenous research projects that they were involved in. These criteria were most often used in addition to dominant Western standards of rigor. A visual representation of the three identified criteria was created to make results more accessible and as a way to facilitate team member feedback (Liebenberg, 2009; Marsden, 2004).

Discussion: Findings from this study can potentially contribute to the liberation of Indigenous community-engaged research projects from the limitations imposed by Western standards of rigor that devalue Indigenous methodologies and knowledges. Identifying criteria for the rigorous application of Indigenous methodologies and knowledges will allow PA and nutrition-focused community-engaged research projects to conduct research inquiries from within an Indigenous knowledge paradigm from conception to dissemination. A future study will apply these criteria to two ongoing Indigenous PA and nutrition-focused research projects to gauge the quality of their work by the Indigenous standards of rigor identified in this study.