Details

Purpose: To showcase Indigenous-led epistemologies and approaches for improving, sustaining, and measuring physical activity, nutrition, and community mobilization for health.

Rationale: Indigenous Health Promotion has the potential to achieve health equity and social justice for all. Distinct from conventional models of health promotion practice informed by Western knowledge systems, the vision for Indigenous Health Promotion is grounded in Indigenous knowledge that all of creation is related and interconnected. The current evidence-base in physical activity, nutrition, and health - predominantly founded on Western values and models – fails to fully encompass the notion of health for all human and other-than-human beings.

Objectives: This Indigenous-led presentation will expose the limitations of western-dominated research systems, explore innovative approaches that prioritize community voices and decolonizing methodologies and highlight the role that ally researchers can play in decolonizing physical activity, nutrition and health promotion intervention and research. We will show that Indigenous Health Promotion needs to go beyond using strategies to enhance the cultural appropriateness of conventional health promotion materials, activities, and community-based participatory interventions. We will discuss how Indigenous Health Promotion interventions and research led by Indigenous peoples and grounded in Indigenous culture and worldviews asserts Indigenous self-determination.  We will offer intervention and research directions for increasing, sustaining, and measuring physical activity, nutrition, and community mobilization as ways to further enhance health and wellness, resilience, and survival within our communities.

Summary: Panelists from the Canada and New Zealand will share physical activity, nutrition, and mobilization interventions and research practices from their country. For example, we will discuss how planting a garden of traditional food or medicine plants or engaging in traditional physical activities can be ways to resist colonial practices and enhance cultural resurgence. We will show how using existing Indigenous strengths, resources, and connection to the land can heal persons and planet.

Format: Dr. Warbrick will introduce the audience to Indigenous Health Promotion and its distinction from dominant models of health promotion (10 minutes). Dr. Jock and PhD candidate McBeath will share examples of interventions and research in physical activity, nutrition, and community mobilization in their country (15 minutes each). Bear Clan Mother Wakerahkatste will facilitate an interactive discussion (20 minutes).

Interaction: This symposium invites attendees to gather and share stories about Indigenous community-led health promotion efforts and research that involve decolonizing behavioural physical activity, nutrition and/or mobilizing communities for health. Storytelling and questions to and from the audience will be encouraged.

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