Siem Qulmuhw Mustimuxw Tze Tzu Wut Tu Mamu’na’tzt: Honoured Indigenous People Helping Our Children: The co-creation of a culturally grounded family wellness curriculum with Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Centre and urban-Indigenous families
Date
2023-01-05
Authors
Simpson, Ashley
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Abstract
Urban Indigenous families draw on wholistic understandings of what it means to be well that are deeply rooted in culture, ceremony, extended family support, and intergenerational connection. Despite calls from Indigenous families, communities, scholars, and organizations to develop culturally-based and context-specific maternal, child, and family health programs that are rooted in these perspectives (Clifford et al., 2015; Mushquash et al., 2021), there is limited research that includes the needs and experiences of Indigenous families within urban contexts. Through the lens of an Indigenist and relational research paradigm, this study aimed to address a community-identified priority to develop culturally-based family wellness programming and resources to support urban Indigenous families during the perinatal period and early parenting years. A Medicine Bundle Methodology was utilized to gather sacred items– knowledges, stories, teachings, and experiences –from urban Indigenous families who access programs at Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Centre, and from the Elders and Knowledge Keepers who support them. Three talking circles were held to better understand the cultural wellness needs and priorities of urban Indigenous families, followed by one-on-one conversations with four Elders. Overarching themes from these conversations included Prenatal Wellness, Postpartum Wellness, Parenting Young Children, Intergenerational Family Wellness, and Honouring Diversity of Cultures and Teachings in Urban Spaces. Results from this research demonstrate the need for urban Indigenous organizations to be self-determining in the development and delivery of health services; for family wellness programming and resources to be rooted in culture and ceremony; and for the use of a family-centered and intergenerational approach in the development and implementation of family wellness programs. Co-creation of this research bundle contributes to expanding the knowledge base on the wellness needs and experiences of urban Indigenous families, and the community-led development of responsive, culturally-relevant, and effective family wellness programming within urban Indigenous communities.
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Keywords
Urban Indigenous health, Maternal, child, and family health, Family wellness, Indigenous research methodologies