Project 413003

In 2017, Indigenous people comprised 4.9 percent of the Canadian population and 20.1 percent of new HIV infections in Canada - 31 percent of these were among Indigenous women. While the number of new HIV infections among Indigenous women was slightly down from 2016 (35.6%), it is more than twice the number of new infections among White women (14.1%). While Indigenous women make up an important part of the epidemiologic and clinical cases, critical knowledge gaps exist on how best to meet their wholistic health care needs. With this proposal we are seeking funds to host a 4-day Positive Indigenous Women's Wholistic Health Symposium that builds on and responds to three culturally-grounded strengths-based and peer-led initiatives aimed at enhancing the health and wellness of HIV-positive Indigenous women, including 2SLGBTQ women. The goals of the Iskwew Iskotew Symposium, held at the Métis Back to Batoche site in central SK, are to: 1) share findings from several Indigenous-led, women-centred, community-based research projects by and with positive Indigenous women; 2) bridge research capacities between positive Indigenous women, traditional Knowledge Carriers, researchers, clinicians, and service providers; 3) engage positive Indigenous women in developing a culturally-relevant, community-driven knowledge translation and dissemination strategy; 4) engage positive Indigenous women in setting the agenda for future gender-related research; and 5) develop Indigenous-led community-based research teams for at least two newly emerging research projects in the area of Indigenous gender and wellness.