Project 449097

Urban Indigenous peoples in Canada experience poorer diabetes and obesity-related outcomes than the general population due to historic and ongoing experiences of colonization, racism, poverty, access barriers, and lack of culturally safe care. To reverse the upward trajectory of diabetes and obesity among urban Indigenous peoples, current health/wellness approaches need to be built from Indigenous-led and community-driven ways of knowing and doing. The purpose of this study is to strengthen current and build new meaningful and culturally safe community and organizational partnerships to co-develop Traditional and Western approaches for diabetes and obesity prevention, treatment, and reversal that restores resilience and wellness among urban Indigenous peoples. Current partners include Friendship and Métis Centres, Interior Health and the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Together, we will work to strengthen existing and build new partnerships to explore and co-develop recommendations for addressing community needs and priorities for self-determination, identity, gender, wellness, and resilience in diabetes and obesity prevention, treatment, and reversal. We will use Talking Circles, Community Gatherings, Cultural Safety Education & Resilience Gatherings and surveys. Local Community Research Liaisons, Community Advisory Teams, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, youth and health providers will co-lead all aspects of the study. The Collective of Indigenous FC/MC communities, university, health authority and new partners will co-develop a plan for Traditional and Western approaches for Indigenous-led community-driven culturally safe diabetes and obesity programs (prevention, treatment and reversal) grounded in local Indigenous ways of understanding of wholistic pathways/models of resilience, identity, and gender aimed to reverse the upward trajectory of diabetes and obesity and improve health and wellness outcomes for urban Indigenous peoples, families and communities.