RESOURCES
Welcome to the resources page, dedicated to providing valuable resources to support urban Indigenous communities. This page serves as a curated collection of resources, ranging from articles, research papers, toolkits, and guides, that address various aspects of urban Indigenous well-being. Our aim is to provide a centralized location where individuals, community members, researchers, and practitioners can find reliable and informative materials to support their work and engagement. Explore our diverse range of resources that cover topics such as health and wellness, cultural revitalization, community development, land stewardship, education, and more. We are continually updating and expanding our collection to ensure that it remains current, inclusive, and responsive to the evolving needs of urban Indigenous communities.
We invite you to utilize these resources as a source of knowledge, inspiration, and empowerment.
THE COMMUNITY SCHOLARS PROGRAM
We understand that accessing academic journals and scholarly publications can sometimes be challenging, ultimately limiting the availability of valuable resources. In an effort to enhance access to scholarly knowledge, we are excited to share The Community Scholars Program, an initiative offered by UBC. This program provides enrolled staff members from registered BC non-profits or charities with access to scholarly publications through their online portal. Additionally, by joining the Community Scholars Program, you can become part of the online BC Scholars 'community' and gain access to workshops and other learning opportunities. To learn more and join this program, please email aleha.mccauley@ubc.ca and Aleha will send you a registration form for the program. We invite you to explore this resource as you wish.
SUGGESTED
READINGS
Abstract: Urban Indigenous populations in Canada are steadily growing and represent diverse and culturally vibrant communities. Disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples’ experiences of the social determinants of health are a growing concern. Under the guidance of the West End Aboriginal Advisory Council (WEAAC), Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre (PQWCHC) launched the Niiwin Wendaanimak Four Winds Wellness Program that seeks to enhance health and community services for homeless and at-risk Indigenous populations in Toronto.
Abstract: Relationships to land and nature have long been recognized globally as a central Indigenous determinant of health. As more Indigenous peoples migrate to larger urban centers, it is crucial to better understand how these relationships are maintained or function within urban spaces. This article outlines the results of a year-long collaborative study that qualitatively explored Indigenous young peoples' connections between “land,” nature, and wellness in an urban Canadian context. Thirty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 Cree and Métis Indigenous youth living within Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A strength based analysis focused on re-imagining miyo-wicehtowin; that is, the processes of youths' self-determination and agency that build positive human-nature relationships and enact “land-making” amidst their urban spaces. This research critically engages environmental dispossession and repossession to more readily consider decolonizing land-based approaches to health and wellness among urban contexts. Future empirical and methodological directions for exploring human-nature relationships in urban health research are also offered.
Introduction: Food sovereignty has received a great deal of attention as an intervention to address not only food insecurity, but a larger attempt to regain control over food systems and health. The North End of Winnipeg, one of the most economically challenging locations in Winnipeg, faces significant food insecurity. Underneath the limited grocery stores and the limited access to cultural food lies an important strength that challenges notions of food insecurity. Indigenous people in Winnipeg have been working towards “Indigenous Food Sovereignty” (IFS) with regards to cultural food specifically. Indigenous people in urban centres face a wide range of food insecurity issues from limited quantities of healthy and affordable food, to limited access to cultural food. Food security, while a separate concept from food sovereignty, is certainly aligned, however in an Indigenous context, is mostly discussed for remote, rural communities. Food insecurity certainly exists in urban centres for Indigenous communities.