From controlling to connecting: M’Wikwedong as a place of urban Indigenous health promotion in Canada
Indigenous youth created digital storytelling videos that convey how M’Wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Centre promote health by nourishing relationships. M'Wikwedong's approach contrasts with Western understandings of health promotion that emphasize control over people’s health.
Sanchez-Pimienta, C. E., Masuda, J., & M’Wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Centre. (2021). From controlling to connecting: M’Wikwedong as a place of urban Indigenous health promotion in Canada. Health Promotion International, 36(3), 703–713. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaa066
Digital storytelling, interviews, notetaking, qualitative coding
This research resulted from a collaboration between M’Wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Center and the Centre for Environmental Health Equity. The research team included five Indigenous youth co-researchers and a graduate student. Youth co-researchers wanted to create videos that promoted M’Wikwedong’s work. For this purpose, the research team used digital storytelling to explore how M’Wikwedong strengthened the youth’s sense of health and wellness in the city. The research process involved an 8-month process with 13 research team meetings, the creation of 4 videos, and several video screenings. We analyzed data from seven group interview transcriptions, field notes, and video transcripts through qualitative coding. We identified four themes that conveyed how M’Wikwedong promoted health by nourishing youth relationships with their sense of self, the local Friendship Centre, the urban environment, and Indigenous teachings. We argue that M'Wikwedong's approach to health promotion as “nourishing relationships” contrasts with Western approaches emphasizing “control over” health.
Utility, Self-Voicing, Access, and Inter-relationality (USAI) Research Framework
Affirming the contributions of Friendship Centre approaches to urban health promotion from the perspective of youth
Stories, videos, academic paper
Screening of digital storytelling videos
"At the Centre [M’Wikwedong], drumming helped me to express myself. Whereas before, I didn’t defend myself, and I didn’t do anything about it. I was not speaking up for myself. It’s hard to explain how it works [drumming] if you haven’t experienced it for yourself. But it is very powerful to hear someone talking about it, and sharing teachings, and then to do it yourself." (James, video)
"I think learning about the Ojibway culture taught me more about my background, how we did things back then, and how to respect others. Our culture gives us a different point of view. It’s like more understanding of what we’re getting, and what we’re receiving, and what we’re doing." (Ryerson, video)
health promotion, public health, geography