Melq'ilwiye: coming together--intersections of identity, culture, and health for urban Aboriginal youth.

The goal of this exploratory community-based participatory action research project was twofold: to determine how urban Aboriginal youth identify their health needs within a culturally centred model of health and wellness, and to create new knowledge and research capacity by and with urban Aboriginal youth and urban Aboriginal health-care providers. A mixed-method approach was employed to examine these experiences using talking circles and a survey. The study contributes to anticolonial research in that it resists narratives of dis(ease) put forth through neocolonial research paradigms.A key focus was the development of strategies that address the aspirations of urban Aboriginal youth, laying foundations upon which their potential in health and wellness can be nurtured, supported, and realized. The study contributes to a new narrative of the health of urban Aboriginal youth within a culturally centred and culturally safe framework that acknowledges their strong connection to their Indigenous lands, languages, and traditions while also recognizing the spaces between which they move.

Views of First Nation elders on memory loss and memory care in later life.

Little is known about Indigenous communities and dementia and Elders have not been involved as advisors or participants in most research to date. This exploratory research sought to address this gap through a constructivist grounded theory project on the views of First Nation Elders on memory loss and memory care in later life, conducted in collaboration with decision-makers from the local Health Authority and Elders from three First Nation communities in British Columbia, Canada. Elders served as advisors to this research and research agreements were negotiated and signed with each community. Data collection occurred through a series of sharing circles and interviews with a total of 21 Elders, four of whom were experiencing memory loss, and two community members. Four themes arose through the constant comparative data analysis process: Being Secwepemc, growing older, losing memory, and supporting one another. These themes indicate that memory loss and memory care in First Nation communities has changed over the past century, including the causes attributed to memory loss in later life and community responses to those affected. Elders hold differing views about memory loss, including the traditional--'going through the full circle' [of life]--and the shémá [white] way--'your dementia', with the latter being much more common. This research indicates the importance of protecting and reviving traditional knowledge and ways of life in order to prevent 'your dementia' and avoid the adoption of health care practices that may be culturally unsafe for First Nation Elders.