Strength-based Indigenous public health emergencies research: Tl’etinqox methodology

By using Indigenous research methodologies with a strengths-based approach, the Tl’etinqox (Anaham) research team highlights sustainable community-led solutions suitable for the current and future public health emergencies. The purpose of the study was to identify Indigenous community-led solutions to public health emergencies, particularly climate change and pandemics in addition to build Tl’etinqox community research capacity through intergenerational cultural knowledge exchange. The research methods undertaken in this work describes study procedures developed by an Indigenous strength-based public health research community group that was comprised of an intergenerational Tl’etinqox study team from youth to Elder members working together. The strength-based Tl’etinqox research methods involved leadership engagement, online and offline family cluster recruitment, Healing Circle data collection, oral and written Nenqayni chi’h (Indigenous language) translations, and land-based knowledge mobilization and translation. A key finding is collective efforts led to a localization situated in Tl’etinqox knowledges of Indigenous health research methods, including an independent intergenerational community-based Indigenous research team. Tl’etinqox research methodology yielded a local, culturally-grounded approach that represents a strength-based Indigenized health research methods. Tl’etinqox research team members who led the study incorporated Tŝilhqot’in (Chilcotin) cultural practices, teachings, language, and land as essential components of the research methods. The relevance of the present study describes a localization approach of strength-based Indigenous community-based research, which has meaningful implications for understanding public health emergencies arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.