First Nations, Métis, Inuit Youth Mental Health and Indigenous (FNMI) Ways of Knowing: A Theoretical Interpretation and Application

Due to the colonial genocides that have happened (and continue to happen) in Aotearoa, Australia, Turtle Island and beyond, and Indigenous rights movements that have generated iconic, historical shifts in research praxes to improve the health of Indigenous Peoples, globally. Mental health services for Indigenous youth require an approach and design grounded in Indigenous Ways of Knowing. Through this theoretical paradigm shift, researchers in public health are starting to understand that cultural safety is critical in the delivery of FNMI (Indigenous) health services that actually provide healing and do not further harm people (deliberately or not). Still in progress, public health researchers and youth mental health service providers continue to (allegedly unknowingly) uphold the colonial legacies, highlighting an urgent need for Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Doing. As we discuss Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Doing, the reader will find descriptions of the main theoretical tenets with examples of their application. Strengths and challenges will serve as the throughline for the discussion. The paper concludes with the extension of these tenets and their potential application for mental health services for Indigenous youth.