Melanie Zurba

Building Co-Management as a Process: Problem Solving Through Partnerships in Aboriginal Country, Australia

Collaborative problem solving has increasingly become important in the face of the complexities in the management of resources, including protected areas. The strategy undertaken by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in north tropical Queensland, Australia, for developing co-management demonstrates the potential for a problem solving approach involving sequential initiatives, as an alternative to the more familiar negotiated agreements for co-management. Our longitudinal case study focuses on the development of indigenous ranger units as a strategic mechanism for the involvement of traditional owners in managing their country in collaboration with government and other interested parties. This was followed by Australia’s first traditional use of marine resources agreement, and development of a multi-jurisdictional, land to sea, indigenous protected area. In using a relationship building approach to develop regional scale co-management, Girringun has been strengthening its capabilities as collaborator and regional service provider, thus, bringing customary decision-making structures into play to ‘care for country’. From this evolving process we have identified the key components of a relationship building strategy, ‘the pillars of co-management’. This approach includes learning-by-doing, the building of respect and rapport, sorting out responsibilities, practical engagement, and capacity-building.

Caring for country through participatory art: creating a boundary object for communicating Indigenous knowledge and values

The trend towards the inclusion of diverse groups in environmental decision-making has led to the need to explore new forms of communication to engage communities in expressing their values and aspirations. Participatory art as an emergent methodology was explored with Traditional Owner groups involved in policy development through the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in northern Queensland, Australia. The works began with a moderated focus group exploring the theme What does caring for country mean to you? Participants then worked collaboratively on one canvas over some six weeks. Individual expressions were discussed with participants during and following their creation. Themes emerging from the focus group and painting workshop included those related to culture, well-being, environment, politics, and holism, which was central to the discussions. The common thread of the work was that people need to interact with country in order to care for country.

Bringing local synthesis into governance and management systems: the Girringun TUMRA case in Northern Queensland, Australia

Several challenges prevent rapid and full adaption and reformation of existing management and governance systems to incorporate traditional ecological knowledge. Berkes (2009 this issue) discusses knowledge as a process rather than a fixed way of being, within which different ways of knowing operate as dynamic and interactive entities. The process may be thought of as an ongoing dialectic synthesis of ideas, experiences and contexts (Nonaka & Toyama 2003; Berkes 2008). In this paper, I give an example of how the synthesis of local knowledge may at times be excluded from governance systems because of barriers set in place by existing policies. I use the example of the Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement (TUMRA) 2009 renegotiation process between the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation (GAC) in Northern Queensland, Australia, to explore potential barriers that inhibit potential governance partnerships. This kind of case study is relevant to researchers, managers, and policy makers who increasingly have been attempting to incorporate TEK into decision making arenas through resource management strategies such as co-management (Berkes et al. 2000). The TUMRA enables Traditional Owners to manage green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and dugong (Dugong dugon) traditional hunting within Girringun sea country (term used to refer to traditional sea territory). The Australian Government’s accreditation of the agreement supports customary law. The implementation and management activities of the TUMRA are led by a steering committee which includes state and federal government agency representatives, as well as the GAC to advocate for the knowledge and viewpoints of Traditional Owners. The initial 3-year TUMRA was extended by a year and included green sea turtle hunting quotas determined by each of the six Girringun saltwater Traditional Owner groups within their respective saltwater estates. The agreement is currently in a renegotiation phase in which Traditional Owner groups are able to lodge with the GBRMPA their requirements for the harvesting of new species, new permit numbers, and redraw associated harvesting areas under the new 5-year agreement. During the preliminary consultation phase, Traditional Owners asked for scientific population information before coming to conclusions on the harvest of new species or proposing increased quotas for current species under the agreement. Therefore, both Traditional Owners and government are adopting and synthesising ways of knowing from their resource partners through their agreed mechanisms (Fig. 1). The potential for this type of power sharing is the product of the trust and rapport which is built through working through long-term processes. The Girringun Aboriginal Corporation as a regional management body has had to prove that  

Navigating Ethical Challenges in Qualitative Research With Children and Youth Through Sustaining Mindful Presence

This article explores ethical challenges in qualitative research by bringing forward examples from the literature and from IN•GAUGE®, a research program spanning over 15 years and focusing on the significance of multiple perspectives and the value of gauging the health needs of young people and their families. In addition to exploring the ethical challenges in working with children and youth in research, we make the case that ethical considerations need to extend beyond research ethics boards protocols and present “sustaining mindful presence” as a conceptual frame practical guide for working through ethical challenges in qualitative research. We contend that greater participation of research subjects, including children and youth, is the way forward for developing more holistic and effective approaches to ethics within research institutions.

Food and healing: an urban community food security assessment for the North End of Winnipeg

The North End of Winnipeg is an urban Canadian community, which is affected by poverty and food insecurity. A community food security assessment is used here as a model to understand the complexities of food security issues, which are generally embedded in cultural and socio-demographic attributes of a society. Interviews with key informants and focus group discussions were conducted with the North End Womens Healing Group to address the objective of finding the link between urban issues and food security. Through these activities, a diversity of themes relating to food security were covered, and the findings revealed an important nexus connecting nutritional state, emotional well-being, food security issues and community programming. We recommend policy and programming that can address the unique challenges found in urban settings and suggest a participatory approach to reveal such challenges.

“People try and label me as someone I'm not”: The social ecology of Indigenous people living with HIV, stigma, and discrimination in Manitoba, Canada

Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) are currently overrepresented in the HIV epidemic in Canada and are infected at a younger age than those who are not Indigenous. This article presents our findings on the stigma and discrimination (as well as related themes such as disclosure) experienced by Indigenous people who contracted HIV in their youth and live in urban and non-urban settings in Manitoba, Canada. The findings were derived from a qualitative study that sought to understand the experiences and needs of Indigenous people living with HIV (including AIDS). We situate such experiences within a social ecological framework towards developing a better structural understanding of the impacts of stigma and discrimination on the lives of Indigenous people who are HIV positive. Stigma and discrimination caused barriers for Indigenous people living with HIV through inhibiting their ease of access to supports including family, peers, community, and long- and short-term health services. Creative forms of outreach and education that are culturally appropriate and/or rooted in culture were considered to be possibly impactful ways of reducing stigma and discrimination at the community level. Learning from communities who are successfully managing stigma also showed promise for developing new programming.

A qualitative study on the intersectional social determinants for indigenous people who become infected with HIV in their youth

BackgroundIndigenous young people are currently highly overrepresented in the HIV epidemic in Canada, especially in the Prairie Provinces, such as Manitoba. Understanding HIV-vulnerability in Indigenous peoples must begin with understanding that social determinants are intersectional and linked to the historical legacy of European colonization. In this paper findings that detail the influence of the intersectional social determinants on Indigenous people who become infected with HIV in their youth are presented.MethodsThe qualitative research design of phenomenology was used as it afforded the opportunity to understand Indigenous young people from their frames of reference and experiences of reality, resulting in a phenomenological understanding of their perspectives and experiences of the early years of living with HIV. A total of 21 Indigenous young people took part open-ended interviews.ResultsThe stories that the Indigenous young people shared revealed their deeply interconnected social worlds, and how social determinants including abuse, trauma, being part of the child welfare system, and housing and food security were connected throughout various stages of their lives. Such stages included childhood, adolescence and young adulthood (the time of HIV infection), and later adulthood for older participants with the social determinants having multiple influences on their health trajectories.ConclusionsThe findings highlight the need for policies and programs that are broadly focused, addressing multiple social determinants together. Overall, there needs to be more emphasis on the multiple social determinants in the life situations of all Indigenous youth. Reducing the health and social disparities in Indigenous youth is key to reducing the number of young Indigenous people diagnosed with HIV. The findings also shed light on the importance of listening to young Indigenous people who have experienced HIV diagnosis and life following diagnosis.

The embodied spaces of children with complex care needs: Effects on the social realities and power negotiations of families

Abstract This paper presents research findings that advance knowledge around the power and agency families with children with complex care needs (CCN). Our conceptual framework uses concepts from geography towards situating the experiences and social realities of family carers within the ‘embodied space of care’. The data originate from a longitudinal qualitative study of Canadian families with children with CCN. Findings reveal that interactions and decision‐making processes relating to health and everyday life were complex and socially interconnected, and emphasize the need for provisions for family‐based decision‐making and enhanced social inclusion of families and the importance of the renegotiation of power. HighlightsGeography concepts were used to understand the experiences of families of children with complex care needs (CCN) in the ‘embodied space of care’.Navigating the embodied space of the child within systems of care was a strong reality for families of children with CCN.Families of children with CCN often spoke of their roles as carers as being socially limiting.The socially constructed ‘embodied space of care’ affects family well‐being, decision‐making, and power negotiations.Enhanced social inclusion and the renegotiation of power differentials are critical for enhancing a family’s well‐being.

Engaging Indigenous Youth to Revitalize Cree Culture through Participatory Education

ABSTRACT Traditional food harvesting is an integral part of culture and food security for Indigenous people in Canada and elsewhere. However, new generations are more inclined to consuming market foods rather than traditional foods. We report on a project in Norway House Cree Nation, northern Manitoba, Canada, to engage youth to express their thoughts about traditional food. The objective was to explore the understanding and values of Indigenous youth about traditional foods and to engage them in revitalizing culture toward long-term food security. We used participatory research approaches and engaged participants in focus group discussions followed by a collaborative art project. Our conceptual framework postulates a cycle whereby food security planning depends on engaging youth and the community, and planning in turn energizes further planning and participatory education. The findings of the article are likely of interest to Indigenous communities dealing with planning and intergenerational issues around food security.

Advancing patient engagement: youth and family participation in health research communities of practice

Plain English summaryThe involvement of patients in health research has resulted in the development of more effective interventions and policies in healthcare that respond to the needs of healthcare users. This article examines how working with youth and their families as co-researchers in health research communities of practice (CoPs), rather than just as participants, can benefit all involved. Health research (CoPs) promote an environment in which co-researchers have the opportunity to do more than just participate in the data collection phase of the research process. As co-researchers, youth and their families are able to participate, learn, and contribute to knowledge and building relationships that are designed to innovate and improve healthcare systems. However, in order to ensure engagement of youth and their families in health research that they find meaningful and rewarding, three factors have been identified as important parts of the process: promoting identity, building capacity, and encouraging leadership skills.AbstractBackground Patient engagement in health research is becoming more popular as it can lead to evidence for developing the most effective interventions, policy and practice recommendations. Models of patient engagement have been evolving over the past four decades including health research communities of practice (CoPs). Health research CoPs help to break down professional barriers and enhance knowledge sharing for the purpose of improving health outcomes. In this article we consider health research CoPs when youth and their families are involved. Main body As part of an ongoing research program, we identify how insights about youth and their families’ views are taken into account as well as their specific roles in health research CoPs. We have worked with youth and their families not only as participants in health research, but instead as co-researchers in health research CoPs. As co-researchers, youth and their families are able to participate, learn, and contribute to knowledge and building relationships that are designed to innovate and improve healthcare systems. Promoting and creating the space for identity, capacity building, and leadership is integral to the engagement of youth and their families in health research in a way that they consider meaningful and rewarding. Conclusions Youth and families can play stronger and more meaningful roles in health research by adopting a CoPs approach. Further examination of the internal structures and connections between youth and families as well other actors (i.e., with service providers and special knowledge holders) within emerging health research CoPs would be advantageous for developing greater understanding and best practices around engaging youth and families in health research.