Olvie Li
- BScN (Laurentian University, 2014)
Topic
Kindiziyin: Knowing Our Minds and Our Bodies – An Anishinaabe Youth-led Project on Sexual Wellness and Healthy Relationships
Social Dimensions of Health
Date & location
- Thursday, August 29, 2024
- 10:00 A.M.
- Virtual Defence
Examining Committee
Supervisory Committee
- Dr. Renee Monchalin, School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria (Supervisor)
- Dr. Billie Allan, School of Social Work, UVic (Co-Supervisor)
External Examiner
- Dr. Jean-Paul Restoule, Department of Indigenous Education, UVic
Chair of Oral Examination
- Dr. Margo Matwychuk, Department of Anthropology, UVic
Abstract
Indigenous youth have demonstrated leadership in promoting sexual health in their communities and have asserted the right to sexual wellness, self-determination, and leadership. Yet, achieving this is limited by a lack of youth-focused sexual health programming and insufficient mentorship from their communities. This project engaged 16 Anishinaabe youth aged 15-25 years old, two Elders, and two community service providers in youth-led research in the context of sexual health within their home community of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, an Anishinaabe community situated on Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island), Ontario. Using a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) approach, participants attended two youth-led sharing circles and two participatory data analysis meetings and co-created a report to present back to community. The report will be shared with community stakeholders through youth-designed community sharing methods. This project identified needs for support in building healthy relationships for Anishinaabe youth and how it impacts their overall sexual wellness. Findings suggest that youth can be engaged as decision-makers in their own sexual wellness and their participation in research may lead to positive health outcomes. Findings will be used by the Wiikwemkoong youth and community to help create wholistic youth-led, strengths-based, and Indigenous-focused sexual health resources and/or programming.