Nikki-Rose Hunter-Porter
Exploring Mental Wellness Services: By and For Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia, Canada
The project examined the social, cultural and systemic factors influencing mental health and wellness service delivery with St’uxwstews te Secwépemc, a rural First Nations community in British Columbia’s southern interior. It responded to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and the concerns documented in In Plain Sight.
The research started from community strengths while also examining barriers and inequities in mental wellness systems of care.
Methodology
The study used Indigenous Research Methodologies grounded in a Secwépemc methodological approach that honours Secwépemc laws, values, beliefs and traditions. The oral story Skú7pecen re Stseptékwlls (The Story of Porcupine) informed a storywork approach throughout the research.
Sharing circles and conversational interviews gathered the experiences of ten St’uxwstews community members and five mental health professionals about access to and delivery of mental wellness services.
Findings
Four central themes emerged: community strengths; living through colonization; truth-telling about mental health and wellness experiences; and The People’s Pathway, a decolonizing framework grounded in First Nations self-determination.
Participants’ accounts emphasized the strength and perseverance of St’uxwstews Peoples, grounded in land, culture, language, history and community.
Truth-telling by both community members and mental health professionals helped challenge shame and fear and foster courage and connection.
Impact
The research amplified community perspectives and underscored the need to address Indigenous-specific racism and advance culturally safe and trauma-informed care.
Its findings help address gaps in evidence about the delivery of mental health and wellness services in rural First Nations communities.
Nikki-Rose subsequently received an award under the Michael Smith Health Research BC Reach Program to support knowledge-translation work with St’uxwstews te Secwépemc.
Project outreach
The work was conducted specifically with and for the St’uxwstews te Secwépemc community of Bonaparte First Nation in British Columbia. The project should not be characterized as a multi-community roll-out.
Resources created
At the time of the original impact profile, knowledge-translation initiatives were underway, including publications, reports, a St’uxwstews community-based wellness model and community-led mental health and wellness education resources.
About the researcher
Nikki-Rose Hunter-Porter is a Secwépemc nurse and researcher from St’uxwstews, Bonaparte First Nation. At the time of this MHRC-supported work, she was pursuing a Master of Nursing at Thompson Rivers University. Her research drew on Indigenous approaches to inquiry and the experience of First Nations communities navigating mental wellness systems.
Her work seeks to bring community knowledge, relationships and self-determination into conversations about health care and mental wellness.
