Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Impacts...
Sherilee Harper
National Science Assessment: Health of ...
National Science Assessment: Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate 2021

Report was #1 Story! CPHA Discussion Paper on the Ecological Determinants of Health

The Canadian Public Health Association published a report entitled, "Addressing the Ecological Determinants of Health" in May 2015.  The report has received attention from academics, policy makers, and media - and recently ranked as the CPHA's #1 most-read item for 2015! Click here to view the report (free, open-access).

This discussion document was based on the report Global Change and Public Health: Addressing the Ecological Determinants of Health: The Report in Brief developed by a Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) working group:

  • Lead Author: Trevor Hancock
  • Lead Editors: Donald W. Spady and Colin L. Soskolne
  • Chapter 1: Trevor Hancock, Donald W. Spady
  • Chapter 2: Donald W. Spady, Trevor Hancock,
  • Chapter 3: Trevor Hancock, George McKibbon, Colin L. Soskolne, Donald W. Spady
  • Chapter 4: Sandra Allison, Sherilee Harper, Blake Poland, Trevor Hancock
  • Chapter 5: Colin L. Soskolne, Donald W. Spady, Trevor Hancock
  • Chapter 6: Margot Parkes, Andrea Chircop, George McKibbon, Blake Poland, Trevor Hancock
  • Chapter 7: Trevor Hancock, Blake Poland, Margot Parkes, Andrea Chircop, George McKibbon
  • Chapter 8: Trevor Hancock, all authors

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Student Reflection: ArcticNet ASM 2015 – Vancouver, BC December 7-11, 2015

Written by Lindsay Day, MSc Candidate

This year’s Arctic Net Annual Scientific Meeting in Vancouver did not disappoint as a fabulous conference to attend. In addition, it also marked the launch of a survey I am doing as part of my thesis research, looking at the practices and approaches being used to bring Indigenous and Western knowledge together in Northern-focused research, practice and policy.

The survey builds on, and aims to assess on a broader scale, some of the key findings from in-depth interviews I’ve conducted with university and community-based researchers who have sought to bring together Indigenous and Western knowledge in their work addressing issues at the intersection of ecosystem and human health.

As the largest annual Arctic research conference in Canada, ArcticNet was certainly the perfect venue for us to promote the survey and I’m thoroughly grateful for the support the ArcticNet team provided. Overall we collected over 300 survey responses! I can’t wait to analyze the data to see what we find and I look forward to sharing the results next year!

 

Student Reflection: ArcticNet ASM 2015 – Vancouver, BC December 7-11, 2015

Written by Carlee Wright, MSc Candidate

Last week, along with several other lab mates, I had the opportunity to travel to Vancouver for the 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM). This was my second year attending ArcticNet ASM, and once again I was impressed by all the different aspects of the conference!

Student day was packed full of sessions centered around the theme of professional development, and during this time we were also able to meet other graduate students and learn about the work they are doing. It was great to see familiar faces around the conference during the course of the week!

With so many different topical sessions it was hard to decide which ones to attend. Through the talks I learned about many different research projects, from fox rabies to muskox health, and even Arctic search and rescue! Although my research is water-focused, I really enjoyed listening to talks on topics different from my own; seeing the vast range of work being done is exciting, and it helps me to put my own work in perspective in the scope of Arctic research at large.

The ArcticNet Student Association also organized a great cultural night, where we could either make a seal skin bracelet, try our hand at beading patterns, or play traditional Inuit games. It had a great turnout and was a really fun way to relax after a long week of events and topical sessions.

This year's ArcticNet ASM was once again a great experience, and I look forward to being able to attend again in the future!

Student Reflection: ArcticNet ASM 2015 – Vancouver, BC December 7-11, 2015

Written by Manpreet Saini, MSc Candidate

This past week I was fortunate enough to attend and participate in the ArcticNet Scientific Meeting. This conference was overall, a great experience and I probably will not be able to do my experience justice with the following reflection. The week started with Student Day on Monday and I was privileged to attend the workshop titled “How Researchers Can Maximize Engagement with Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Communities”. This workshop was led by Shelly Elverum, Eric Solomon, and Inuit individuals including, Mia Otokiak, Coral Westwood, and Andrew Arreak. The most interesting part of the workshop was an activity that demonstrated the difference in worldviews and perceptions when thinking of issues Northern Inuit communities face. First, the audience had to list issues that we believed were important to Northern Inuit communities. Following this the Inuit youth listed the issues their communities had identified. While some of the things listed by each group were similar to one another, some were different. For instance, the Inuit communities were quite concerned with garbage collection and yet the researchers did not have this on their list. It was humbling to see this difference and it was a reminder of the importance to understand different worldviews without projecting your own worldview as the only "true" worldview. It was a great discussion session that made me once again reflect on the importance of the language that researchers use and the way in which researchers approach projects for Inuit communities.

Over a period of time on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, we had the opportunity to participate in two poster presentation sessions. These sessions allowed us to interact with individuals from various backgrounds and share our research as well as learn about research in areas outside of our own. For topical sessions, I had the pleasure of sitting in talks regarding the one health approach and knowledge co-production. Through these presentations it was wonderful to see the variety of projects incorporating human, animal and environmental health and also the inclusion of Inuit community members within these projects.

On Wednesday night there was also a scheduled cultural night. There were tables set up where you could learn and participate in a variety of traditional activities such as beading, making a seal skin bracelet and playing traditional games. Luckily, we got a chance to participate in making a seal skin bracelet, which was a very neat experience!

Finally, on Thursday I did an oral presentation for the first time which was both exciting and extremely nerve-wracking. However, I had tremendous support through an extremely thoughtful Facebook post from Inez Shiwak, who unfortunately could not be there to co-present with me, and through the presence of many familiar faces in the room!

Throughout the week, I had the chance to both reconnect with collaborators and to meet various new individuals. Overall, ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting was just an incredible experience and it was an honour to be able to participate and share our work on behalf of myself and my co-authors.

EcoHealth Lab at ArcticNet ASM 2015!

ArcticNet hosted its 11th Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) from 7 to 11 December in Vancouver, British Columbia. The ASM2015 welcomed 650 researchers, students, Northerners, policy makers and stakeholders to "address the numerous environmental, social, economical and political challenges and opportunities that are emerging from climate change and modernization in the Arctic."

The EcoHealth lab collaborated in 6 poster presentations, 7 oral presentations, and 1 topical session.

Posters:

Saini et al Poster_ASM2015Saini M, Shiwak I, Roche S, Papadopoulos A, Wood M, Rigolet Inuit Community Government, Nunatsiavut Government, IHACC Research Team and SL Harper. December 2015. Participatory methods in Rigolet: Evaluation of Inuit health programs and collaborative development of a whiteboard video for health promotion. Poster Presentation. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting. Vancouver, Canada.

 

Manore et al Poster_ASM2015Manore A, Sargeant J, Weese JS, Cunsolo Willox A and Harper SL. December 2015. The burden of infectious pathogens in retail and country meats in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Poster Presentation. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting. Vancouver, Canada.

 

 

Wright et al Poster_ASM2015Wright C, Shiwak I, Sargeant J, Edge V, Ford J, Farahbakhsh K, Rigolet Inuit Community Government, Nunatsiavut Government, IHACC Research Team and SL Harper. December 2015. Drinking water consumption patterns and changes over time in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut. Poster Presentation. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.

 

 

Beauchamp et al Poster_ASM2015Beauchamp SL, Bishop-Williams KE, Hernandez CA,  IHACC Research Team and SL Harper. December 2015. Trends and framing techniques used by Canadian newspapers about climate change impacts on health. Poster Presentation. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.

 

 

Harper et al Poster_ASM2015Harper SL, Yansouni C, Goldfarb D, Cunsolo Willox A, Weese S, and J Sargeant. December 2015. Foodborne, waterborne, and zoonotic enteric disease: EcoHealth surveillance for environmental health. Poster Presentation. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.

 

 

Cunsolo Willox et al Poster_ASM2015Cunsolo Willox A, Harper SL, Bunce A, Gillis D, Sawatzky A, Shiwak I, Shiwak J, Ford J, Furgal C, and VL Edge. Building Local & Indigenous Knowledge Systems (Building LINKS): Community-led environment & health surveillance for adaptation. Poster Presentation. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.

 

 

https://twitter.com/TWPFS/status/674629835348553728

 

Oral Presentations:

Saini M, Shiwak I, Roche S, Papadopoulos A, Wood M, Rigolet Inuit Community Government, Nunatsiavut Government, IHACC Research Team and SL Harper. December 10, 2015. Participatory methods in Rigolet: Evaluation of Inuit health programs and collaborative development of a whiteboard video for health promotion. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting. Vancouver, Canada.

Wright C, Shiwak I, Sargeant J, Edge V, Ford J, Farahbakhsh K, Rigolet Inuit Community Government, Nunatsiavut Government, IHACC Research Team and SL Harper. December 10, 2015. Drinking water consumption patterns and changes over time in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut. Oral Presentation. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.

Harper SL, Yansouni C, Goldfarb D, Cunsolo Willox A, Weese S, and J Sargeant. December 11, 2015. Foodborne, waterborne, and zoonotic enteric disease: EcoHealth surveillance for environmental health. Oral Presentation. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.

Desai S, Muchaal P, Pernica J, Smeija M, Harper SL, Miners A, Baikie M, and D. Goldfarb. December 22, 2015. Molecular microbiology of acute gastroenteritis in children under 5 years of age in Nunavut, Canada in 2014/15. Oral Presentation. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.

Goldfarb DM, Miners A, Baikie M, Harper SL, and C. Yansouni. December 11, 2015. Building a research agenda for Arctic enteric infections research. Oral Presentation. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.

Soucie TA, Arreak T, Harper SL, Jamieson R, Hansen LT, Jolicoeur L, Shirley J, L’Hérault V, and the Elders of Mittimatalik. December 8, 2015. Building capacity to monitor the risk of climate change on water quality on human health: A two year journey expanding community-based leadership in Pond Inlet. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.

Yansouni CP, Harper SL, and D. Goldfarb. December 11, 2015. Understanding the epidemiology, microbiology, and growth trajectories of children with enteric infections in Nunavik and Nunavut: A prospective cohort study. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.

https://twitter.com/Sherilee_H/status/675079115473596419

https://twitter.com/Sherilee_H/status/675102636794896387

https://twitter.com/Sherilee_H/status/675099438520655872

Topical Sessions:

Harper SL, Goldfarb D, and C Yansouni. December 11, 2015. The Scoop on Northern Poop: Foodborne, Waterborne, and Zoonotic Infections in the Canadian North. 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting. Vancouver, Canada.

https://twitter.com/Sherilee_H/status/674595694867451904

https://twitter.com/jamiesno/status/673607031669039104

 

 

New Publication about Community-based Adaptation to Climate Change

We are happy to announce a new publication about community-based adaptation to climate change. Community-based adaptation (CBA) has emerged over the last decade as an approach to empowering communities to plan for and cope with the impacts of climate change. While such approaches have been widely advocated, few have critically examined the tensions and challenges that CBA brings. Responding to this gap, this article critically examines the use of CBA approaches with Inuit communities in Canada. The article was written through a multi-day workshop hosted by James Ford at McGill that brought together faculty members, government representatives, and graduate students from across the country and across disciplines.

Citation: Ford, J., Stephenson, E., Cunsolo Willox, A., Edge, V., Farahbakhsh, K., Furgal, C., Harper S.L., et al. (2015). Community-based adaptation research in the Canadian Arctic. WIREs Clim Change. doi: 10.1002/wcc.376. Click here for free access to the article (open access).

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Congratulations to Rebecca Wolff!

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  Congratulations to Rebecca Wolff for winning the overall prize and poster competition for the "most innovative research" at the Canadian Conference For Global Health.

Poster Citation: Wolff, R., Harper, S.L., et al. "Its spirit is strong: Shawi healers, spirits and diarrhea in the Amazon" Canadian Conference of Global Health, Montreal. 5-6 November 2015. 

Abstract

Waterborne illness remains a public health challenge faced by many Indigenous communities. The Shawi, a dominant Indigenous group in the Peruvian Amazon, have retained the majority of their cultural practices and belief systems. Indigenous illness perceptions may not always reflect known biomedical causes of disease, making some health interventions ineffective. The goal of this research was to explore how Shawi perceptions on the causes of diarrhea, as a symptom of waterborne illness, related to Shawi beliefs and cosmology about water. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in two Shawi communities in August 2014 to document beliefs regarding water spirits and the role of traditional healers in causing diarrhea. Results of this study showed Shawi perceptions on the causes of diarrhea were predominately based in beliefs around water spirits and the ability of traditional healers to cause diarrhea, as opposed to a belief in diarrhea caused by biomedical risk factors for waterborne illness, such as the consumption of contaminated water. This research highlights how understanding Indigenous perceptions of illness is essential to informing the design of more effective health interventions to reduce waterborne illness in Amazonian Indigenous Communities.

Key words: Cosmology, Gastrointestinal illness, Indigenous, Peru, Shawi, Water

New Publication - Agricultural Intensification Impacts on Health in SE Asia

IMG_1686Congratulations to Steven Lam for his new publication! Steven collaborated with colleagues from Vietnam to conduct a scoping review on the impacts of agricultural intensification on human health in SE Asia!  Click here for free open-access to the article. Citation: Steven Lam,  Hung Nguyen-Viet, Tran Thi Tuyet-Hanh, Huong Nguyen-Mai, and Sherilee Harper. Evidence for Public Health Risks of Wastewater and Excreta Management Practices in Southeast Asia: A Scoping Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12(10), 12863-12885.

Abstract:

The use of wastewater and excreta in agriculture is a common practice in Southeast Asia; however, concerns remain about the potential public health risks of this practice. We undertook a scoping review to examine the extent, range, and nature of literature, as well as synthesize the evidence for associations between wastewater and excreta management practices and public health risks in Southeast Asia. Three electronic databases (PubMed, CAB Direct, and Web of Science) were searched and a total of 27 relevant studies were included and evaluated. The available evidence suggested that possible occupational health risks of wastewater and excreta management practices include diarrhea, skin infection, parasitic infection, bacterial infection, and epilepsy. Community members can be at risk for adverse health outcomes through consuming contaminated fish, vegetables, or fruits. Results suggested that practices including handling, treatment, and use of waste may be harmful to human health, particularly farmer’s health. Many studies in this review, however, had limitations including lack of gender analyses, exposure assessment, and longitudinal study designs. These findings suggest that more studies on identifying, quantitatively assessing, and mitigating health risks are needed if sustainable benefits are to be obtained from wastewater and excreta reuse in agriculture in Southeast Asia.

Reflections from “Creating a New Legacy”

Written by Alexandra Sawatzky, PhD student This week I had the honour of attending the 2015 Aboriginal Mental Health and Wellness Conference, “Creating a New Legacy,” in Brandon, Manitoba. The overall purpose of this two-day gathering was to promote and create culturally-safe services with and for Indigenous peoples, while encouraging Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to work together with their heads, hearts, and hands. The tree from their logo represents what happens when Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples come together as one to create a new legacy for the betterment of all. It implies that by establishing strong roots and a commitment to growing in our understanding, empathy, and respect for each other, the tree – and humanity – will flourish1. The core values of this conference were reflectiveness, responsiveness, relationships, and restoration, which resonated throughout the various presentations and sessions.

In the keynote address by Dr. Brenda Restoule, from Dokis First Nation and the Eagle Clan, emphasis was placed on the need to move towards proactive, strengths-based health programming models in Indigenous communities that focus on the gifts people already have – and help them use these gifts to move forward independently. Underlying these strengths-based models is the need for holistic approaches to healthcare that are developed, owned, and operated by Indigenous peoples. In order to do so, culture must be foundational.

In addition to strengths-based programming, Dr. Chandrakant Shah, Project Director of the Aboriginal Cultural Safety Initiative at Anishnawbe Health Toronto, stressed the importance of training healthcare providers in providing these programmes in culturally-safe way. Cultural safety is essentially the intentional act to recognize, respect, and nurture unique cultural identities. To be culturally safe, we must first prioritize empathy over compassion. Dr. Shah described compassion as infatuation, sympathy, or pity. Empathy, on the other hand, he described as the ability to walk in someone else’s shoes. Only after you’ve done this will you truly understand another person’s world and associated worldviews. Cultural safety also requires a deep understanding of the historical contexts, ongoing colonial processes, and racism that continue to impact Indigenous peoples today. Particularly for non-Indigenous individuals involved in various aspects of healthcare, this means engaging with decolonization processes in all work that is done alongside Indigenous partners.

Following Dr. Shah’s presentation, Dr. Michael Hart, who is from Fisher River Cree Nation and is the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge and Social Work, provided further elaboration on cultural safety and decolonization. Dr. Hart began his presentation by unpacking the themes and processes of colonialism, stressing that colonial processes are two-way streets; while one party suffers, the other benefits. Those who benefit often have an internalized sense of power, and most aren’t able to recognize this, or else are too uncomfortable to do so. Culturally-safe approaches to healthcare services seek to break down these power imbalances, and recognize that there is more than one way of looking at the world. Such approaches require new skill sets and a new theoretical base – a move from “Indigenous” to “Indigenist” services. Dr. Hart explained that Indigenist services are centred around cultural revitalization for the political, social, and economic transformation of Indigenous peoples. This involves the re-setting of traditions and continued re-affirmation of the power they hold, can hold, and will hold. He ended with words that are shared by many Elders, which get at the very heart of Indigenous ways of being: “take what will help you go forward in a good way. Please leave the rest.”

I also had the pleasure of meeting with artist Eugene Ross, a descendant of the Sante Dakota Tribe, who has the largest Dakota collection in Manitoba. Mr. Ross took the time to show me how Dakota people made pemmican – a mixture of dried meat, fruits, and nuts pounded into a coarse powder and mixed with melted fat. [see photo below]

Although I learned so much from my brief time here, I recognize learning is never-ending and I have a long road ahead of me. Learning, to me, is about becoming. Becoming a better, wiser, more empathetic person. Becoming who you need to be. Learning can – and should be – an uncomfortable, challenging process. I find that it is when I am most uncomfortable with what I’m learning that I truly become more knowledgeable – about the worlds around me, and about myself. This knowledge, put into practice, can grow into wisdom. As Barry French, one of the planning committee members, so eloquently stated in his closing address: “with this knowledge, with these teachings, comes an obligation to do something with them. Take what you’ve learned here, put it into your heart, and use it. Share it with others. Create a new legacy.”

References:

  1. Creating a New Legacy. (2015). Conference Program. Retrieved October 8, 2015 from: http://creatinganewlegacy2015.ca/conference-program/

Camila and Paola Engaging with Shawi in the Amazon

Written by Camila Angarita, Undergraduate Research Assistant at the University of Guelph After long airport layovers I was able to make it to Lima, Peru. Here I met Dr. Paola Torres-Slimming (MD), a PhD Candidate whom I was going to assist while visiting the Shawi communities of Nuevo Progreso.

We arrived late at night to Yurimaguas after a one-hour flight and a three-hour drive over treacherous roads; this was the closest town to our final destination. The next day we took the opportunity to meet with stakeholders and authorities who have dealt with water-security matters around the region. These included the head of vicariate, NGOs, and members of the health ministry; the discussions allowed us to have better insight on the health-related issues that existed, before we entered the community.

Families who were gathered in “El Salon Comunal” welcomed us with great joy when we arrived, and of course lots of “Masato”- a traditional fermented drink made up of mashed boiled cassava. As I approached the women to greet them “Wikama Kai” bowls and bowls of Masato were given to me, as a gesture of appreciation.  We introduced ourselves to the community and asked the community members if we could come back at a later date to collaborate on a research project about water security.

Every day was a completely different journey, you can never predict or expect anything when in the jungle. The long walks to reach the farther houses were enjoyable, especially when you fall several times, cross bridges made out of branches or get stuck in quicksand. I named the walks from one house to the next “the reflective walks”. We would always learn a fact, hear a story, analyze the last visit, or predict the new one.

I’m thankful for having this amazing opportunity as an undergraduate student, to being able to engage with community members in their remote community. This will allow me to have a better perspective on the community and will facilitate my work during my fourth year research project. A special thanks to Paola, Guillermo and Rosa for teaching me and sharing their knowledge throughout our time there.

Lindsay in Saskatoon at Integrated Training Program in Infectious Diseases, Food Safety and Public Policy

Written by Lindsay Day, MSc Candidate I recently had the opportunity to travel to Saskatoon to participate in the 4th International Summer School for the Integrated Training Program in Infectious Diseases, Food Safety and Public Policy (ITraP). ITraP is an interdisciplinary NSERC-CREATE program based at the University of Saskatchewan, and is founded on a One Health approach that encourages collaboration across disciplines to address and improve the health of people, animals and the environment, recognizing that these are interconnected.

The week-long Summer School is the final course-based component of the training, following an online problem-based learning course and an online student-led seminar course that were held over the winter term and early summer. In addition, students enrolled in the program arrange and participate in a 2-4 month externship in industry, government or academia, during the course of their graduate studies.

The theme of this year’s ITraP Summer School was team science, and provided an excellent opportunity for us to learn about collaborative science in action. We enjoyed presentations from speakers from Canadian, American, Indian and Australian academic institutions, as well as from those in industry and government. It was great to learn about team science from people with such diverse expertise, working in different fields and capacities to address a range of pressing One Health issues. Interactive sessions were also an important part of the Summer School, and covered topics in risk assessment, management and communication; communicating with policy makers; the dynamics of team science; CV preparation; grant writing; and media training.

With a focus on experiential learning, a team competition was also held as part of the Summer School. Over the course of the week we formed and worked together in international, interdisciplinary teams of 3-6 students to develop a letter of intent to apply for a grant to address a One Health issue of our choosing. Teams presented their proposals to a panel of peers (students and faculty) at the end of the Summer School, with the top two placing teams receiving seed funding to assemble a full application. (Our team ended up being one of them!).

Overall, this action-packed week was a great experience and valuable learning opportunity. Perhaps most important of all, it provided a chance to meet, in-person, fellow students from the online components of the program. We are a diverse group, with students coming from Brazil, India, South Africa and across Canada to take part in the Summer School (unfortunately our colleagues in Germany were unable to join us). It’s been wonderful learning from everyone in the ITraP program, and these are connections I am sure we will maintain as we move forward in our academic careers and beyond.

 

Update from Vivienne and Sarah in Uganda

Written by Vivienne Steele, MSc Candidate We have wrapped up our seven weeks in Bwindi, Uganda and are now settling back into life in Canada. The final weeks were a flurry of data entry and sharing results with local partners but we managed to finish everything we needed to do.

Our biggest challenge was completing the data entry from the maternity records, but with some help from the wonderful records department staff, we were able to finish entering the complete set of records. The hospital IT staff were pleased with this contribution and we hope it will be helpful to a number of hospital staff in their research.Viv Mat Ward

One evening as we were working late entering records, we got the call we had been awaiting—there was a birth happening on the ward and we were invited to come and assist with the procedure!  Cradling this brand new creature moments after it entered the world and tying off the umbilical cord put into perspective everything we have been working on. The experience made it starkly apparent why facility-based deliveries can be so important - the nurse was concerned about postpartum hemorrhaging. Fortunately the sutures held and the mother was able to sit up and meet her baby girl. As the nurse entered the birth information in the record, she asked for our names—we are now listed as having assisted during the birth on the very records we have spent weeks entering.

In our second last week in Buhoma our friend Levi from BDP guided us on the Batwa Experience tour. We headed up a steep mountain path and were welcomed by a traditional dance by several Batwa men and women, who then demonstrated honey-harvesting, hunting practices, and medicinal plant identification. Learning more about the traditional way of life for the Batwa in the forest contrasted greatly with what we saw on our community visits to their new settlements. The preservation of traditional knowledge through the Batwa Experience is an important initiative, but it also reminded us how many traditional food sources were lost when the Batwa were evicted from the forest.

On our final day, we held a preliminary results sharing meeting at the hospital, where 40 BCH staff were in attendance. It was a great chance for us to give a summary of IHACC, our projects, the work we had been able to accomplish while at BCH, as well as next steps. We also gave an overview of the health records evaluation draft. Our presentation was well received, and the staff were eager to review the soft copies of the evaluation that we distributed. Many people offered some great feedback and questions about the direction of our research.

We will miss BCH, Bwindi, and the many connections and friends we have made in Uganda. However, we are looking forward to continued collaboration with our Ugandan partners as we develop our projects over the coming months. We are very grateful to all who have helped us and feel fortunate to have had this experience. This time has reminded us both of the value of fieldwork; it has grounded our research in real-life experience and motivated us to make our research useful and relevant for BCH and the communities we have been working with.

 

Inaugural Harper Lab Retreat!

Written by Carlee Wright & Manpreet Saini LabRetreat1On Thursday August 13th and Friday August 14th, members of Dr. Harper’s lab went to Creiff Hills Community Retreat and Conference Centre for a 2-day overnight retreat. Thursday morning we left bright and early to the place that would be our residence- the House of Ruth. Our day started with a yoga session. We completed stretches and exercises to prepare us for the activities and events to come. Following the relaxing yoga session, we participated in a teleconference with Dr. James Ford from McGill University. He discussed topics such as writing, productivity, and grant proposals. He addressed questions we had in regards to graduate student work as well as building a strong CV.

During the lunch period we took advantage of the beautiful weather to sit outside. The afternoon activities started with a walk along the Red Trail on the property and participating in an adaptation of a water walk. This activity involved stopping at various points along the walk and reflecting on how we are affected by the immediate natural and/or built environment. We discussed how these spaces made us feel as well as different topics of discussion that were coming up as we spent time walking with one another. The trail covered a wide range of scenery as we moved between forested areas and cornfields. The views were breath-taking, and a fresh change from the sights and sounds of the city we are so used to. The opportunities to stop and reflect also gave us the chance to share things about one another and learn new things about each other. Making our way back, we participated in a sharing circle that covered topics such as being non-Indigenous but working with Indigenous populations. As always, the sharing circle provided us with a safe space to express thoughts, share stories and state what was on our minds.

On Thursday afternoon we had Natalie Carter, a soon-to-be PhD graduate, speak to the group. Natalie joined us to talk about gender-related research, and some of the opportunities and challenges related to conducting gender research in different countries and cultures. This was a great opportunity to learn and share experiences that students have faced in their own research. After the planned sessions, we enjoyed a chilli dinner and had a campfire complete with hot dogs and s’mores. Several of us even saw meteors from the Perseid meteor shower!

Friday morning started off with another sharing circle that covered topics such as staying motivated and time management tips. PhD candidate Warren Dodd then did a great session that covered concepts that we are exposed to in research with Indigenous populations, methods that we use within research, and values that we hold as researchers. Throughout his session we were able to reflect on these various components of research and discuss what our thoughts and perceptions were of each. Furthermore, we were given the opportunity to reflect on our most important values within ourselves and how the concepts and methods align with and impact our work. It was a very interesting session that really got us thinking of how our values intertwine with the research that we do, and hope to do in the future.

The retreat ended with an amazing pizza lunch and a final opportunity to mingle. The retreat was a great opportunity to spend time with each other, as we are not always able to when at the university. Overall, it was a phenomenal experience and I’m sure all of us cannot wait for the chance to repeat it next year.