Indigenous Advisory Committee Member Perspectives: Principles for Success

Indigenous people worldwide experience high levels of health disparities when compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. In an effort to close the gap of existing health disparities, Canadian post-secondary health programs are increasing education regarding Indigenous health into their programs. Indigenous curricula is best suited to be taught by Indigenous educators, however there is a shortage of Indigenous educators available to take on these positions. The scarcity of Indigenous educators has led to an increase in Indigenous Advisory Committees (IACs) at institutions across Canada. Despite these efforts, there is no literature related on how to effectively establish an IAC that honours Indigenous perspective, worldview and pedagogies. This research seeks to unveil key components that contribute to successful IACs.

This qualitative study uses narrative inquiry methodologies to examine IAC member perspective’s regarding their first year of membership. IAC members (n=10) were interviewed twice over a 12-month period. Semi-structured interviews were chosen to prompt conversation while allowing members freedom to diverge to topics they deemed important. Interviews were conducted and recorded over Zoom and then transcribed verbatim. Interview transcripts were then analyzed for common themes.

The IAC framework presented in this paper provides guiding principles for educational institutions to follow when developing their own IAC. Successful IACs will lead to improved Indigenous curriculums that appropriately include Indigenous knowledge, culture and history while maintaining respect.