The Alberta Indigenous Mentorship in Health Innovation (AIM-HI) Network was developed by Indigenous faculty members as an intergenerational mentorship programme for First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) scholars engaged in health research training programmes. Through activities and funding programmes, the AIM-HI Network provided opportunities for these scholars to strengthen their personal and professional resources and gain resilience along paths to academic success. While generating evidence on wise practices for Indigenous mentorship, we also advocated for systemic change to enable Indigenous scholar promotion and success in academia and in health research more broadly. In this article, we describe the philosophical approach to mentorship and the organizational structure to deliver aligning activities and supports to students. We also reflect on the successes and learnings from our leadership of the Network, including the impact of the coronavirus-19 pandemic on FNMI scholars, and the ways in which the Network adapted to address these challenges.
education, graduate, health research, Indigenous, mentorship
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This paper describes the health and wellbeing applications of a protocol designed from a Gumbaynggirr Australian First People’s concept, Bigaagarri. The protocol reframes threats to health and wellbeing as part of a communicative system of environmental signals, rather than an individualised, behavioural fight–flight–fear response. Developed by a Muruwari Gumbaynggirr…
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The issue of suicide has garnered considerable attention in refugee scholarship, where research examines how unique forced migration and resettlement challenges exacerbate risks and vulnerabilities to suicide. However, there are gaps in understanding the social and cultural factors shaping the lived experience of suicide in refugee communities. Using the…
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Performance methodologies take many forms—performative writing, poetic transcription, and co-performative witnessing, to name only a few—and can be both process and product, differentiating and unifying a group between and across differences. As a social work researcher committed to decolonial, liberatory methodologies that make and bring meaning to the communities…
Helena Abolins-Thompson, Kimiora L. Henare, Bridget Simonson, Mark Chaffin, Patrick T. Ellinor, Claire Henry, Mairarangi Haimona, Jake Aitken, Taku Parai, Bianca Elkington, Michael Rongo, Kirsty M. Danielson and Megan P. Leask
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Introduction: Indigenous communities globally are inequitably affected by non-communicable diseases such as cancer and coronary artery disease. Increased focus on personalized medicine approaches for the treatment of these diseases offers opportunities to improve the health of Indigenous people. Conversely, poorly implemented approaches pose increased risk of further exacerbating current inequities…
Featured Resources
Phillip Orcher, Victoria J. Palmer and Tyson Yunkaporta
2025 | Australia
This paper describes the health and wellbeing applications of a protocol designed from a Gumbaynggirr Australian First People’s concept, Bigaagarri. The protocol reframes threats to health and wellbeing as part of a communicative system of environmental signals, rather than an individualised, behavioural fight–flight–fear response. Developed by a Muruwari Gumbaynggirr…
Amani Kasherwa, Caroline Lenette, Achol Arop and Ajang Duot
2024 | Australia
The issue of suicide has garnered considerable attention in refugee scholarship, where research examines how unique forced migration and resettlement challenges exacerbate risks and vulnerabilities to suicide. However, there are gaps in understanding the social and cultural factors shaping the lived experience of suicide in refugee communities. Using the…
Antonia R. G. Alvarez
2025 | United States
Performance methodologies take many forms—performative writing, poetic transcription, and co-performative witnessing, to name only a few—and can be both process and product, differentiating and unifying a group between and across differences. As a social work researcher committed to decolonial, liberatory methodologies that make and bring meaning to the communities…
Helena Abolins-Thompson, Kimiora L. Henare, Bridget Simonson, Mark Chaffin, Patrick T. Ellinor, Claire Henry, Mairarangi Haimona, Jake Aitken, Taku Parai, Bianca Elkington, Michael Rongo, Kirsty M. Danielson and Megan P. Leask
2025 | Aotearoa New Zealand
Introduction: Indigenous communities globally are inequitably affected by non-communicable diseases such as cancer and coronary artery disease. Increased focus on personalized medicine approaches for the treatment of these diseases offers opportunities to improve the health of Indigenous people. Conversely, poorly implemented approaches pose increased risk of further exacerbating current inequities…
