Indigenous land-based approaches to well-being: The Sibi (River) program in subarctic Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT

The Albany River system holds a special significance for the Omushkego Cree of subarctic Ontario, Canada, embodying their cultural roots, history, and the Cree way of life and worldviews. Through the Sibi program, youth learned traditional fishing practices from Elders and on-the-land experts, gaining valuable knowledge on the land and river. The program addressed barriers to being on the land, while also creating a space for the transfer of Indigenous knowledge and revitalising community social networks. The program took place in the summer, following the Omushkego Cree’s seasonal cycle and employed community-based participatory research approach. Photovoice and semi-structured interviews were used to identify elements of well-being from an Indigenous perspective. Regardless of age or experience, participants expressed positive emotions while being on the land, highlighting how strengthening social and community networks, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and fostering cultural continuity contribute to improved well-being. Program outcomes emphasize the importance of collaboration with communities to gain insights into their needs, priorities, and values, ultimately creating more sustainable and effective well-being programs. By fostering engagement and recognizing the environment’s significance, sustainable and long-term solutions can be pursued to address challenges faced by communities, ultimately advancing health and well-being for both present and future generations.The Albany River system holds a special significance for the Omushkego Cree of subarctic Ontario, Canada, embodying their cultural roots, history, and the Cree way of life and worldviews. Through the Sibi program, youth learned traditional fishing practices from Elders and on-the-land experts, gaining valuable knowledge on the land and river. The program addressed barriers to being on the land, while also creating a space for the transfer of Indigenous knowledge and revitalising community social networks. The program took place in the summer, following the Omushkego Cree’s seasonal cycle and employed community-based participatory research approach. Photovoice and semi-structured interviews were used to identify elements of well-being from an Indigenous perspective. Regardless of age or experience, participants expressed positive emotions while being on the land, highlighting how strengthening social and community networks, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and fostering cultural continuity contribute to improved well-being. Program outcomes emphasize the importance of collaboration with communities to gain insights into their needs, priorities, and values, ultimately creating more sustainable and effective well-being programs. By fostering engagement and recognizing the environment’s significance, sustainable and long-term solutions can be pursued to address challenges faced by communities, ultimately advancing health and well-being for both present and future generations.

KEYWORDS:

• Indigenous
• food security
• fishing
• photovoice
• community-based participatory research
• subarctic
• well-being

Introduction

The importance of Indigenous knowledge cannot be overstated, as it is inherently intertwined with the land and holds a pivotal position across various domains. This invaluable knowledge system is deeply rooted in the traditions, beliefs, and practices of Indigenous communities, reflecting their profound understanding of the ecosystems they inhabit, and the delicate balance required for harmonious coexistence [1–3]. Passed down through generations, Indigenous knowledge is enriched by the experiences and observations of the natural environment, encompassing a holistic perspective that recognises the interconnectedness of all living beings and their environment [4]. As a result, this knowledge system plays a vital role in addressing pressing global challenges, including food security and climate change [3]. Indigenous practices, such as the harvesting of animals for food, integrate traditional knowledge with modern techniques, fostering resilience against environmental fluctuations and ensuring the availability of nutritious foods year-round [5]. The knowledge of weather patterns and climate cycles also contributes to the development of effective strategies for mitigating the impact of extreme weather events and adapt to seasonal changes [6,7].

In the western James Bay region in northern Ontario, Canada, the Omushkego Cree have a classification for seasons which reflects the subarctic climate and environmental conditions throughout the year. These dynamic seasons are based on observations such as plant behaviour, weather patterns and availability of wildlife. One study by Tsuji and Nieboer [8] found variability in the number of seasons recognised within this region, with the majority following traditional teachings of six seasons. These seasons include Fall (Takwākin), Freeze-up (Mikiskaw), Winter (Pipon), Spring (Sīkwan), Blooming of earth/Break up (Minoskamin), Summer (Nīpin) [7]. These seasons guide the understanding of weather conditions, and also influence animal behaviour and guide sustainable harvesting practices [7,8]. For instance, in Fort Albany First Nation (FAFN), a community within this region, fishing is traditionally done during Spring (Sīkwan), Summer (Nīpin) and Fall (Takwākin), along the major rivers of the western James Bay region [9]. Fish holds great significance in the community’s diet, fostering a spiritual and cultural connection with the environment, promoting knowledge transfer, and contributing to overall health [10]. Nevertheless, food security concerns, including access to safe and nutritious food, remain widespread issues among Indigenous communities in Canada, including FAFN [11–13], including FAFN [14,15].

Over the last century, the consumption of traditional food, like fish, which provides a source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, protein, and other essential vitamins and minerals has declined in communities such as FAFN [6,9,10]; with a growing dependence on store-bought food, which is generally found to be less nutrient-rich [9,10]. This is one of the factors contributing to the high rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and overall poorer physical and mental health [10,16,17]. Some studies have attributed this shift to climate change [10], and economic and social factors [18,19] such as the loss of language as a result of the residential school system [20]. The decline in the use of the Cree language has far-reaching implications, affecting social relationships, connections to the land, food security, land use, and economic development [18–20]. Therefore, activities and programs centred on the land, where language, history, and Cree worldviews are prominent, have been recognised as vital [9,18–20].

Discussions with FAFN leadership and community members have highlighted the need for more on-the-land programs aligned with the seasonal harvesting practices of the Omushkego Cree. Previous initiatives, such as the Amisk (beaver) [18] and the Niska (goose) [19] harvesting programs, were harmonised with the seasons and were shown to revitalise cultural practices, facilitate healing from intergenerational trauma, and provide opportunities for knowledge dissemination from Indigenous perspective. The Sibi (river) program was the next harvesting program that followed the Omushkego Cree seasonal cycle and focused on fishing activities along the Albany River system. Guided by Elders, this program aimed to provide youth with a meaningful experience, exploring language, history, and sharing geographic, cultural, and historic knowledge. Grounded in the Cree worldview, the program envisioned reconnecting generations of community members with their cultural identity and environment, ultimately contributing to improved health and well-being.

Methods

The Sibi project activities were harmonised with the seasonal cycle of the Omushkego Cree during the summer of 2018, aiming to revitalise traditional fishing practices in the Albany River system and associated water bodies. The following sections briefly summarise the methods, with additional information available in Ahmed, Liberda, Solomon, Davey, Sutherland and Tsuji [18,19].

Program and participants

The program was developed in its entirety by FAFN Chief and Council (A.S.), a community-based coordinator (R.D.), an Elder (B.S.) and FAFN Band council members. They oversaw all aspects, including recruitment, while ensuring adherence to community-level protocols. Elders and on-the-land experts planned the activities, such as, when, where, and how fishing would take place. The program evaluation followed a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, to gain a comprehensive understanding of health and well-being from the participants’ perspectives and lived experiences. CBPR emphasises equal partnerships with the community throughout the research process to promote empowerment and ethical engagement [21].

Participants were recruited by the Band council, and eligibility criteria required all participants to be 18 years of age or older, and for Elders and experts, to have their own canoes. Consequently, all 16 participants were male as they had their own canoes and chose to participate. It is essential to consider this context when interpreting the findings and the limitations related to gender, as discussed further in the limitations section.

The program activities took place from July to August 201, ranging from 2 days to 1 week. Participants travelled in canoes, along the Albany River and its channels to camps, where they were then instructed on traditional methods of fishing, such as settling nightlines or nets, based on the preferences of the Elders and on-the-land experts. Additional fishing supplies such as rods and hooks were used to remove fish from the nightlines or nets, and safety measures were emphasised throughout the project. Participants were also taught how to clean and prepare fish for consumption. Fish that were not immediately prepared were distributed by the Elders and the Band to the community. The specific species of fish caught were not tracked for this study.

Informed consent was obtained in an inclusive and transparent manner, offering participants the option of English or Cree (with a translator present), based on their language preference. Participation was entirely voluntary, with participants could withdraw or opt-out any part of the research at any time. OCAP ® (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession) principles established how the data and information were collected, protected, used, and shared. Participant data were anonymised. The FAFN community members (A.S., R.D., B.S.) determined what information was shared with the non-Indigenous authors (F.A., E.N.L, L.J.S.T.). The study received approval from the Office of Research Ethics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, protocol #35947.

Data collection and analysis

Participants were provided with GoPro Hero5 (GoPro, Inc., San Mateo, California, USA) cameras and were asked to capture photos and/or videos related to their well-being. They received a brief demonstration on using the cameras and had an opportunity to practice. At the end of each month, the photos were downloaded and securely stored physically and electronically at the University of Toronto. Subsequently, participants provided narrations of their photos and videos in a neutral setting. Semi-structured interviews followed, with questions formulated in collaboration with the First Nation Advisory Committee, focusing on well-being (available in Ahmed, Liberda, Solomon, Davey, Sutherland and Tsuji [19]). These interviews were conducted in a neutral location, and were conducted in either English or Cree, with a translator present as various levels of Cree are spoken in the community (high-level Cree, conversational Cree). Voice recorders were used during both the narrations and the interviews. These recorders were stored securely at the University of Toronto. All data were stored at the University of Toronto on encrypted computers, which are only accessible to the authors. Transcriptions of interviews and narrations were done verbatim using NVivo 11 (QSR International Pty, Melbourne, Australia) software analyser. The deductive approach followed the theoretical framework of grounded theory, as employed in previous studies [18,19]. The thematic analysis involved reviewing transcriptions to identify significant phrases, sentences, or paragraphs, coding them to establish relationships between themes under the main categories (knowledge, identity, healing, and land) from the previous study [18,19]. The data from the present study were then compared to the previous Amisk [18] and Niska [19] programs for an overarching analysis of the impact of seasonal activities on health and well-being.

Results

A total of 14 interviews, which included semi-structured interviews and photovoice narrations, were completed. Of the 16 total participants, 2 participants withdrew because of flooding in the community which impacted their homes and required them to relocate. The remaining participants were not required to relocate, and therefore were able to participate throughout the entire duration of the program. The themes, supporting images and verbatim quotes presented in the subsequent sections reflect the experiences of the participants and help to increase our understanding of well-being from an interpersonal, relating to relationships between people, and intrapersonal, relating to individual, perspectives [22].

Knowledge

The historical significance of the Albany River, its tributaries and other surrounding water bodies provide an important setting for the transfer of the wealth of knowledge held by Elders and experts.

One Elder discussed the importance of learning these teachings, and to be able to share it with the community, and especially youth,

You gotta learn … if you have to have something to offer, and if you know it and under stand it then you can say that, you know, I’ve done this 35 years of my life so how about I teach you something today … Life experience eh … Me I’m 63 years old so I’ve done what I do most of my life so I can teach the young how to set their net … I can show them how to catch fish, I pass on the skill … And then there’s also, you can counsel people, you don’t need a degree or a counselling certificate but as long as you have the knowledge and you know it came from an Elder because they’ll always ask you how do you know this … And you just say well an Elder was my mentor for 25 years and I learned from him … There’s just one that’s alive and that’s (omitted name) he’s 96 years old eh? but I still talk to him. I’m still learning from him … He’s still teaching me things. (Participant 3, Elder)

This was especially important with the decline of participation of youth in traditional activities. Many discussed this decline and finding opportunities to engage with them:

I don’t know about the young generations because … they’re not out there in the bush … There’s less people interested to go out in the bush … I learned when I was growing up … , you know being out there, I liked it … Some of my generations don’t really go out there to teach they’re kids or being out there in the bush, you know they’re mostly just home. (Participant 17, Expert)

He does have nephews in the community, that he would bring them out if he wants help … As for the youth in the community … they’re starting to ask him now, he has a boat and a motor (Figure 1). There’s a youth council in the community, and they often ask him to be their guide. To teach ‘em how to- harvesting or fishing … he likes to help … He enjoys teaching them. (Participant 15, Elder, Translation from Cree)

Figure 1. An Elder taking out a fish out from the net in the river. (Photo credit: Participant 19).

When you do that, you take your family with you, they learn the day you take them … These days I see a whole bunch of kids today walking around or I see the parents, busy working, no time to take them out. We like to go hunting, that crew we got there, that’s what we do most of the time. (Participant 31, Expert)

The fishing program provided an opportunity for youth to go on the land and learn the skills and teachings required. Listening to the stories from Elders and experts, along with watching them as they carried out their learned practices allowed youth to learn through different means:

This is where I grew up and my ancestors are here yeah so the first thing we teach our children … how to listen. Just when we take them out on the land, we tell them to listen, we ask them what do you hear, they tell you I hear nothing, are you sure? and then they listen again and then they start to understand what I’m saying … That’s the thing about going on the land, you’re always passing information, maybe this guys doing something that might work for him this way and you’re doing something a different way and you’re all learning eh? And you’re passing on the knowledge to the young ones … You’re always sharing when you’re out there. You teach by example; we don’t we don’t instruct. Like I don’t tell you, when I talk to you, eye to eye, I don’t do that, I just do my thing and you’re standing there and watching me … and then one day I say here can you do this for me, and you’re gonna know, and you’re going to do it and … I’m not gonna say anything, I’ll just let you do it. And you’ll finish it, and then after a while you’ll see me do it again now, you’re going to pick up what you did wrong … you correct yourself; I don’t tell you, you did something wrong, I just say thank you … You’ll pick it up sooner or later eh? Or you’re going to pick it up with someone else, maybe someone else might explain it better than me … we’ll just accept it the way it is, because it’s still gonna catch fish right? (Participant 3, Elder)

When I was back in the ‘60s I would go with my dad, but I never use to touch the trap … I just watched them … When I got older, then everything that was taught to me by vision, that’s how I did it so therefore that’s all I had to do was be cautious. (Participant 20, Expert)

Participants reiterated the importance of teaching to sustaining traditional activities for the livelihoods of themselves, their families, and the overall community:

Surviving out there, life skills, being out there in the bush, you learn as the way you go … Learning from another person … what mostly I do is just cook. Help out, go check out the nets, get taught the same time with another older person … He’s 10 years older (Figure 2), and you know the things I didn’t know he taught me and the things he didn’t know I taught him from experience … going out with my grandparents, checking out their nets you know how to set them up … It was a good experience I had fun. (Participant 17, Expert)

Figure 2. An on-the-land expert and Elder working together to set nets in the river. (Photo credit: Participant 33).

It’s good to know stuff like hunting, fishing, catching fish in the nets … Maybe one day you could go out fishing on your own. You didn’t have any food … Just try something you never did … So you know more things. (Participant 16, Youth)

Just keep going with Mooshum (grandfather) … Being out in the bush … Hunting and stuff, moose, how to cut a moose. Just stuff like that. I wanna learn what he learned. (Participant 19, Youth)

By learning and maintaining the Cree language, there is preservation of cultural knowledge. This was identified as a challenge by some of the participants, with the decline of the Cree language being prevalent amongst the younger generations,

Language, I notice that it declined. Most of our present students in our school speak English, the majority. The language in Cree has declined … My mother was a Cree language instructor for over 30 years … There’s only two teachers that are teaching Cree, but they’re not really qualified as my mom … Vocabulary words are longer, that’s how it is right now, it’s just a simple Cree. (Participant 20, Expert)

You need to hear the language to know it eh?… There’s no language in here [inside the house], our language is embedded in the environment, so you want to teach Cree, you’ll have to let me teach it outside, teach it over there … It’s difficult because right now, in this house, there are no Cree words in here, it’s just we made them up … to be able to say … this is a table. So, it’s a place where you eat, and this one is just a place where you sit down … we invent words as we go along (Participant 3, Elder)

For these reasons, ensuring that youth, and other knowledge seekers were present was a very important aspect of participating in fishing and other harvesting activities, to continue with the sharing of knowledge and training for youth.

Identity

A connection to the land is central to Indigenous identity. For this reason, respecting, learning, and following teachings related to land was cited as an important aspect of their identity and well-being:

If you’re a traditional harvester you gotta respect what you kill … We have to follow the traditions … know the customs, the way they harvested. Say for the beaver … it was also used for food supply and as well as maybe bait, for trapping for marteens. (Participant 20, Expert)

It’s very important cause … it’s just the way how we live and how we were taught … It’s how to survive. (Participant 34, Youth)

He’s preparing sturgeon to bag them up (Figure 3), and to bring home … to distribute to the community, eh? That’s what they do, and he was also showing the younger group. (Participant 15, Elder, Translation from Cree)

Figure 3. An Elder showing youth participants how to prepare fish. (Photo credit: Participant 12).

We clean it, give it to the community. But the same time we’re sharing it eh, eating it together … Sharing is common, eh? It doesn’t matter who it is. If you stop, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know those people, they’re gonna offer food to eat, or you’re going to offer them something… If you have a big fish you say, here I got this fish, it’s fresh, oh thank you … it’s like a trade sometimes, sometimes people want to a pack of smokes, and they’ll give them a pack of smokes, here’s some fish. (Participant 3, Elder)

The importance of maintaining these traditions for well-being was reiterated, especially for newer generations (Figure 4).

Figure 4. An on-the-land expert preparing fish. (Photo credit: Participant 15).

Familial and social structures were integral for this, as cited by participants:

My Mooshum (grandfather), he was a legend at moose hunting … I would like to be like my dad and my grandfather … When you hunt professionally, it makes you feel better, cause when you know how to hunt the animals, you’re happy, and its important cause that’s how we live our good life. (Participant 34, Youth)

To be a good model, to be an Elder, you know to continue to speak to the youth … That would be my well-being. (Participant 20, Expert)

I think the traditional values has to be continued, if we don’t then the new generation and the generations after that … everything will be forgotten … The way it is right now I believe trapping has declined and most of the young generation today from 18 and up you know they’re unemployed, they don’t want to go to school even though we have an education system … The other thing too I noticed that students are quitting high school, come home and live on social assistance you know, they call it cash for life (laughs) … For me when they first mentioned that word, that’s what I heard, I look at him and said … nobodies a winner, you can be a winner if you, maybe just go back to school. (Participant 20, Expert)

In our culture, four divided … emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, so when you say that you’re saying all my being is healthy … But if you’re not feeling well, you’d probably say, I’m not feeling that good, because my being is not balanced eh … So that’s why the medicine wheel is like a teaching tool you can teach anything eh?… If you’re not feeling well somewhere … you might be sick physically, you may be hurting emotionally … or you might have not had a spiritual connection for a while so you’re saying my spirituals sort of on a downside … That’s where most Elders can help you and they know what you’re talking about, and they’ll give you advice … That’s why Elders are important. (Participant 3, Elder)

Healing

Maintaining their well-being by focusing on keeping a balance between the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of their lives was a common theme. While reflecting on their fishing trips, participants spoke of the various levels of healing which took place. Participants identified the importance of keeping active both in the bush and in the community, to maintain their well-being:

I enjoyed this project … being out there you know for seven days, five days, it’s nice … Great experience, great feeling to be out there again. (Participant 17, Expert)

I feel more connected with nature and myself being out there, and more peaceful. (Participant 16, Youth)

What he sees is, if you do more on the land, he finds he’s more healthier. For example, trapping, if I spend more time trapping, he feels he gains more health as well, he feels more energy … When he spends time out there in the bush. (Participant 15, Elder, Translated)

I feel a little sad being here … Than in bush I feel good … To see the land, the animals. (Participant 18, Elder)

That one difference from being there and being at home … Just makes me more happy than my place. (Participant 19, Youth)

There’s always opportunities to achieve wellbeing … Better health, live longer … feel better for yourself … I always go in the bush … feel better when I’m over there … I got no worries about anything, no anxiety. Anxious, how it is when I’m up here. I’m always on the move here when I’m rushing around. (Participant 33, Expert)

The need for more activities was cited as an opportunity to improve well-being within the community,

There’s not much going on in terms of activities, like sports, outdoor sports or whatever. People just go home after work and watch tv you know, getting all lazy … There’s nothing really much going on now in Albany, lack of lack of activities I guess. (Participant 17, Expert)

I enjoy hockey all the time, it keeps my brain exercised and healthy, and it keeps me fit … Sometimes it’s difficult to live in the communities though. Well for me … I keep getting tempted by drugs here … going hunting, paying hockey, going to treatment, or going back to school … can pretty much help out. (Participant 34, Youth)

Some participants discussed addictions being barriers to participating in traditional activities,

“Working during the day, plus I get drunk sometimes” (Participant 18, Elder)

It’s mostly addictions, people don’t want to admit they have a problem they say oh I’m okay I have a job. I have this, I have that, you know but they don’t want to admit they have a weakness … Takes time eh … Sometimes it takes maybe to lose someone to realize you have you have a problem. So that’s when they start the healing journey, so that sometimes you see people fasting when they’re 40 or 50 maybe now they’re trying to walk the healing … So that’s how it works, that’s how well-being starts. (Participant 3, Elder)

Although this was a challenge, spending more time on the land was discussed as an opportunity to embark on their healing journey, as the land was seen as medicine:

My uncle says it this way … he said if you’re out here, out in the bush, when you can smell everything- you can smell the different herbs flowers stuff like that and when you inhale that it makes you feel good … That’s a sort of like a healing medicine that’s why when you’ll come out here you feel good because all the stuff you smell is healing you … You become stress free, like you’re recharging … This summer after work, I spent about a month and a half on the river. (Participant 3, Elder)

It’s more the youth … if you’re exposed to the land more often, that you would be more healthier in every way. (Participant 15, Elder, Translation from Cree)

When I’m out there (Figure 5), I come back 20 lbs lighter … my sleep is good, my mind is clear … When I’m here I gain. I’m tired first of all for no reason … My vision improves when I’m out there, cause I’m always looking far distances. (Participant 13, Expert)

Figure 5. An Elder holding up a recently caught fish. (Photo credit: Participant 23).

Taking part in traditional activities allowed participants, to not only reconnect with the land, but also harness the knowledge, and be supported by others, to improve their well-being. As stated by one Elder,

I feel good, I feel rejuvenated and ready to go back to work … It’s just like a medicine for us. It heals you, holistically, cures you everywhere eh … Anxieties are gone, you become like a new person … For me it’s like um you have to learn to recognize that when you become stressed out it’s time for you to leave again … It doesn’t matter it could be 15 min go for a walk. But it’s better to go away where there’s no traffic, nothing where there’s no people. Maybe just go with somebody or a friend, and that way you can talk to each other, sometimes people share things that they don’t, normally wouldn’t share inside the house like or maybe something on their mind or something bothering them that you just want to get got out of your system, so you hear that story, so you take it. You don’t really take it, but you just accept it and you don’t really keep it … you put it back on the ground, and then once it goes on the ground, it goes back as negative energy … But if you put it back, it comes up as positive energy and it goes up into the trees and there it’s released and then the cycle starts over again … That’s how our belief system in our Cree, in our traditional culture. (Participant 3, Elder)

He had fun that day … When you’re out there on the land … It’s good to be out there he says … Before they were distant, don’t talk much to each other. So, by going up the river together, I guess they became friends (Figure 6). (Participant 15, Elder, Translation from Cree)

Figure 6. Elders, on-the-land experts and youth sharing a meal together. (Photo credit: Participant 34).

For others, although the land had many benefits to their health and well-being, pre-existing health conditions were identified as a barrier for participating, “For his well-being he said to continue doing this … hunting, fishing, but he says he’s getting sick but he still wants to do it. His mind wants to do it but his body is, he’s getting sick now (Participant 36, Translated, Elder)

The determination to improve their health and well-being, regardless of their challenges, was a common theme. Some participants discussed how this improvement was more likely when they were out on the land versus in the community,

When he stays inside, he doesn’t feel too well … When he’s in here there’s no there’s no clean air and the water you drink is not good. Unlike out here, the waters clean … he’s feeling fresh, full of life. (Participant 36, Elder)

I enjoy doing that … Lets say I go caribou hunting or moose hunting or else, I always go alone … Fishing same thing, trapping … I feel healthier and peace of mind … It’s kind of dull here and brighter over there … You can talk to yourself, oh wow so beautiful here, how beautiful the trees are … Over there, I don’t feel like having diabetes, I’m not worried … . Over here, I sit down and watch TV. You’re not doing exercise; over there you move all day you know. (Participant 20, Expert)

When I’m here [in the community], I’m suffocated, and when you’re out there it’s open air. I feel lively, you wake up, you don’t smell nothing but green grass or berries, the kind of trees that standing around alongside you … You can smell them. It’s more healthy over there … When I was there and we build that camp, Pledge lake, I never got sick… I probably stayed eight weeks over there … There’s medicine there, you don’t need no Tylenol … Just get outside your house … you hear fish jumping, maybe birds chirping away … I’d prefer the bush than inside … I like it out there … right here it’s like staying in one room, house, like this, no air. (Participant 31, Expert)

He says it’s nice to be out here for the mind for the body, but you have to be careful at all times. (Participant 36, Elder, Translation from Cree)

I feel better when I’m out there on the river … I’m better … my blood pressure is down … My stress levels is down, mental better … That’s what I notice when I go in the bush I sleep better, I always fall asleep early in the bush. After this day I was, I went that home, I went to bed and I knocked out, I slept almost 12 hours … (name omitted) told me when you get home, you’re gonna sleep good, he says. Cause there’s nothing there, there’s no rays nothing, no noise, the only noise I heard was (name omitted) and (name omitted) laughing. But it was good, it was fun, it was positive. It was good to go out with these guys. (Participant 33, Expert)

Land

The general theme within the discussions was of the importance of their relationship with the land and how much of an impact it has on their well-being:

Mind, body, and spirit … There is things to do here, so there’s no such thing as being bored … You gotta find things to do every day, other than technology. (Participant 13, Expert)

When you’re out there … you interact with people without struggling … It’s just like, you’re connecting with each other (Figure 7) … Then when you leave, when you’re done, you part your way, you have that feeling … The connection … you’re sort of sad that it ends. (Participant 3, Elder)

Figure 7. Two Elders preparing to set the nightlines. (Photo credits: Participant 13).

For Albany … If they were to go fishing and trapping, or anything, I think that would better for everybody. (Participant 33)

To be more active … Do something, instead of sitting around. Go out here … Or wherever, anywhere up the river, nature … I like it better out there. Its peaceful, the scenery and everything as you can see. (Participant 13, Expert)

When I’m out on nature, when I go outdoors, I’m most active … When you’re here in town you don’t really, well you go to work, and there’s no anything going on … Just mostly stay at home, watch TV. But when you’re outdoors you’re out and about doing things … Being out there in the bush … It gets you motivated. (Participant 17, Expert)

He’s educated to live on the land that way. So, he feels more okay doing stuff in the bush … Being out there on the land, feels more stronger all the time … feel more healthier when I’m out there on the land. (Participant 15, Elder, Translation from Cree)

Many participants discussed the barriers to go out on the land, many of which stemmed from a lack of resources:

I like to go back … I like to go outdoors, but I have to earn … You know to get by. I mean to use, when you go outdoors … buy supplies you know like that’s the only thing. Earn money to get supplies to be out there. (Participant 17, Expert)

No boats, no guides, nobody to take ‘em out … You see (name omitted), he never takes his grandkids out cause he’s busy. (Participant 31, Expert)

Sometimes in the community you need fuel … to go out into the land or wherever, you need tools… I got most tools but the thing that I need sometimes the community don’t have is fuel, sometimes they run out of fuel. (Participant 13, Expert)

Trying to get out on the land, trying to own a canoe. It’s hard to own a canoe cause it costs lots … So, any chance you get to go on a canoe, I take it … If someone asks me lets go out this week for hunting or fishing, I’d go … Food yeah food costs lots up here eh … If they had more funding … some kind of funding like the program like what’s going on right now … That would be good for the younger people today, and for people with low income too. (Participant 33, Expert)

The decline in participation from youth was also discussed, “It’s entertainment, internet and etc. you know technology … They’re [youth] not interested going out in the land if they’re too preoccupied with games and whatever internet. (Participant 15, Elder, Translation from Cree)

Participating in the fishing program provided an opportunity for some participants, who either didn’t have experience or didn’t have the required resources, to go out on the land. (Figure 8)

Figure 8. A youth participant helping an Elder and on-the-land expert set up nightlines. (Photo credits: Participant 13).

One youth participant stated,

Go out of town … Keep going like … Fishing, hunting stuff like that, being in the bush … I don’t know it’s quiet … I like going out for walks out there … It just feels different, and I feel happy being out there … That one difference from being there and being at home … Just makes me more happy than my place. (Participant 19, Youth)

Discussion

The Sibi program aimed to revitalise traditional fishing practices by reconnecting youth with Elders and experts on the Albany River system, which holds great historical and cultural significance. To empower individuals, photovoice and CBPR were employed, enabling participants to share their insights and experiences regarding fishing and other traditional harvesting practices. Previous studies have discussed concerns of western health and well-being models not adequately addressing the needs of Indigenous peoples as they fail to recognise traditional spiritual healing methods and the significance of culture and the environment [23]. Hence, it was crucial for the program to adopt a framework that fostered more robust and meaningful partnerships with the community, leading to research findings that were impactful and contextualised [24].

During discussions with participants, the importance of their culture, language, and the guidance of Elders in their efforts to improve their health and well-being became evident. These sentiments were shared across all age groups and experience levels, with all participants expressing overwhelmingly positive experiences with the Sibi program. However, some challenges were also highlighted, such as the lack of resources (e.g. fishing equipment, canoes, and fuel) and the absence of family or social connections to facilitate outings on the land and teach fishing practices.

These challenges were identified as the primary barriers by participants in this study, as well as in previous studies focusing on land-based programs [18,19], and other studies relating to traditional activities [10,17,25,26].

Throughout previous land-based studies, participants emphasised the benefits of Elders and experienced community members taking youth out on the land [18,19]. Such outings provided opportunities to learn essential skills and knowledge for traditional harvesting and hunting activities, especially during months when the seasonal road (James Bay winter road) was accessible. Access to the snow-ice road during the winter months provided an opportunity for individuals to travel to neighbouring communities where the prices of goods were cheaper, or allowed them to save on additional costs for importing materials needed for harvesting [18]. Studies have shown that communities which were socially and culturally connected, and have equitable access to social supports and resources, were more resilient and able to cope with adversity [23,27,28]. This was discussed by participants in our study, who spoke of forming connections when on the land, which they may not have had opportunities to form in the community. These connections not only facilitated skill acquisition, but also helped individuals address adversities, challenges, and traumas they had experienced. Connections with Elders were also constantly cited as being integral to the well-being of communities and may help restore the balance needed for health and healing through their skills, experience and knowledge [23]. Even when some youth did not explicitly discuss this, they demonstrated its importance through the photographs they took while preparing and sharing meals with the Elders. The act of sharing of food and knowledge has been reinforced at the familial and community levels in the other seasonal harvest programs [18,19], as a means to foster supportive relationships and a sense of belonging, which are crucial aspects of well-being.

Another key theme which emerged was the profound importance of the land as a source of identity, culture, spirituality, and well-being. Participants in this study, and our other FAFN land-based programs [18,19], expressed strong connections to the land, emphasising the need to care for it, and the positive emotions when spending time there. These benefits have been observed in similar land-based studies. One such study by Ness and Munkejord [29], examined perceptions of well-being from older South Sámi, who discussed experiencing well-being in connection to nature, reindeer herding and family. They also determined this true even with a lack of physical access to nature, participants were able to lean on memories of past experiences to enhance feelings of well-being [29]. Participants within our study also reflected on their past experiences on the land when discussing well-being, which reiterated the importance of those who didn’t have those opportunities or experiences to be able to create them. For this reason, it was emphasised that caring for the land was crucial, especially given imminent threats like climate change [5,30] and industrial development [31,32]. In Western Canada, a study exploring Indigenous food sovereignty experiences revealed particular importance of conserving the natural environment, as it aligns with the reciprocal Indigenous ways of life and sustains community health [21]. Regardless of the season, or difficulty of the harvesting practice, participants within our studies asserted that spending time on the land allowed them to find balance in all aspects of their lives through the social connections that were formed, the traditional food that they consumed and the spiritual connection with the land and water. Although specific concepts may vary with the geographic setting of different regions, the overarching importance of spending time on the land, and preserving the natural environment for future generations remains a common theme.

One such way to sustain the environment is by utilising local Indigenous knowledge to respond and adapt to the environment and its changes. Our seasonal programs, which included the Amisk [18] and Niska [19] programs, highlight the importance of utilising Indigenous knowledge for the well-being of FN peoples, and ensuring the timing of these activities is based on understandings of the environment. The Amisk program, which aimed to revitalise beaver trapping activities which have become limited in this region, provided participants with a nutritious source of traditional food, and addressed issues of community flooding as a result of the beaver dams [18]. The Niska program aimed to increase participation in goose harvesting activities, which provided access to nutritious traditional food, and also address issues of desertification due to overabundant geese [19]. These programs offered insights into the traditional food systems of the region, and demonstrated how cultural knowledge and community relations could address current threats of food security and climate change. As climate change disproportionately affects Indigenous communities, it is imperative to conserve local practices and knowledge to mitigate its impacts [1,33]. Indigenous knowledge systems can provide valuable information where scientific data are limited [34]. For example, when discussing threats of climate change on food security, incorporating local Indigenous knowledge can help As climate change poses a threat to Indigenous communities globally in terms of food security, it is imperative to include Indigenous knowledge when addressing these issues [33,34]. Understanding and adapting programs to incorporate seasonal harvests can lead to substantial yields throughout the year, providing a source of safe, nutritious, and culturally significant food [15]. Considering the seasonal variations in traditional food availability and consumption is essential [35]. This understanding was frequently discussed within our programs, as participants were able to obtain relatively large harvests during seasons where they were in abundance (i.e. geese) and preserve them for future consumption. Understanding these seasonal variations, was not only beneficial for a larger yield, but also to ensure that populations were harvested in a sustainable way which aligned with Cree values and traditions.

Though this study takes place in a remote FN community, the primary findings of this program can be applied to other marginalised communities by considering the diverse needs across different cultures and environments. Incorporating local perspectives through approaches such as CBPR can provide valuable insights into community needs, priorities, and values, leading to sustainable and effective health and well-being programs [21]. One project which encompasses these concepts is the “Nunavut Community Wellness Project” a collaboration of the Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Health Canada and Government of Nunavut [36]. This project aimed to promote population health by focusing on the interrelated conditions and factors, such as, environmental, social, and economic issues, and personal habits as determinants of health and well-being. Using this approach ensured that Inuit cultural values and principals were accounted for, to ensure that they meet with the varying needs for a community-driven wellness plan [36]. Similarly, the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation [37] utilised the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework, which outlines a wellness approach grounded in culture and supported by language, Elders, families and creation. This framework helps to advise a range of services (i.e. education, housing), and provides advice on policy and programs which aim to promote and improve mental wellness. Many community programs, including our own, have recognised the importance of adopting a more holistic and ecological approaches to health and well-being [18,19,26,38–41]. These approaches include key conceptual foundations of respect, inclusivity, empowerment, collaboration, harmony and strength-based approaches [42]. Overall, our study highlights that incorporating Indigenous knowledge and community-specific practices can lead to improved well-being outcomes for Indigenous peoples.

Limitations

Limitations of this study include the sample size, which was reflective of the number of Elders and experience people with the required knowledge and time for the program. As with the previous Amisk [18] and Niska [19] programs, the participants were all male. This limitation impacts the generalisability of our results, which therefore should be interpreted within this context. Future studies involving more female-driven traditional activities throughout the seasonal cycle would be beneficial to understanding the effects on well-being from their perspectives. Within the program, some participants only spoke “high” Cree, and as acknowledged by one Elder within the interviews, some words and concepts are not directly translatable to the English language or the more commonly spoken conversational Cree. Any quotes which were translated were labelled “Translation from Cree”.

Conclusions

Our findings from the Sibi program highlight the importance of working directly with communities to gain insight into their needs, priorities, and values to create more sustainable and effective health and well-being programs. Participants expressed positive feelings while being on the land, regardless of age and experience. Enhanced well-being was attributed to the promotion of social and community networks, sharing of intergenerational knowledge, and advancement of cultural continuity. The use of a community-based participatory approach empowered participants to share their knowledge and experience, while bringing together generations on the culturally and spiritually important setting of the Albany River system. By examining well-being throughout a seasonal cycle, we gained insight into the crucial role of traditional food in diets, sustainable livelihood, and overall health and well-being in FN communities. The results from this program, and the previous ones, indicate the need for health and well-being to be viewed as more than just a biomedical concept; and well-being must be viewed holistically and account for the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Our findings show that the land, health and well-being, and knowledge are interconnected for Indigenous peoples and therefore must be considered as such. Enhancing support for traditional harvesting activities within Indigenous communities and adopting a more holistic approach to health and well-being would be valuable for future programs and policies.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the participants and community members whose support and involvement made this program possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Grant #156396).