Research is the first step in planning health-care support, yet it is almost nonexistent for Indigenous people living with a disability and for their caregivers.
The Indigenous Caregiving Collective is a grassroots project that aims to address the unique needs and challenges faced by indigenous caregivers and their communities. The goal is to build an indigenous network of researchers and supports for indigenous caregivers and a national network of indigenous elders, organizations, health practitioners and researchers to share knowledge, scale practices, identify research priorities and advocate for better caregiving policy.
It’s a community-driven initiative that will start within the four nations of Maskwacîs, Alberta, working closely with Maskwacîs parents place and the Nipisihkopahk pediatric clinic. the plan is to ultimately establish similar caregiver support networks in indigenous communities across Canada.