FHS professor Dr. Krista Stelkia awarded CRC in Indigenous Health Governance

Late in October, Faculty of Health Sciences Assistant Professor Dr. Krista Stelkia was announced as the Tier II Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Health Governance by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

This is the first Canada Research Chair (CRC) award for Stelkia, who is the current Director of the SFU Centre for Collaborative Action on Indigenous Health Governance (CCAIHG) and also serves as the Nominated Principal Investigator for BC NEIHR (British Columbia Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research).

Stelkia’s CRC program seeks to improve Indigenous health outcomes both in Canada and around the world by identifying and examining critical structural determinants of health that impact Indigenous communities. Key to this work is the need to advance Indigenous self-determination to counter the harmful and historical impacts of colonialism, and forced displacement and segregation which continue to reinforce inequities in heath service delivery and health policy governance for First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples relative to other populations across the country.

“Self-determination through Indigenous health governance models, interventions, and networks is a promising approach to addressing longstanding structural level health inequities faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada and globally,” says Stelkia.

“The long-term goal of [my] program of research is to improve health outcomes for all Indigenous peoples by centring Indigenous knowledge, worldviews, and practices. Achieving this requires advancing excellence in Indigenous health research, empowering Indigenous researchers and communities, and promoting Indigenous-led solutions to address structural inequities.”

Stelkia has three objectives for this work:

• Generate new evidence on the structural determinants of Indigenous health and wellness derived directly from the priorities of Indigenous communities, collectives, and organizations (ICCOs).
• Co-create new Indigenous-governed health interventions, policies, frameworks, and programs that support the self-determination and mentorship of Indigenous peoples to lead their own health and wellness.
• Establish CCAIHG as a national and international Indigenous health governance research centre for culturally safe community-engaged research, and global dialogue and knowledge exchange.

Stelkia notes that achieving health equity for Indigenous peoples in Canada requires a multi-pronged approach that engages Indigenous health contributors to address knowledge gaps. While eliminating First Nations-specific racism in the BC healthcare system is a necessary goal to work towards, there are other conditions which must be achieved to improve Indigenous health outcomes. “It’s essential to advance and support opportunities for Indigenous peoples and ICCOs to lead self-determined, community-led research,” says Stelkia. “BC NEIHR has long been a model of excellence for innovative Indigenous-governed research by offering skills and leadership development while also supporting communities in developing and directing their own research programs.”

Stelkia’s CRC program is a prime example of the research work that CIHR seeks to support to better improve lives across Canada. Ted Hewitt, Chair of the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat Steering Committee, and President of SSHRC, notes that “[t]his investment reaffirms Canada’s commitment to advancing world-class research across a wide spectrum of disciplinary areas. By supporting researchers and institutions across Canada, we’re not only strengthening our research ecosystem, but also empowering the next generation of researchers to tackle the complex challenges of today and tomorrow.”