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Letsemot, “Togetherness”

Exploring How Connection to Land, Water, and Territory Influences Health and Wellness with First Nations Knowledge Keepers and Youth in the Fraser Salish Region of British Columbia

Bibliographic Data

ID19565715
AuthorsKrista Stelkia (0000-0003-2116-7646), Lindsay Beck, Lindsay Nohr Beck, Anita Manshadi, Ashlyn Jensen Fisk, E D Adams (0000-0001-8672-615X), Evan Adams, A Browne (0000-0002-6320-4428), Annette J Browne, Corinne Dixon, Diane Mceachern, Wendy Ritchie, Shannon McDonald, Shannon Sanders McDonald (0000-0002-2909-6152), Bonnie Henry, Namaste Marsden, Daniele Behn-Smith, Jeffrey Reading
Year2020
Volume16
Issue2
Publication date2020-12-29
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Indigenous Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2291-9368 • E-ISSN: 2291-9376
PublisherUniversity of Toronto Libraries - UOTL (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.32799/ijih.v16i2.33206
OpenAlexW3132028971
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited9

Connection to land has been identified as a central determinant of the health and well-being of First Nations in Canada. The wholistic, interconnected, spiritual, and sacred relationship that many Indigenous Peoples have with the land is an integral part of strengthening physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional health and well-being. However, there has been little empirical evidence on how to assess, measure, and report on connection to land for First Nations Peoples. Using a Two- Eyed Seeing approach, this study explores what connection to land, water, and territory means for health and wellness for First Nations in the Fraser Salish region in the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. Data were collected through a sharing circle with five First Nations Knowledge Keepers and five youth from Stó:lō communities as part of a land-based gathering in Stó:lō territory. Three themes were identified: (a) “the spirits of the land, water, and territory are within us”: the intersection of cultural identity, spirituality, ancestral knowledge, and health and well-being; (b) letsemot, “togetherness”: relationality; and (c) disruptions and new ways of living. For Stó:lō Peoples, connection to the land is an integral component of health and well-being. Connection to land was found to strongly influence physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects of health while also intersecting with Stó:lō cultural identity, spirituality, ancestral knowledge, and ways of living. The findings can be used to inform the development of an indicator for connection to land, water, and territory as a measurement of ecological wellness for the First Nations Population Health and Wellness Agenda in BC

Aesthetics · Geography · Indigenous · Mental health · Sociology · Spirituality · Traditional knowledge · Agriculture and Farm Safety · Community Health and Development · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights · Medicine · Psychology · Ecology

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Unique citing works14
Citations per year3,5
Citation span2022 - 2026 (5)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 10
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