Connecting the Experiences of First Nations and Inuit Care Providers in the Wise Choices Program Through the Group Analysis Method
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23311162 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Pascale Alarie-Vézina (0000-0003-2373-5192, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, corresponding author), Chantal Plourde (0000-0001-8068-0664, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières), Joël Tremblay (0000-0002-9646-260X, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières), France Gros-Louis (Health Sciences Centre) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Qualitative Methods (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1609-4069 • E-ISSN: 1609-4069 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/16094069261473444 |
| OpenAlex | W7170478402 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 31 |
This article offers a detailed methodological examination of how the Group Analysis Method was implemented and adapted during a three-day research seminar involving First Nations and Inuit care providers engaged in the Wise Choices program, a substance use intervention program codeveloped with Indigenous partners. It also provides a critical analysis of the process and its cultural relevance in the context of Indigenous research. Building on long-standing relationships established through the program’s development and evaluation, the seminar sought to create a culturally grounded space for participants to share experiential knowledge, reflect on their roles and challenges as care providers, and jointly identify strategies to support their well-being. The description of the process and adaptations implemented underscores the cultural relevance of storytelling as a means of transmitting knowledge, the usefulness of graphic facilitation for supporting collective analysis, and the importance of centring Indigenous cultural practices as sources of knowledge. Using Kovach’s Indigenous conceptual framework as an analytical grid further enables an assessment of the cultural relevance of the methodological process deployed. The collective analysis led to the co-construction of a ten-component model reflecting the shared experiences of the First Nations and Inuit care providers who participated. The seminar also generated methodological insights: when used with cultural humility, grounded in relationships of trust, supported by Indigenous ways of doing things, and embedded within a long-term collaborative approach, the Group Analysis Method can be consistent with the conceptual framework described by Kovach. However, limitations – such as reliance on colonial languages and the Western origins of the method – highlight the need for continued adaptation and greater use of Indigenous languages. Overall, this study shows that decolonized and culturally congruent adaptations of the Group Analysis Method, if they are part of a relational approach and an ongoing process of critical reflection, can meaningfully support participatory research with Indigenous communities and produce community relevant knowledge.
Conceptual framework · Context (archaeology) · Experiential learning · Focus group · Grounded theory · Indigenous · Intervention (counseling) · Relevance (law) · Traditional knowledge · Health Policy Implementation Science · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights · Indigenous Studies and Ecology
Perspective des intervenants sur l’implantation initiale du programme Sage Usage
Critical relationality in research
Indigenous Storytelling as Research
Meaningful Engagement With Aboriginal Communities Using Participatory Action Research to Develop Culturally Appropriate Health Resources
Understanding the circle of care
Confronting the contradictions between Western and Indigenous science
Applications of Two-Eyed Seeing in Primary Research Focused on Indigenous Health
Elevating the Uses of Storytelling Methods Within Indigenous Health Research
Three days together around the table
Adapting Western Research Methods to Indigenous Ways of Knowing
Two-Eyed Seeing and other lessons learned within a co-learning journey of bringing together indigenous and mainstream knowledges and ways of knowing
Self-Compassion
"What Do They Really Mean by Partnerships?" Questioning the Unquestionable Good in Ethics Guidelines Promoting Community Engagement in Indigenous Health Research
Decolonizing Methodologies
The Use of Graphic Facilitation to Support Adherence to Ocap(R) Principles in Research With Indigenous Communities
Practical Application of an Indigenous Research Framework and Two Qualitative Indigenous Research Methods
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |