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Background: Research carried out in partnership with Indigenous youth at The Native Youth Sexual Health Network (NYSHN) demonstrates that Indigenous youth can (and do) develop and implement public health interventions amongst their peers and within their communities, when supported by non-youth allies and mentors.Methods: Together, NYSHN and Well Living House researchers co-designed a qualitative case study to demonstrate and document how Indigenous youth can and do practice their own form of public health implementation research (PHIR) in the realm of mental health promotion for 2SLGBTTQQIA and Gender Non-Conforming Indigenous youth. Academic and Indigenous youth researchers were: participant observers; conducted a focus group; and designed and implemented an online survey with Indigenous youth project participants. Governance, intellectual property, financial terms and respective academic and NYSHN roles and responsibilities were negotiated using a customized community research agreement. The data were thematically analyzed using a critical decolonizing lens that recognizes the historic and ongoing marginalization of Indigenous peoples while also highlighting the unique and diverse strengths of Indigenous communities' knowledge and practice in maintaining their health and wellbeing.Results: Analysis revealed how colonialism and intergenerational trauma have impacted Indigenous youth identity and the value of self-determination as it relates to their identity, their relationships, health and wellbeing. We also learned how knowing and doing about and for Indigenous youth needs to be youth determined - 'nothing about us, without us' -- yet also supported by allies. Finally, our analysis shares some promising practices in knowing and doing for and with Indigenous youth.Conclusions: This study provides a reminder of the need to centre Indigenous youth throughout PHIR in order to realize sustainable benefit from research, services and programming. It emphasizes the need to recognize Indigenous youth as leaders and partners in these initiatives, support their efforts to self-determine, compensate them as partners, and prioritize Indigenous youth-determined frameworks and accountability mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: All over the world, Indigenous populations have remarkably high rates of commercial tobacco use compared to non-Indigenous groups. The high rates of commercial tobacco use in Indigenous populations have led to a variety of health issues and lower life expectancy than the general population. The objectives of this systematic review were to investigate changes in the initiation, consumption and quit rates of commercial tobacco use as well as changes in knowledge, prevalence, community interest, and smoke-free environments in Indigenous populations. We also aimed to understand which interventions had broad reach, what the common elements that supported positive change were and how Aboriginal self-determination was reflected in program implementation. Methods: We undertook a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications and grey literature selected from seven databases and 43 electronic sources. We included studies between 1994 and 2015 if they addressed an intervention (including provision of a health service or program, education or training programs) aimed to reduce the use of commercial tobacco use in Indigenous communities globally. Systematic cross-regional canvassing of informants in Canada and internationally with knowledge of Indigenous health and/or tobacco control provided further leads about commercial tobacco reduction interventions. We extracted data on program characteristics, study design and learnings including successes and challenges. Results: In the process of this review, we investigated 73 commercial tobacco control interventions in Indigenous communities globally. These interventions incorporated a myriad of activities to reduce, cease or protect Indigenous peoples from the harms of commercial tobacco use. Interventions were successful in producing positive changes in initiation, consumption and quit rates. Interventions also facilitated increases in the number of smokefree environments, greater understandings of the harms of commercial tobacco use and a growing community interest in addressing the high rates of commercial tobacco use. Interventions were unable to produce any measured change in prevalence rates. Conclusions: The extent of this research in Indigenous communities globally suggests a growing prioritization and readiness to address the high rates of commercial tobacco use through the use of both comprehensive and tailored interventions. A comprehensive approach that uses multiple activities, the centring of Aboriginal leadership, long term community investments, and the provision of culturally appropriate health materials and activities appear to have an important influence in producing desired change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]