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Homeless young women experience high levels of stress, challenges to mental health, substance use and abuse, and a lack of housing or of secure housing. This article explores one of the findings from a longitudinal qualitative study designed to follow homeless young women for a 2-year period as they make efforts to transition out of homelessness. Our objective was to determine the assets used by these young women as they survived on the street and to transition out of homelessness. The authors found that one of the primary reasons discussed for leaving homelessness was becoming pregnant and having a baby. However, most of the mothers reported increasing levels of stress as the baby became a toddler. They described themselves as using "soft drugs" as a mode of coping with this stress.

The purpose of this discussion is to describe the worldview and sacred relationship of the Cree people in Alberta, as well as how colonial policy has created despair (pomewin) in Aboriginal communities and a state of disconnectedness from the water. It concludes with the presentation of a framework for the development of policies that seek to repair the relationship between Aboriginal people and mainstream society – with the potential to create the good life, broadly defined (pimatisiwin) for all Albertans (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal). This discussion is based upon the findings of a three-year research project entitled “The Sacred Relationship”. The goals of the project were three-fold: to describe the Aboriginal People of Alberta’s sacred relationship with water, to articulate the Indigenous science practices of Aboriginal people, and to find common ground between Western and Indigenous science.

Homelessness is a growing problem in urban centres. The well-documented overrepresentation of Aboriginal peoples among the homeless in Canada makes it a particularly relevant issue for this population. Some of the most vulnerable homeless are youth who are at special risk for gang recruitment, prostitution, and exploitation. The Links program began in 2005 as a three-year project bringing street-involved youth and university students together to increase understanding, foster supportive relationships, and enhance the knowledge and skills of each group. Emphasis was placed on recruiting Aboriginal youth to the program. As a result 50% of street-involved youth who took part identified as Aboriginal. Qualitative evaluation data were collected via surveys, written assignments, and in-person interviews. Findings suggest the program created intense bonds between students and youth. Stereotypes were identified and broken down and youth were empowered to broaden their perspectives on what they could achieve. Both groups gained knowledge they can use to build a better future for themselves and their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The homelessness of Aboriginal young women takes place in the historical context of lost homes and lost homelands. This article focuses on homeless Aboriginal women in the city of Edmonton and explores their perception of this experience. Involving nine young women who were interviewed over a two year period, researchers further investigated the historical profiles of their families and their attempts to transition out of homelessness. Part of a larger study of the homeless experience of eighteen girls and young women in Edmonton, this article breaks out data that focuses on the experience of Aboriginal participants and contextualizes their discourse in light of enforced home loss in western Canada. While their experience overlaps with the non-Aboriginal participants in our study we also find significant cultural and historically located differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aboriginal young women are overrepresented in the youth homeless population found in Canada's urban centres. These young women, while experiencing difficulties in housing and often social, physical, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing, are part of families and communities which have experienced historically based trauma, often manifesting itself intergenerationally. This historical trauma includes the impact on participants and their grandmothers, aunties, and mothers of the effects of removal of children from families in order to foster assimilation, including removal to residential schools or through child welfare processes. Part of a larger qualitative and longitudinal study involving eighteen homeless female youth, the data from the nine Aboriginal participants was also analyzed separately. Results from this analysis include the influence of toxic narratives emerging from residential school attendance, overly invasive child welfare intervention, and historical and ongoing systemic inequities; these factors contributed to participant's homelessness. At the same time, reconnection with culture and restorying identities allowed for the development of narratives of pride and hope which assisted in moving toward healthier lifestyles and transition from homelessness. These young women intend to raise their own children by the narratives and cultural practices they now consider essential to wellness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, published information about methodologies used to measure the outcomes of conferences and related forums has been sparse. This article describes the evaluation of the 5th Healing Our Spirit Worldwide Gathering, a five-day conference on Aboriginal health and healing that was held in Edmonton in 2006. The authors describe the outcome-focused objectives of the evaluation, the instruments developed to measure these outcomes, the methods used to collect information, and the success of these methods (e.g., participation rates). Next, the findings of the evaluation are presented, followed by the strengths and limitations of the evaluation and suggestions for improvement at future events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides awareness of the potential problems with Participatory Action Research (PAR) which engages community members and researchers in the research process. Topics commonly tackled in PAR; Information on how Academics view Aboriginals; Dilemma being faced by Academic or student researchers who do community-based research in Indigenous country.

Introduces a series of articles regarding aboriginal communities including a discussion about areas of aboriginal health research.

The article introduces research reported in the issue, noting topics that include research methods for studies of indigenous peoples, community-based health programs for indigenous peoples, and research regarding indigenous peoples of Canada, Hawaii, and Central America.

The article introduces the topic of the issue, which is based around the theme of resilience and the work of CIET, an international association of epidemiologists and social scientists.

The article presents an overview of the reports discusses within the issue which reflect the broad scope of the work of graduate students in the area of Aboriginal health.