Stéphane Dandeneau, PhD McGill University and Culture and Mental Health Research Unit, Jewish General Hospital NAHO 2009 National Conference

1. NAMHR
Stories of Resilience Project: Ways of
Revealing Métis Resilience
Stéphane Dandeneau, PhD
McGill University and Culture and
Mental Health Research Unit, Jewish General Hospital
Our People, Our Health
NAHO National Conference
November 24- 26, 2009

2. Stories of Resilience: Goals
• The aim of the Stories of Resilience project is to collect stories to
help define resilience from Aboriginal perspectives and to identify
factors that promote resilience among individuals and communities.
• Give a voice to local and traditional knowledge.
• Redefine “resilience” from multiple Aboriginal perspectives
• First Nations, Inuit, and Métis
• Urban and Rural communities
• Investigate the shared and distinct aspects of resilience across
communities and Nations.

3. Participating Communities
Kinngait Iqaluit
Wemindji
Eskasoni
Métis
Kahnawake
Six Nations

4. Stories of Resilience Process
• Develop Collaboration:
• Establish community partnership and Community Advisory
Group
• Local ethics process
• Hire community researcher/s
• Gathering Stories
• Key Informants
• Focus group/Talking Circles with:
• Elders
• Adults
• Young adults
• Youth
• Individual interviews

5. Stories of Resilience Interviews
• Interviews address:
a) Community and personal challenges and how people
get through challenges
b) Signs of wellness
c) Words and expressions for “resilience”
d) Examples of resilience – e.g. people, families,
communities
e) Traditional stories or Songs related to resilience
f) Sharing knowledge and Future outlooks

6. Knowledge Exchange and Outcomes
• With each the Community Advisory Group, we will
discuss the appropriate and beneficial ways of sharing
the knowledge
• Community Forums to present and celebrate the
results
Kahnawake, Qc

7. Preliminary Métis Resilience Themes
• Independence – Self-sufficiency
• Social protective factors
• Hiding one’s identity and blending in
• Language assimilation
• Self-discovery/Re-discovering Métis roots
• Débrouillardise/ être un “capable”
• Education

8. Project Website
www.mcgill.ca/resilience

9. The Team
Laurence Kirmayer Trisha MacDonald
Morgan Kahentonni Phillips Nel Wieman
Katya Petrov
Karla Jessen Williamson Community Advisory Groups:
Lori Idlout Kahnawake
Annie Pitseolak Wemindji
Mialy Buscemi Conseil Elzéar-Goulet and Union
Shannon Dow nationale métisse
Maudie Ratt Iqualuit
Annie Saganash Kinngait
Jonelle Donnelly Eskasoni
Elizabeth Marshall
Aggie Marzzuco

10. Thank you! Merci!
Meeqwetch! Marsi!