Indigenous Land-based Activities as a Form of Health Resiliency: A Racialized Immigrant Family-based Learning

Abstract

Abstract Many visible minority immigrants and refugee communities are already experiencing inadequate access to education, and healthcare, lack of sufficient food, significantly higher rates of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and lack of access to essential services. Even when vulnerable communities can access healthcare services, they face stigma and discrimination. There is limited cross-cultural research examining the lived experiences of immigrant communities. Following a relational research framework, this study explores how learning and practicing Indigenous land-based practices were critical in building resilience for many racialized immigrant families during the pandemic. Our study shows Indigenous Land-based Mental Health Resiliency from Indigenous Elders and Knowledge-keeper’s land-based stories, traditional knowledge, resiliency, and practice may have many health benefits and positive outcomes in response to mental health disaster resiliency. Hope this study helps deconstruct the static vision of mental health disaster recovery and reconstruct community-led resiliency to the pandemic. It offers multiple mental health benefits and decolonizes mental health resiliency.