Developing a Culture-Specific Model of Substance Use Among Canada's On-Reserve Indigenous Youth

Adolescent cigarette and alcohol use are among the key health challenges faced by many Indigenous communities in Canada. Clinical interventions aimed at reducing these behaviours have been unsuccessful. This is not surprising, as available interventions stem from what we know about substance use among non-Indigenous youth. Culture-specific interventions are needed. In order to develop these, we need to understand what leads to - moreover, protects Indigenous youth from - cigarette and alcohol use. Bringing together Indigenous and Western perspectives, this project aims to use two-eyed seeing to identify factors that protect Indigenous youth from smoking and drinking. Further, this project aims to translate the knowledge learned back to Indigenous community youth using the traditional method of storytelling. To reach these aims, we propose a five-year study that will focus on adolescents in one Northern Quebec Indigenous community. This will be a three stage project. Stage 1 will be community listening. The research team and community advisory board will come together to define culture and community context, and how these relate to youth substance use. Stage 2 will be an empirical study. In a school-based study, potential predictors of substance use will be assessed over a three-year period as adolescents transition through secondary school. This will permit the unique opportunity to track culturally- (community-) relevant protective factors of substance use as they unfold across formative years. Stage 3 will be knowledge translation. The findings will be shaped into stories of resilience, stories that are told by community members. A compilation of storytelling will be filmed, and DVDs and online version produced. These will be the property of the community and distributed through a number of platforms, such as community events and youth programs. This research aims to illustrate the process and product of using two-eyed seeing to address a compelling health issue.