Community Health Indicators (Phase 2)

The objective of this collaborative effort between the Assembly of First Nations, six First Nations communities across Canada, and the Institute of the Environment at the University of Ottawa was to develop community health indicators based on the organic knowledge and needs of Indigenous communities. The project centred on the concept of a Life Indicators Wheel. The four linkages represented by the Life Indicators Wheel were: Economics/Values, Religion/Spirituality, Politics/Responsibility, and Environment/Morale. By assessing and integrating these linkages, the project team theorized indicators of community health could be developed that are measurable and quantifiable.

In Phase 2 of this project, the team obtained community input to develop pilot material for the overall tool. In consultation with the communities, the team developed indicators that included: total number of drums in the community; total number of drumming occasions per year; total number of “churches” in the community; “church” attendance; seats on council; non government organizations; voter turnout; number of council resolutions; care resolutions; hunters in the community; catch rate; vegetable intake; ungulate population; welfare investment; celebrations; sunlight hours; forest area; and, forest usage.

The team conducted an analysis using data provided by the communities to determine if the tool could produce any meaningful results. Based on this preliminary analysis, the study found communities were able to recognize the inherent value of the Life Indicators Wheel approach. Many of them were enthusiastic about expanding the development of the project in the years to come and further tailoring the indicators to their own specific contexts and interests.