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Indigenous peoples in Canada experience kidney disease and kidney failure up to four times more than the general population. Despite this, Indigenous communities also face more challenges in managing and treating kidney disease as health care systems are delivered through non-Indigenous contexts. There is a need to identify and develop culturally-safe ways in which kidney health can be better managed in Indigenous communities.

To address the barriers Indigenous communities face in kidney health and care, Dr. Mary Smith and her team at Queen’s University conducted a research study that worked with Indigenous communities to develop Indigenous strength-based recommendations for kidney health, prevention of disease, and kidney failure.

A strength-based approach was used to capture the capacities and capabilities of Indigenous peoples and communities. That is, how can Indigenous community structure, culture, knowledge, spirituality, and other such aspects contribute to the betterment of kidney care within their own communities. This strategy is opposed to a deficit-based approach which focuses on statistics and deficiencies or weaknesses that contribute to disease prevalence.

Their strength-based approach enabled the research team to engage with Indigenous communities throughout the entire study, bringing together community members, health providers, and other representatives. From this, they were able to develop meaningful recommendations to support Indigenous kidney health, care, and prevention.

The recommendations, published in the International Journal of Indigenous Health in January 2025, centered around 5 core themes: (1) healthcare continuity with traditional and cultural ways of knowing and being, (2) accessible hemodialysis and support for home dialysis, (3) increased kidney transplantation and kidney organ donation, (4) increased telehealth and virtual medicine, and (5) government support and funding.

Although more research is needed to understand and address the complex challenges that face Indigenous communities, these recommendations offer an important foundation in which innovative community kidney health programs and initiatives can be built.

You can download and read the full article here: Gidoodikosan Giiwitaabimin - We sit in a circle for kidneys, a strength-based qualitative study. | International Journal of Indigenous Health

Full article citation: Bachynski, J.C., et al. “Gidoodikosan Giiwitaabimin” (We Sit in a Circle for Kidneys): A Strength-Based Qualitative Study. International Journal of Indigenous Health. 20(1), 1-16. 2024. https://doi.org/10.32799/ijih.v20i1.39807

This research was funded in part by The Kidney Foundation of Canada.