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Cited by 29Indigenous Health, Education, and RightsParticipatory Visual Research MethodsDigital Storytelling and Education

Digital Storytelling as a Patient Engagement and Research Approach With First Nations Women: How the Medicine Wheel Guided Our Debwewin Journey

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Rieger, Kendra L., Bennett, Marlyn, Martin, Donna, Hack, Thomas F., Cook, Lillian, Hornan, Bobbie·2021·Qualitative Health Research
DOI 10.1177/10497323211027529PMC PMC8564217
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Abstract

When research is conducted from a Western paradigm alone, the findings and resultant policies often ignore Indigenous peoples’ health practices and fail to align with their health care priorities. There is a need for decolonized approaches within qualitative health research to collaboratively identify intersecting reasons behind troubling health inequities and to integrate Indigenous knowledge into current health care services. We engaged with First Nations women to explore to what extent digital storytelling could be a feasible, acceptable, and meaningful research method to inform culturally safe health care services. This novel approach created a culturally safe and ethical space for authentic patient engagement. Our conversations were profound and provided deep insights into First Nations women’s experiences with breast cancer and guidance for our future qualitative study. We found that the digital storytelling workshop facilitated a Debwewin journey, which is an ancient Anishinabe way of knowing that connects one’s heart knowledge and mind knowledge.

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  • Storytelling when grounded in Indigenous epistemologies can foster culturally respectful and responsive research and help move forward from injustices of the past.

    “We set out on this journey because when storytelling is grounded in Indigenous epistemologies it can foster culturally respectful and responsive research and help us move forward from the injustices of the past (Rieger, Bennett, et al., 2021; Smith, 2012).”

    From What we learned from the Nokomisag/Grandmothers: Adapting the 4 Rs for storytelling in Indigenous health research (2025) · cites this paper as Rieger, Bennett, et al., 2021

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Cited by

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Authors
Rieger, K. L., Bennett, M., Martin, D., Hack, T. F., Cook, L., & Hornan, B.
Affiliations
  • Trinity Western University (CA)
  • University of Manitoba (CA)
  • Sagkeeng First Nation, Manitoba, Canada
  • Pimicikamāk Nīhithawī First Nation, Manitoba, Canada
Corresponding author
Rieger, Kendra L.
ORCID
Venue
Qualitative Health Research
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2021-07-08
Volume
31
Issue
12
Pages
2163-2175
ISSN
  • 1049-7323 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-7557
DOI
10.1177/10497323211027529
PMC
PMC8564217
OpenAlex
W3177558567
Cited by
29
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 1
FWCI
3.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Qualitative Health Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
george gund foundation (George and Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovatio)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Participatory Visual Research Methods
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Digital Storytelling and Education
Keywords
digital storytelling, First Nations women, patient engagement, indigenous knowledge, breast cancer, Medicine Wheel, Anishinabe, health disparities, research ethics
MeSH terms
Communication, Female, Health Services, Humans, Patient Participation, Qualitative Research, Population Groups

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