Aboriginal Communities

HIV/AIDS Prevention Project: The Union of Ontario Indians

Investigators: Majumdar, B., Guenter, D., Browne, G., & Robinson, G.

This project was part of a larger Macro study of AIDS Service Organizations (ASO’s) in Ontario.  A qualitative descriptive design was used to explore the current prevention activities related to HIV/AIDS practiced by the 43 Union of Ontario Indian communities. In depth, individual interviews were conducted with both males and females who play various roles related to HIV/AIDS prevention within the UOI.  These ranged from Policy Analysts, Educators, Education Coordinators and Staff Members. The project was designed to provide a summary and overview of the practices in place to prevent HIV/AIDS in UOI communities.  It identified their strengths, and what requires improvement, as well as some possible future plans for existing UOI programs, in order to establish a successful campaign.

Exploring Physical, Mental and Spiritual Supports and Related Costs Among People with HIV/AIDS in the Anishinabek Community

Investigators: 1Majumdar, B., 2Hardy, S., 2Tabobudung, L., & 2Valley J.
1 McMaster University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario
2 Union of Ontario Indians, Nipissing First Nation, North Bay, Ontario

The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers experienced by First Nations people, living on reserve, who are infected with HIV/AIDS (PWAs). The project particularly focused on the barriers that First Nations PWAs face in receiving care in their local community. Attitudes and awareness of HIV/AIDS and its prevention in the community were identified, as were strategies to overcome barriers such as stigma and fear and to care for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.  Existing local resources were identified to assist in the development of local community networks.

Testing a Model of HIV/AIDS Prevention in Ontario First Nations Communities

Investigators: Majumdar, B., Roberts, J., Browne, G., Gafni, A., & Chambers, T.

Conducted in December 2005, this CIHR-funded project had two goals: 1) to design a research proposal to evaluate an HIV/AIDS prevention program in a First Nations and Métis community, in collaboration with partners from the Ontario First Nations community and Métis Nation of Ontario, and 2) to foster collaboration between selected Ontario First Nations organizations, the Métis Nation of Ontario, and the CLEAR Unit of McMaster University.

CLEAR Unit researchers at McMaster developed presentations and learning activities based on needs identified by the participants in a pre-workshop survey. A three-day workshop was held, with 19 representatives from the First Nations and Métis communities and six researchers from the CLEAR Unit.
The work completed at the workshop represents the enhanced capacity of these organizations to develop original First Nations and Métis Nation research with the support of McMaster University’s CLEAR Unit researchers.  Participants gained a basic understanding of how to develop a research proposal and transferred their knowledge to the development of two proposals, in collaboration with a team of investigators from the CLEAR Unit. 

This project resulted in increased capacity among participants to implement and evaluate culturally sensitive HIV/AIDS programs that meet the needs and priorities of their communities.

Capacity Building: Culturally Sensitive Training for Staff and Volunteers of First Nations Community Organizations Providing HIV/AIDS Services

Investigators: Majumdar, B., Roberts, J., Browne, G., Gafni, A., & Chambers, T.

A second CIHR-funded workshop, entitled the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) HIV/AIDS Workshop, took place from November, 2006, and included two full days and one half day of programming. Twenty-three people were present at the event, including sixteen members of the MNO, five presenters from the Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy (OAHS) and one representative of the CLEAR Unit and McMaster University, accompanied by a student from the university.  All MNO participants were female and worked as service providers in fields directly or indirectly related to HIV/AIDS.  The OAHS provided a participatory training workshop on HIV/AIDS facilitated by La Verne Monette, Executive Director of the OAHS, and Providers of Outreach and Support Services for the OAHS, Tamara Cascagnette, Lyndon George, Terrence Sands, and Wanda Whitebird.

Representing McMaster University’s CLEAR Unit, Dr. Basanti Majumdar evaluated changes in participants’ knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS and assisted them to develop a conceptual model of care for people living with HIV/AIDS. A formal report including the results of the pre- and post-training questionnaires and the conceptual model is currently being compiled.

The participants in this study, sixteen service providers from the MNO, demonstrated good overall knowledge of HIV/AIDS and positive attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) both before and after the 3-day, culturally-sensitive workshop on HIV/AIDS; however, some items related to HIV transmission and testing require attention.

Findings from this study suggest that further training regarding HIV/AIDS is required to clarify some of the misconceptions that were revealed during the workshop. While participants demonstrated positive attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS and felt comfortable engaging in routine activities with PLWHAs, the stigma underlying the disease was apparent and could have implications in their work of providing services for PLWHAs in the Métis community.

Two-Spirited People of the First Nations: Role of Workplace Factors in Volunteer Retention and their Activities

Investigators: Zoccole, A., Ryan, C., Majumdar, B., Weir, R., & Crook, J.
1 Two-Spirited People of the First Nations, Toronto, Ontario
2 CLEAR Unit, McMaster University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario

The Two-Spirited People of the First Nations (2 Spirits) is a non-profit social service organization whose membership consists of Aboriginals and Two-Spirited (Aboriginal Two-Spirited, lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gendered) people in North America.  The organization primarily serves the Aboriginal community in the Greater Toronto Area, providing support and counselling for Two-Spirited people and others living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

As an AIDS service organization (ASO), the 2 Spirits is challenged by the changing face of HIV/AIDS work and its impact on the focus and range of the services it provides.  Unlike most ASOs which struggle to recruit and retain volunteers, the 2 Spirits has a large number of experienced volunteers who are available, interested and motivated to work.  This cross-sectional survey sought to assess the activities and attitudes of volunteer workers within this ASO in relation to their volunteer work and the work-life factors, including organizational and relationship variables, that most explain volunteer retention over time.
All active 2 Spirits volunteers (n=100) were invited, by letter from the Executive Director’s office, to complete a selection of structured questionnaires with the guidance of a trained interviewer. In addition to socio-demographic information, the questionnaires probed for information concerning participants’ volunteer work experience with the 2 Spirits, their reasons for volunteering, their satisfaction with volunteer work and other organizational and volunteer worker variables.

An assessment by the Executive Director of the ASO found that volunteers not only make significant contributions to the organization in terms of cost savings, but they also assist in many services which would have to be discontinued without their support. Respondents reported a high level of satisfaction with their volunteer role with the 2 Spirits.  The motivation to volunteer appeared to derive from their desire to improve the lives of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, and from the social interaction offered through volunteering.  In rating the social environment of the ASO, « peer cohesion » and « innovation » recieved high scores by respondents.  In fact, « innovation » scores increased significantly, with the length of volunteer time.  In addition to the need to study the motivations of volunteers who have worked for the ASO for more than five years, the need to increase awareness of the training that is currently available to volunteers within the 2 Spirits was also highlighted by this study.