Item – Theses Canada

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OCLC number
1006925317
Link(s) to full text
LAC copy
LAC copy
Author
Wilson, Kathleen Joan,1971-
Title
The role of mother Earth in shaping the health of Anishinabek : a geographical exploration of culture, health and place.
Degree
Ph. D. -- Queen's University, 2001
Publisher
Ottawa : National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, [2001]
Description
4 microfiches
Notes
Includes bibliographical references.
Abstract
This dissertation contributes to an expanding body of research within Health Geography that focuses on the role of place in shaping experiences of health. Recent research within the Geography of Health has begun to acknowledge and demonstrate that the meanings ascribed to places as well as individual experiences of places contribute to health. The birth of the journal 'Health and Place' is a reflection of the changing paradigms within the Geography of Health that argue for different perspectives and analyses of place. At present though, research on health and place is limited. Meanings of place and the relationship between place and health have culturally specific dimensions, yet these tend to be overlooked especially with respect to First Nations peoples. First Nations peoples have a relationship with the land that contributes to their experiences of place and health. However, while geographic research has explored First Nations health, few studies have actually attempted to explore the influence of cultural beliefs and values on health--let alone the intricate link between the land and health. This dissertation presents the results of two separate yet inter-related approaches to understanding the intricate relationship between culture, health and place for First Nations peoples. Using data from the 1991 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, the first stage of this dissertation explores the determinants of First Nations health in the context of cultural variables that proxy a relationship to the land. In the second stage of this research, qualitative methods were employed to tap the process through which the land shapes First Nations health. The interviews were conducted in two parts. First, 17 in-depth interviews were conducted with Anishinabek (Ojibway and Odawa peoples) living in one First Nations community on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. The findings from the interviews suggest that particular geographies exist in which relationships between the land and health are manifested. These geographies are evident across different scales and they demonstrate that the land, as place, represents more than just a physical location. Rather, the land is simultaneously physical, symbolic and spiritual. Second, given that the urban First Nations population is increasing, interviews were conducted with Anishinabek who had relocated from Manitoulin Island and are currently residing in three urban locations: Hamilton, Sudbury, and Toronto. The interviews explored the extent to which cultural beliefs regarding the land could be transplanted and accommodated within urban settings. The interviews revealed that Anishinabek can successfully negotiate the specific challenges posed by urban environments and maintain connections to the land that are necessary for health. Further, the results demonstrate that negotiation takes place between and within particular geographic scales, both real and imagined. The findings of this dissertation demonstrate that culture is an important component of the link between health and place. Further, incorporating Anishinabe perspectives of health and place reveal that the current conceptualizations of health and place within the Geography of Health literature are partial.
ISBN
0612561062
9780612561069