Increasing Participation in the HCF Pillars

Developing relationships with important and trusted leaders, community service providers, and local champions is key to connecting with hard-to-reach communities or populations⁽¹⁾. These partners can provide introductions, extend trust and assist you in connecting to other influential champions in the community, all of which encourage community participation⁽¹⁾. 

As you look to build partnerships to connect with the community, ensure you and your team move forward with authenticity, respect, and transparency. Developing relationships and trust takes time and commitment and, especially when working with underserved populations, may require the commitment of personal time outside of office hours. 

Committing to building authentic relationships can open doors, increase participation and enable you and your team to help achieve the community visions and goals for themselves.  

Using our partnerships and relationships, at ARPA we have worked with Indigenous communities to support and uplift Indigenous community health and wellness initiatives. As we continue on our reconciliation journey, we will continue to find ways to move forward with Indigenous partners in a good way together.

ARPA’s Reconciliation Journey

In 2015, ARPA contracted Sharon and Adrian Goulet of Mahegun Tails Inc. to complete The Way We Walk In Life scan, which explored how ARPA could strengthen its relationship with Indigenous communities across the province. 

Since that initial scan, ARPA has dedicated itself to building and strengthening its relationship with Indigenous communities. In 2016, Dr. Wilton Littlechild, Commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, launched ARPA’s Reconciliation stream at the annual ARPA Conference. In 2017, ARPA approached Spike Eaglespeaker Jr to create a Blackfoot Honour Song for the organization. And in 2018, ARPA signed its first Memorandum of Understanding with an Indigenous community, Siksika Health Services, to honour and formally recognize their important partnership. 

2018 to 2022 has shown a deepening of ARPA’s commitment to their Indigenous partners by collaborating with several Indigenous organizations and Elder groups to host a Blackfoot Tea Dance Ceremony, an Elders Circles on Parks, annual Okotoks Indigenous River Culture Camp retreats, and the inaugural Treaty 7 Elder Capacity Camp and Cultural Celebration. 

ARPA and the Communities ChooseWell program continue to work with several Indigenous champions and communities through grants, community HEAL initiatives, and uplifting Indigenous voices during the Alberta Healthy Communities Symposium and Grandmothers’ Circle webinars. 

These opportunities to uplift and work with Indigenous communities come from the years of building relatives and meaningful relationships with leaders and champions from the community. 

1. Thanh, H., Cheah, P., & Chambers, M. Identifying ‘hard-to-reach’ groups and strategies to engage them in biomedical research; perspectives from engagement practitioners in Southeast Asia. National Library of Medicine. [Internet]. 2019. [cited 2023 Feb 4]; 4(102). Available from: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15326.1