Q: Tell me about yourself! Where and what did you study? What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?
A: I did my undergraduate degree in Health Sciences at McMaster University and then did my Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Toronto in Health Promotion. Throughout both degrees I had an interest in rural health, and Indigenous health, specifically Métis health and wellbeing. My MPH was practicum based and that’s when I started working with ICES and the MNO on Métis health and wellness programs and that led to me being hired as a full-time epidemiologist in 2022. I highly recommend practicum and co-op-based programs to students – you are usually paid for your work, you gain employment experience, and you can network for future employment once you are done your degree. These degrees can also set you up for further education, like a PhD, if you want to do that!
In my spare time I enjoy spending time in nature and walking my dog. I live in downtown Ottawa so I’m always seeking out pockets of green space and nice urban walking trails. I also bead, and I sell and showcase my work on my Instagram page (@beadmeupscotty_). I am currently learning to crochet and hope to become more skilled with that. My mom, aunties, and Nana are all skilled in crochet, knitting, and sewing so I’m trying to be just as skilled as they are.
Q: What do you do as an ICES Epidemiologist? How does ICES work with the MNO?
A: The MNO and ICES have a data sharing agreement which enables the MNO to link Registry data with administrative health data at ICES. This is important because it lets us answer public health research questions and conduct public health surveillance on behalf of MNO citizens. All projects must be approved by the MNO and are done in collaboration with MNO leadership and staff. All knowledge products (community reports, papers, presentations, etc.) must also be approved by the MNO. The MNO controls and owns this data in alignment with principles of Indigenous data governance and sovereignty.
The MNO/ICES research team is made up of two epidemiologists (I am one of them), a staff scientist, and several students (many of whom are MNO citizens). To meet the research interests of the MNO, we also conduct qualitative research, often using Métis methodologies as well as ways of caring for our relatives throughout the research process, collaboratively with MNO staff and community members. Another part of our role has been conducting evaluations of MNO programs to help find areas for improvement.
At the moment, my focus has been leading the qualitative projects, although I am hoping to do more quantitative research in the coming year. I have worked on several projects ranging from the COVID-19 vaccine behavior of MNO citizens, housing and health, MNO youth health priorities, supportive care, the mental health and wellness of MNO citizens before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, among others. I have published findings from these projects in peer-reviewed journals and presented findings at both national and international conferences and forums. I also lead and contribute to community reports and social media messaging to share back findings from these projects with the MNO community. I work to ensure Métis data governance, sovereignty, and research ethics are respected within the MNO/ICES data sharing agreement and all projects.
Q: In 2024, you presented at the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) on the mental health and wellness of MNO citizens before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you speak briefly on your findings?
A: For this project there were two parts – a set of quantitative questions and a set of qualitative questions. For the quantitative part, we found that the number of out-patient visits for MNO citizens was higher during COVID-19 than prior to COVID-19. Also, female MNO citizens and MNO citizens 65+ used these services the most. We answered these questions by linking MNO Registry data to administrative health data held at ICES.
For the qualitative part, we wanted to understand the mental health and wellbeing journeys of MNO citizens during COVID-19, and how that compared to before COVID-19, by speaking directly with MNO citizens in virtual sharing circles or interviews. These conversations were rich and helped paint a detailed picture of how MNO citizens’ mental health and wellbeing were affected during the pandemic. Overall, many participants described their mental health and wellness as a roller coaster with peaks and valleys.
High level themes included changes to health and other services due to COVID-19; strong emotions like frustration, feeling overwhelmed, and fear; experiences with dying, death, and grief being interrupted due to COVID-19; the importance of wellness within families and kin networks and disruptions to these connections; the politicization of COVID-19 which affected relationships between family and friends and caused division in communities; and Métis wellness, which includes cultural, emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health.
Many participants felt that the world had changed significantly because of COVID-19, and while many of these changes were negative, some silver linings came about including increased access to education and community events as they moved online, which benefited many, especially those in rural areas and individuals who have accessibility needs. For some, especially men, who were required to work from home felt that their relationships with their children, and other family members, improved because they had more time with them.
Q: Although some reports have examined the pandemic’s impact on Indigenous peoples’ mental health, none had focused specifically on Métis mental health before your research. Why do you think Métis-specific reporting is important?
A: How are we supposed to make decisions without information that is specific to MNO citizens? Pan-Indigenous data often does not include a significant number of Métis people to be able to say anything helpful for any Métis government or community wanting to use this data. We have access to administrative health data generated by MNO citizens and are able to talk to MNO citizens directly about their health and wellbeing experiences and needs. We also work in close collaboration with MNO Leadership, staff, and citizens. Almost all of our projects are generated internally from the MNO, and they must all be approved prior to commencement and are collaborative throughout the research process. This ensures that the work we do is as relevant as possible to the MNO and its citizens. This means that we know what is going on health and wellbeing-wise in our communities and sets us up to make informed funding and programming decisions. It also provides evidence for advocacy efforts in nation-to-nation negotiations.
Q: What are your hopes for what your research can achieve?
A: I have many hopes for this research! One being closing the research gap for Métis health and wellness. More work has been published in this area, but there is still a lot more to be done. Another hope is to train more Métis epidemiologists and public health professionals. Our team tries to take on a couple of students each year and we always give preference to Métis students. This will help build capacity in community and hopefully give Métis citizens the skills they need to conduct culturally safe, relevant, and rigorous health and wellness research with community. If you’re a student with an interest in Métis population health, please reach out!
Q: What has your experience presenting at conferences been like? Is it a world that you would recommend students look into?
A: My experience presenting at conferences has been excellent. Often there are other Métis researchers and researchers from other Indigenous nations to share knowledge with and learn from. It’s an opportunity to see what is going on in the world of population and public health. It is also an opportunity to network – this can lead to future collaborations and work opportunities. I highly recommend students take the opportunity to either attend or present at conferences to determine if this is a space for them. As a presenter you typically get either a poster, oral, or session presentation. The biggest difference in these types of presentations is the amount of time you get to present your work, but all make you think about how best to present this work, which can help with the creation of other knowledge products and give you the opportunity to disseminate findings.
Q: How has embracing Métis background had an impact on your life and how you think of yourself?
A: It has given me a place of belonging and a sense of purpose. I chose to pursue work in Métis health and wellness research as I wanted to be able to help improve the health and wellness of the Métis community to which I belong. I like to think of myself as a strong Métis woman who is making space for herself and others in the epidemiology and public health field.
Q: How have you overcome adversity? What advice would you offer to a younger version of yourself or younger students currently battling through adversity?
A: I would encourage my younger self and all younger students to advocate for yourself and to seek out community support. Knowing what you need and how those needs are not met is a first step in advocacy. Having peers and community members around can help you bear the emotional and mental burden of whatever adversity you are dealing with. You are loved and you have community, reach out!
Q: You’re also a talented beadwork artist! Tell me about the importance of art and beadwork in your life and why having a creative outlet is rewarding to you.
A: I’ve always enjoyed visual arts and learned to bead in my late teens/early twenties as a way to connect to Métis culture. I learned how to do brick stitch and fringe style earrings first, and then ventured into learning Métis two-needle flat stitch. I started an Instagram account to help keep myself accountable and to connect with other beaders across Turtle Island and internationally. This turned into a small beadwork business and a place where I have made meaningful friendships with other Indigenous beaders. I also discovered my love of product photography through running a small beadwork business. It’s become a part of the beadwork process as it allows me to capture the work I’ve done and preserve a design before I send them off to their new homes. Beadwork supports my mental and emotional wellbeing. When I bead, I feel calm. I also feel a sense of accomplishment bringing an idea in my head into reality that I can share with others. I also show my gratitude and love to family and friends by gifting them beadwork. Beadwork has been a big part of my life, and I encourage all Métis youth to try it!
Please note that some of the above answers have been edited for brevity and readability.