Exploring the Intersections of Storytelling and Visual Arts: Indigenous Peoples’ Experiences of Cancer

Abstract

Abstract:Known gaps in health and social care, largely stemming from colonization, result in poorer outcomes for Indigenous peoples with cancer as compared to non-Indigenous peoples. Also, few researchers have focused on the strengths of Indigenous peoples in dealing with such challenges. Of note is a lack of research exploring Indigenous knowledge in this context and the ways in which such knowledge may be conveyed through stories and visual arts. With a view to exploring Indigenous cancer experiences, we completed a qualitative project with five communities in Canada. Data were collected via sharing sessions, photography and journaling, and individual interviews; all of these methods resulted in stories that were selected and shared by the participants themselves in their own words. The intersections of storytelling and visual arts were interpreted, resulting in three themes:(1) Singing, painting, and drawing stories connects to tradition;(2) Crafting stories connects the traditional and contemporary; and(3) Sharing stories connects participants to others.The results of this study have implications for culturally safe health care for Indigenous peoples with cancer, but also for the exploration of storytelling and the visual arts in health care more broadly.