IHPME Team Co-Creates Arts-Based Report on Indigenous Heart Health in Northern Ontario

A recently published arts-based report, led by a multidisciplinary team including an IHPME faculty member and PhD student, examines heart health in Moosonee, Ontario, using arts to centre Indigenous knowledge and storytelling.

By: Marielle Boutin

The research team, which includes IHPME Assistant Professor Dr. Sahr Wali, conducted research through a community sharing circle, to better understand the culturally informed healthcare needs of Indigenous People, who, according to the study, are 2.5 times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) in their lifetime. Based on these findings, PhD graduate student Jane Zhao translated the research into an arts-based graphic report, creating the first of its kind to be published in CJC Open.

According to Dr. Wali, a defining feature of this project is its commitment to centring Indigenous knowledge and expertise, with the research team taking an active listening role, leaving space to platform the community members as experts rather than anecdotes.

“Sharing circles are not simply a method of data collection, they are a culturally grounded approach that created space for community members to define what heart health means in their own terms,” says Dr. Wali.

This work builds on a foundation established by Dr. Heather Ross and her team at UHN’s Transform HF, who have cultivated strong relationships in Northeastern Ontario over several years, particularly with the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA), which provides health-care services to six Indigenous communities, including Moosonee and Moose Factory.

To lay the groundwork for the study, a collaborative working group was established, made up of WAHA staff, researchers, and a local elder, who led the circle using prompts co-developed by the group.

Ultimately, these conversations created a foundation on which to expand the definition of heart health beyond biomedical indicators to include relationships, connection to the land, culture, trauma, and much more.

While many strong messages were exchanged during the sharing circle, one that stood out to the research team was that heart health does not start and end within the walls of a clinic or hospital. Although access to high-quality healthcare remains important, these conversations shifted focus to what can be implemented within these communities to support better wellness instead of focusing on managing illness after problems surface. This is particularly crucial within remote and underserved communities, where care is not as readily available, leaving those in need to travel long distances just to receive it.

“The lesson for health systems is that access alone is not enough,” says Dr. Wali. “It’s about supporting the relationships, environments, and community connections that help people live well once they leave the clinic.”

The social, cultural, and relational contexts that shaped this work naturally positioned visual storytelling as a central component of the report. Select narratives were identified that reflected key themes and community priorities and were translated visually.

Health Systems Research (HSR) PhD candidate Jane Zhao is the artist behind the report’s distinctive comic-inspired design. The report was developed with advisory support from Rachel Corston of Moose Cree First Nation, who provided guidance on the storyline, imagery, and community context.

For Zhao, the report allowed her to take a more imaginative, accessible, and human-centred approach to research, challenging the barriers and conventions of traditional academic communication.

“I love thinking in comics because it provides more freedom and creativity,” says Zhao. “Creating them allows me to break the moulds of traditional research and the confines of language-research study, informed consent, data collection, and analyses.”

Bearing accessibility in mind, Zhao approached the work by considering how her mom or an elder in the community might read and understand the research.