Transformative Learning Through Indigenous Partnership: The Role of Student Employees in Place-Based Education

Area of Science:

• Indigenous Health
• Health Professional Education
• Cultural Safety

Background:

• Cultural safety initiatives in health education often prioritize curriculum over practical experience.
• Everyday work experiences offer significant, yet underrecognized, learning opportunities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the learning experiences of undergraduate student employees in an Indigenous health and traditional medicine research lab.
• To understand how practical work contributes to cultural humility and respect for Indigenous identity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of reflections from 5 Indigenous and 8 non-Indigenous undergraduate student employees.
• Students supported the UPROOT research lab and engaged in tasks at an Indigenous health and wellness centre.
• Data collection occurred between August 2024 and June 2025.

Main Results:

• Students reported significant gains in cultural humility and respect for Indigenous identity.
• Participation in ceremony, Elder mentorship, and experiential learning were key.
• Routine tasks like preparing sweat lodges were integral to understanding Indigenous ways of knowing (relational, embodied, place-based).
• Indigenous students experienced deepened cultural connections.

Conclusions:

• Combining Indigenous-led, experiential work with community-engaged, place-based learning positively impacts cultural learning.
• Student employment in supportive environments offers invaluable practical and cultural insights.
• Findings are relevant for health professional education in Canada and the United States, particularly for students serving Indigenous populations.