Canadian Journal of Public Health adopts requirement for meaningful engagement of First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Indigenous Peoples
In recognition of the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determine their economic, social, cultural and knowledge development, the Canadian Journal of Public Health (CJPH) now requires all authors to clearly describe how relevant Indigenous Peoples were engaged in order to be considered for publication. To our knowledge, the CJPH is the first scientific journal in Canada to adopt such a policy.
Namaste Marsden, co-author of the new Indigenous editorial policy and Director of Health Economics and Analytics at the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia, said: “This policy creates a significant shift for academic publishing, and represents an incremental step in recognizing our inherent rights as Indigenous peoples to define ourselves and our knowledge. This will impact how scientific literature describes our health and wellness at a population level and acknowledges our right to our knowledge being defined by members of our nations and cultures and respected as such.”
The inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determine their economic, social, cultural and knowledge development are recognized in domestic and international law and ethics. This includes the right to be meaningfully engaged in scholarship concerning them, which is often relied upon as evidence for decision-making.
Leona Star, also a co-author of the Indigenous editorial policy and Director of Research at the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba, said “This represents an instrumental shift in policy that holds space for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people to assert their own governance and data sovereignty as it applies to research, to ensure the data collection, analysis and interpretation is truly reflective of the needs, priorities and realities they experience as Nations. It is a policy shift that other journals will need to consider as it is no longer acceptable to do research about us without us.”
The CJPH requires that all authors answer the following questions as part of the manuscript submission process:
- Are First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and/or Indigenous Peoples or populations a focus of this submission?
- If yes, were the relevant Indigenous Peoples or populations engaged in the study and/or preparation of this submission?
- If yes, please summarize how the relevant Indigenous Peoples or populations have been engaged as individuals and collectively in the study and/or preparation of this submission.
Dr. Janet Smylie, senior editor, Indigenous at CJPH said: “It was an honour to work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) leaders and organizations to develop this new policy, which to my mind is long overdue. I look forward to broader input from FNIM and allied knowledge holders as we work together to ensure that Indigenous voices and perspectives are honoured.”
The CJPH is committed to appointing Editors who self-identify as Indigenous public health scholars, who are university and/or community-based, and who are recognized by both First Nations, Inuit, Métis communities and public health peers. The CJPH is further committed to developing and sustaining a network of Indigenous and allied expert multidisciplinary Indigenous health and public health peer reviewers who are knowledgeable regarding the standards for Indigenous community engagement in research, experienced in their application, and committed to their advancement.
The CJPH is an official publication of the Canadian Public Health Association.
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About the Canadian Journal of Public Health
The Canadian Journal of Public Health aims to advance public health research and practice in Canada and around the world, contributing to the improvement of the health of populations and the reduction of health inequalities. The CJPH is an independent journal that publishes peer-reviewed original research and scholarly articles submitted in either English or French that are relevant to population and public health. The CJPH is an official publication of the Canadian Public Health Association.