Indigenous Community & Planetary Health Research Lab
What We Do
Welcome to the ‘Indigenous Community & Planetary Health (ICPH) Research Lab’ based at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University, in London, Ontario, Canada.
The ICPH research lab was started in 2022 by Indigenous scholar Dr. Nicole Redvers with the vision of connecting and uplifting Indigenous voices in community and planetary health-related research, policy, and practice. In a time of converging planetary crises, the ICPH research lab platforms Indigenous Peoples and their knowledges as critical for human and planetary well-being.
The Path We Walk
The Dëne Sųłıné concept of Dene Ch'anie, loosely translates to “the path we walk”. The Dene Ch’anie philosophy, as shared by Dene Elder Francois Paulette, emphasizes an ecological perspective rather than one of only humans, and contains the understanding that to live in harmony with others we must appreciate the internal laws of existence (i.e., Natural Laws). This perspective also includes the understanding and appreciation of our deep and fundamental interconnectedness within the world to all elements and beings.
The Dene Ch’anie, or the path we walk as humans is fluid, therefore we need to ensure the path we walk is engendered by our commitment to wellness, not only for people and communities, but for the planet as well.
The 'Indigenous Community & Planetary Health (ICPH) Research Lab’ acknowledges all Elders past, present, and future, as well as the diversity of Indigenous Peoples and the rights that underpin their relationships to their lands, languages, and cultures in all work carried out.