WITHDRAWN: Co-Constructing Preventive Actions in First Nation Communities

Introduction: First Nation youth are among the most vulnerable populations in Canada, in groups of youth who abuse psychoactive drugs and who have experienced major traumas. To insure the adequacy and sustainability of preventive actions in First Nation environments, the collaboration process is important. The transition toward participatory research and increased authority of First Nation people on preventive actions offered to their population raises many challenges. This presentation aims to report a co-construction process between researchers and members of Canadian First Nation communities for the implementation of preventive actions. Methods: Two communities of two different First Nation peoples collaborated in the co-construction process: the Atikamekw (francophone) and the Cree (anglophone). In each community, a committee of experts formed of First Nation adults (counsellors, teachers, elders) and youth (aged 12 to 24) designated by the community collaborated in the co-construction process. Results: Though the co-construction experience allows for better appropriation of the prevention process by First Nation communities, it presents some challenges for research. Some examples are the acceptance of non-aboriginal researchers, the discrepancy between the timeframes prescribed by the granting agencies and actual consultation time, the distance from the communities and the costs of a collaborative approach. Conclusions: A co-constructive method seems to foster adequacy between the actual needs of communities, their cultural realities and the development of preventive practices. However, the co-constructive method in research process is not applied without challenges. In this context, the process is equally, if not more important than the final result.