Table 1 Notes on terminology
Indigenous Indigenous is a collective name that refers to all the original peoples of a given region in Canada or other countries, unlike groups that have settled, occupied or colonized the region. Indigenous peoples living in Canada comprise three broad groups: First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Where possible, we use the name according to which an individual or group self-identifies. Otherwise, we use the term Indigenous to collectively refer to these three groups. This is meant to acknowledge similarities in the colonial experience, not to deny the plurality of rich cultures and histories among them. The term Aboriginal is used only in a historical context, or regarding policy or report titles |
Western Western may be understood here as referring to the values, social norms, customs, political systems and other elements of society that originated in or are otherwise associated with Europe. In the Canadian context, western may be used interchangeably with mainstream to denote the dominance of Eurocentric, white cultural systems |
Indigenous and western ways of knowing Indigenous and western ways of knowing differ in their ways of understanding the world [16,17,18]. Indigenous ways focus on understanding that is wholistic (where the intentional use of the “w” refers to the whole person). Western ways are inclined toward simplification by reductionism and compartmentalization. However, there is diverse variation within Indigenous and western ways of knowing alike |
Knowledge Knowledge can comprise any facts, ideas, practice, experience or worldview. Reference to plural knowledges not only distinguishes Indigenous from western knowledge systems, but also respectfully acknowledges the multiplicity of ways of knowing that exist among Indigenous peoples as well as non-Indigenous peoples [19] |
Evidence Evidence is broadly defined as knowledge in context, including all knowledge acquired through the senses, spirit and relationships [17] |
Elder Different communities and cultures have different ways of defining what makes an Elder. In general, Indigenous Elders hold deep knowledge in areas such as ceremony, traditional teachings and history. They possess traits such as wisdom and leadership, serve as teachers and stewards of knowledge and are foundational to community well-being [20]. Status as an Elder is determined by the community and is not dependent on age |
Community Community is broadly defined as a community of “the people” such as a town or First Nations, Inuit or Métis group. The community represents a social, political and knowledge context in which organizations are embedded or with which they interact, including established norms and worldviews |
Organization Organization refers to organizations with a mandate to support the health and wellness of the communities they serve (such as governments and health service organizations or agencies) |
Organizational learning and the learning organization One aim of this research is to contribute to conceptualizations of a learning organization. Notably, we do not define the learning organization as equivalent to organizational learning. In this protocol, we position organizational learning as the process and learning organization as the product or “doer” of organizational learning |
Learning health system One aim of this research is to contribute to conceptualizations of a learning health system. In this protocol, we broadly and provisionally conceptualize the learning health system as an arrangement of many interconnected dimensions and actors with shared purpose to support people’s health |