How Did We Get Here? 
2005 to 2006
Researchers at the University of British Columbia Okanagan were granted internal funding to establish an all-inclusive collaboration among university researchers, and representatives community service organizations and Aboriginal community to discuss initiatives in health research specific for Aboriginal people. Through consensus, the group established themselves as the Okanagan Aboriginal Health Research Action Group (OAHRAG). One main outcome of the collaborations was consensus on the need for researching and implementing Cultural Safety practices in the Okanagan Valley. OAHRAG determined the need to apply for external funding to support further collaboration and to work together to develop research projects that can be specific to the needs in the Okanagan Valley. Representatives from the group developed a proposal and submitted it to the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) Planning Grant competition in 2006.
2006 to 2007
The CIHR Planning Grant is awarded. The Principal Investigators are Drs. Rachelle Hole (Nominated), Joan Bottorff, Mike Evans and Lawrence Berg. Co-Investigators include Dr. Dixon Sookraj, Dr. Shirley Chau and Ms. Leslie Bryant Maclean.
Community Organization supporters of the project include:
- Interior Health, Kelowna, British Columbia
- First Nation Friendship Centre, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
- Okanagan Metis Children and Family Services, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- Ooknakane Friendship Centre, Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Cancer Agency for the Southern Interior, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
- En’owkin Centre, Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
Two main outcomes of the CIHR planning grant were:
- Cultural Safety Symposium held December 7th, 2007 on the Westbank First Nation at the Sensisyusten Community Center. Funded by the CIHR Planning Grant and supported by Interior Health and Okanagan Nation Alliance
- Development of a Cultural Safety research project proposal for a CIHR Operating Grant, Institute for Aboriginal Peoples’ Health focusing on Aboriginal peoples’ coming in to the world (materning and child health) and leaving the world (elder quality of care and palliative care).
2008 to 2012
CIHR Operating grant is awarded. Principal Investigators are Drs. Rachelle Hole (Nominated), Joan Bottorff, Mike Evans and Lawrence Berg. Co-investigators include Dr. Shirley Chau, Ms. Leslie Bryant Maclean, Ms. Donna Kurtz, Ms. Dianne Wepa and Dr. Peter Hutchinson.