Celebrating Indigenous Health Researchers: Kimberly R. Huyser

To acknowledge National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, this piece recognizes the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and wellbeing and affirms our commitment to ensuring that everyone around us matters. We strive to bring forth the voices that were taken, and to establish platforms for the Indigenous community within the health sciences ecosystem to be heard, seen and understood.

Kimberly R. Huyser

Biography

Dr. Kimberly R. Huyser is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of British Columbia. She is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and grew up on the Navajo reservation in Arizona, USA. The central intellectual motivation driving her research agenda is to gain a deeper understanding of the social conditions that undermine health, as well as to identify the cultural and social resources leveraged by racial and ethnic groups in order to further their individual and collective health and well-being. Her current and future research contributes to our understanding of the social determinants of health problems faced by Indigenous peoples and it furthers our comprehension of the social mechanisms that undergird population health.

Statement

“As a sociologist and Diné woman, my work and research is dedicated to the lives and opportunities of Indigenous populations. This includes amplifying the voices of and experiences of Indigenous Peoples and working to build capacity within communities and organizations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted what community and connection looks like. My research team (@CIEDAR_7) and I have shifted to social media to build community connections and to develop cultural skills to help cope with stressors. We have a social media campaign, #BeadAndThrive, to encourage Indigenous beading and sharing of thrivance stories.”