The National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID) presents In the Equation, a workshop to discuss how mathematical modelling can be used to answer public health questions on infectious diseases for First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. Held in Winnipeg from February 18 – 19, 2025, this event brought together 30 community experts, researchers, mathematical modellers, representatives from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit organizations, as well as public health professionals. The goal of this workshop was to provide an opportunity for participants to exchange knowledge on First Nations, Inuit and Métis infectious disease public health priorities, and what is required to build capacity for Indigenous-led modelling research.
Specific Objectives
- Facilitate connections between First Nations, Inuit and Métis decision-makers and mathematical modelling researchers.
- Share current knowledge on infectious diseases questions identified as areas of priority by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.
- Exchange knowledge on modelling methods and tools which can help to address these infectious diseases questions for public health decisions.
- Identify capacity building opportunities and the resources and support required for Indigenous-led infectious diseases modelling research.
Workshop Agenda
The workshop agenda included presentations and facilitated small group discussions, with the goal of encouraging knowledge sharing and relationship building between representatives from Indigenous organizations, mathematical modellers, researchers, and decision-makers. The workshop presentations aimed to highlight projects and initiatives driving First Nations, Métis, and Inuit data sovereignty, research, and capacity building. Small group discussions were facilitated to engage participants in conversations related to the best-practices in collaborative modelling research, community identified infectious disease priorities, and opportunities for capacity building.
February 18th: Day 1 (half-day)
12:00 – 13:00 Registration and lunch
13:00 – 13:15 Opening prayer
Elder Charlotte Nolin
13:15 – 13:25 NCCID land acknowledgement and welcome
13:25 – 14:10 Modelling for Public Health and the First Nations Covid-19 Scenario Model
Dr. Jennifer Walker, Dr. Sharmistha Mishra, Cal Stewart
14:10 – 14:55 Reclaim: Winter Training Institutes and more
Dr. Jillian Waruk and Sidney Legget
14:55 – 15:15 Health break
15:15 – 15:45 First Nations Health Data Landscape and a Pathway to First Nations Data Sovereignty
Maria Santos
15:45 – 16:30 Facilitated discussion 1 – Deconstructing modelling assumptions
17:30 – 19:30 Welcome dinner
February 19th: Day 2
9:00 – 9:10 Opening remarks and intentions
9:10 – 10:00 The Inuit-Led Research Agenda: Priority Setting, Capacity Building, and Data Sovereignty
Dr. Sandra Jane Romain and Pauley Tedoff
10:00 – 10:20 Health break
10:20 – 11:10 First Nations Data Sovereignty in Manitoba: Our journey towards a data governance lodge
Dr. Stephanie Sinclair and Carla Cochrane
11:10 – 12:00 Facilitated discussion 2 – Collaboration and partnerships in modelling research
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 14:00 Facilitated discussion 3 – Infectious diseases research priorities and opportunities for capacity building
14:00 – 15:00 Facilitated discussion 4 – Connecting the dots – actionable strategies for Indigenous-led modelling research
15:00 – 15:30 Closing remarks and workshop evaluation
Key Highlights
The key highlights from this workshop can be summarized into three main categories: data, relationships and collaborations, and those specific to modelling research. These highlights are summarized below:
Data
- Many datasets used in modelling contain deeply embedded biases and racist assumptions.
- Lived experiences and determinants of health of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples cannot be captured in data alone. Data is not just numbers.
- Data Sovereignty and the rights holders must be considered at every step, including for secondary data.
- Data has spirit and needs to be treated with transparency and respect. There must be free, prior, and informed consent to collect and use data.
Relationships and collaborations
- Settler researchers need to put in the time towards building relationships, educating themselves, and dismantling colonial systems of research.
- The partnership does not start and end with the research project, nor is it a transaction.
- Two-eyed seeing approach to respectful partnerships that benefit communities.
- First Nations, Métis, and Inuit knowledge keepers, Elders, youth, and community members must be included in shaping model assumptions.
Modelling Research
- The who, what, why, and how of modelling research should be agreed upon with community.
- First Nations, Métis, and Inuit knowledge keepers, Elders, youth, and community members must be included in shaping model assumptions and model structure.
- Design new modelling methods based on community feedback as conventional methods may not be applicable.
- Settler researchers and modellers require formal training in OCAP and Truth and Reconciliation.
- Liaison roles can help to bridge gap between modellers and communities, build capacity, and ensure Indigenous Sovereignty in research.
- Consider alternate knowledge mobilization methods to share research outcomes.
Summary infographics
Workshop highlights were also summarized in the following infographics:
Visual Knowledge Map
Paige Boivin is a Métis graphic illustrator and artist originally from Winnipeg, now based in Roblin, Manitoba. Paige created original art and re-designed existing graphics from the NCCID Mathematical Modelling Project Stream (originally by Anatomii Studio) to be used in workshop documents and branding. Paige also attended the In the Equation workshop in Winnipeg to person to capture and illustrate key highlights from workshop presentations and discussions into this visual knowledge map.
Speaker Bios
In order of agenda
Elder Charlotte Nolin
Elder Charlotte Nolin is a Tastawiniyew Otipemisiwak, or Two-Spirit Métis, elder in residence at Ongomiizwin – Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing. She has devoted her life to teaching younger people about being Two-Spirit, Trans, and Indigenous. Elder Charlotte Nolin worked for 30 years helping families, youth, and children in the areas of child and family services and the housing industry. She continues to share her knowledge and teachings with communities across Turtle Island and beyond.
Sharmistha Mishra
Dr. Sharmistha Mishra is an infectious disease physician and mathematical modeler and holds a Tier 2 Canadian Research Chair in Mathematical Modeling and Program Science. Her research focuses on disentangling sources of heterogeneity in risks of onward transmission of infectious diseases and is grounded in the implementation of targeted and adaptive public health programs and communities. Sharmistha’s research team examines transmission pathways structured by systemic inequities, and tests interventions tailored to disproportionate risks to inform public health and policy decisions in Canada and internationally. Research interests include the structural and systemic inequities as they relate to the pathways that lead to disproportionate risks of transmission, and modeling interventions tailored to disproportionate risks. The Mishra lab primarily works in the field of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among key populations, in partnership with communities and program implementers in Kenya, South Africa, Eswatini, Ukraine, India and in Canada.
Cal Stewart
Cal is the Liaison Officer for the Research and Data Management Sector at the Chiefs of Ontario. He previously attended the University of Toronto, where he worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation. His work with the Chiefs of Ontario includes the Covid-19 modelling project and a podcast series on data sovereignty in collaboration with the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases.
Sidney Legget
Sidney Leggettis a Cree/Metis youth, born and raised in Winnipeg with ties to Grand Rapids, Manitoba and the Red River Settlement. Sidney is a current McCall MacBain Scholar finishing her masters in Epidemiology at McGill, with her thesis Finding minopimatowin in chaos: opioid harms through the COVID-19 pandemic amongst First Nations Peoples in Manitoba 2019-2022. Sidney has 7 years of youthwork experience particularly in the realm of science, Indigenous and land-based learning. She also spent 4 years as a Junior Epidemiologist at the Government of Manitoba. Sidney co-created a graduate-level Indigenous Public Health which led to the creation of a Medical Colonialism course at McGill. Sidney currently works as the Reclaim Research Coordinator at FNHSSM.
Jillian Waruk
Dr. Jillian Waruk (she/they) is a Metis Public Health Epidemiologist at FNHSSM. Jill earned a PhD at the University of Manitoba in the field of viral immunology. For 15 years, Jill worked in laboratories at Universities and the National Microbiology Laboratory from Winnipeg to Nairobi, Kenya. However, the constant focus on genetics and chemistry in her work limited her ability to measure the impacts of racism and cultural oppression on infectious diseases and she moved on, earning a master’s in public health at Queen’s University. After spending time working as a public health officer in the field of substance use in North West Territories and as an Epidemiologist working in surveillance of HIV, TB, and COVID-19 at the Government of Manitoba, Jill found her home at FNHSSM. She participates in many projects at FNHSSM, such as RHS, the RSS, Data Sovereignty, data repository design, COVID-19 data analysis, and more. Jill is also working part-time on service contract with the Government of Manitoba to analyze health services-collected race-based data with an anti-racism lens. She participates in the Race, Ethnicity, and Indigenous Identity Steering Committee, is a Scientific Advisor for HIRGC, and sits on the Board of Directors for Candace House.
Maria Santos
Maria Santos joined FNIGC in 2013. Currently she oversees the First Nations Data Centre and leads public health data initiatives, which include using First Nations Regional Health Survey (RHS) data to examine First Nations mental wellness, exploring the feasibility for First Nations biobanking and genomic research, and supporting our Regional Partners with their data literacy or COVID-19 data management projects. Prior to FNIGC, Maria worked as the Territorial Epidemiologist for the Health and Social Services department of the Government of the Northwest Territories. She also worked as a Senior Health Analyst at the Canadian Institute for Health Information and as a Research Assistant at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Sandy Romain
Dr. Sandy Romain graduated with a doctoral degree in Medical Anthropology from the University of Toronto where she studied pharmaceutical health care among Inuit in Nunavut. Her research has also included examining knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding smoking cessation among Inuit in Nunavik, Northern Quebec. She has taught courses on research methods and worked alongside an Indigenous Elder to advance Indigenous curriculum at the post-secondary level. In 2018 she joined the federal public service within Indigenous Services Canada, leading work on the 2019 Indigenous Economic Progress Report. During the pandemic, she transferred to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to join the Vaccine Rollout Task Force, leading the Policy, Stakeholder Engagement and Research teams to support Canadians in making evidence-informed vaccine decisions. She was a member of the PHAC/Health Canada Research Ethics Board from 2018-2024 and is currently a member of the Agriculture and Agri-food Canada Human Research Ethics Committee. Currently, Sandy is on an Interchange assignment at Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, advancing the rights and priorities of Inuit in Canada. She is working on public health files including tuberculosis elimination, suicide prevention and health human resources transformation.
Pauley Tedoff
Pauley is a Senior Advisor at ITK, working as part of the coordinating team for Qanuippitaa? National Inuit Health Survey (QNIHS). She is also a part-time post-doctoral fellow at the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria. Prior to joining ITK, Pauley worked for three years as Health Research Advisor for the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, based in Inuvik, NT. Before moving to Canada for doctoral studies, Pauley worked for humanitarian organizations and government ministries throughout Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, implementing social inclusion and health promotion programs in service of Indigenous and agrarian communities. Pauley is passionate about community-based participatory research that lies at the intersection of public health, environmental sustainability and cultural sovereignty.
Stephanie Sinclair
Dr. Stephanie Sinclair is an Anishinaabe woman from Sandy Bay First Nation. She is the lead in First Nation Data Sovereignty at theFirst Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba and is interested in mental wellness, returning birth to nations, and nation-based indicators. Stephanie completed her PhD in Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba and has worked in First Nations health for over 20 years.
Carla Cochrane
Carla is a proud member of Fisher River Cree Nation with family ties to Sagkeeng First Nation. Her current role is as the Data Sovereignty Implementation Lead at the First Nations Health and Secretariat of Manitoba (FNHSSM) in Treaty 1 territory. Carla is also passionate about preserving languages, promoting health and wellness, and life promotion. Her work is inspired by the wise words of the late Elder Elmer Courchene: “In all the work that we do, we must think of the little ones.”
Paige Boivin
Paige Boivin is a Métis graphic illustrator and artist originally from Winnipeg, now based in Roblin, Manitoba. She specializes in bringing ideas to life through visual storytelling, capturing key discussions and concepts in a creative and engaging way. Passionate about illustration, Paige enjoys transforming conversations into unique visual experiences that foster connection, encourage collaboration, and inspire others.
Production of this event has been made possible through a financial contribution from the Public Health Agency of Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Agency.