Feature Story: Aboriginal grandmothers inspire student researcher

Abstract

Grandmothers are so much more than the fairytale images of shawls, cookies and bedtime stories they tend to evoke. In some families they are the lynchpin that holds everything together. At the University of Regina, as part of her graduate studies, Jen Billan engaged in research that drew on the experiences of grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren in Regina. Her community-based research focuses on interviews with Aboriginal grandmothers and looks specifically at their understanding of identity and health. For Billan, this is an important area of study because Aboriginal women tend to play a critical role in the health of their families and communities as both mothers and community Elders.