In collaboration with an Indigenous-led research team, the CLSA has introduced a new survey question on Indigenous identity and expanded its data collection on sex and gender to include a question about Two-Spirit identity for Follow-up 4 data collection.
Two-Spirit is a term that originated in the early 1990s by Indigenous lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or non-heterosexual (LGBTQ+) people to describe Indigenous Peoples who embody diverse sexualities, gender identities, and roles.
The collaboration is led by Dr. Jennifer Walker, a Haudenosaunee member of the Six Nations of the Grand River and an associate professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University.
The new questions will provide information for researchers to develop a clearer picture of aging across the lifespan for more diverse groups within the CLSA.
Dr. Walker works in partnership with the Community-Based Research Centre in Vancouver. Jessy Dame, a Two-Spirit Métis registered nurse, is the Director of Two-Spirit Health at the Centre.
“The term Two-Spirit refers to an Indigenous construct that transcends the Eurocentric definition of sexuality, sex assigned at birth, gender identity, gender roles, and/or gender expressions for Indigenous Peoples,” Dame said.
“For some time now, Two-Spirit people have been absorbed into the larger LGBTQAI+ acronym, but that has led to erasure of the beautifully complex intersections of Indigeneity and queerness. There are gaps in the research; however, Two-Spirit people are now aware of this and are advocating for clear inclusion within all areas of Indigenous research.”
Within the CLSA, approximately 3.7% of participants self-identified as Indigenous during Baseline data collection between 2010 and 2015. A consultation process with Indigenous researchers identified opportunities to improve the data collection and data access processes within the CLSA.
“For more than a decade, researchers have been accessing the CLSA platform to ask questions about how sex and gender affect aging and health,” said Dr. Parminder Raina, the lead principal investigator of the CLSA. “The addition of a question about Two-Spirit identity will continue to improve the CLSA as an important scientific resource for research in this area.”
Resources for ethically using and reporting on Indigenous data are available on the CLSA website. Researchers can also learn how to access CLSA data and review considerations for access/use of Indigenous identifiers.
