Supporting Indigenous Graduate Student Health Research Capacity: Mentorship Through a Provincial Health Research Network Environment in British Columbia, Canada

The British Columbia Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (BC NEIHR), funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research, is an Indigenous-led network that supports research development and knowledge sharing among Indigenous communities, collectives, and organizations and Indigenous graduate students in BC. To understand our impact on the health research journey of Indigenous graduate students, we conducted a critical analysis of our annual evaluation reports. In this article, we offer a reflective narrative of our operations. We share our Indigenous mentorship model and describe how we have supported and enhanced Indigenous-led research among Indigenous graduate students in BC by addressing common challenges related to financial costs of pursuing health research; prioritizing cultural and land-based learning opportunities; providing exceptional academic and professional development opportunities; and promoting Indigenous cultural safety, equity, and self-determination by creating systems-level change through partnerships. As we work toward systems change, we conclude that the BC NEIHR offers a promising approach toward enhancing Indigenous health research capacity through mentorship.