The Research Journey

The 22 Million Strong mission, tour and decade-long campaign emerged at the intersection of Nicolette’s Doctoral research, volunteer work, a career with her Green Moustache companies, and her personal desire to connect deeper to her own heritage as an African-Indian-Austrian-Canadian.

Nicolette’s research is being submitted as a dissertation by portfolio that includes four knowledge mobilization components: 1) 9-part podcast series, 2) “TED”-like Talk, 3) Journal Article, and 4) a dissertation synthesis paper.

Scroll down to view and learn more.

THE VOICES:

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

I would like to thank our colleagues at the Royal Roads University for their helpful comments and discussions throughout the course of this research. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to every participant for generously volunteering their time and energy to participate in this study. Without their willingness to share their invaluable contributions, experiences and insights, this research would not have been possible.

Listen to their interviews below.

  • Dr. Adrianne Lickers Xavier

    Dr. Adrianne Lickers Xavier

    Director of the Indigenous Studies Program – McMaster University

    LISTEN
  • Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson

    Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson

    Scholar, writer, & Associate Professor & Chair of American Studies

    LISTEN
  • Dr. Amie "Breeze" Harper

    Dr. Amie "Breeze" Harper

    Author, American critical race feminist & diversity strategist, & more...

    LISTEN
  • Suzanne Methot, Nehiyaw

    Suzanne Methot, Nehiyaw

    Trauma and Culture-Based Healing Author, Scholar, Speaker and more...

    LISTEN
  • Dr. Warren Bell

    Dr. Warren Bell, MD Salmon Arm

    GP, Founding President of Canadian Assoc. of Physicians for the Environment

    LISTEN
  • Dr. Milton Mills, MD

    Dr. Milton Mills, MD Virginia

    Critical Care Physician, BoD - Plant-based Prevention Of Disease, Inc.

    LISTEN
  • Dr. Nana Kwaku Opare, MD, MPH, CA

    Dr. Nana Kwaku Opare, MD, MPH, CA

    Integrative & preventive medicine physician, & more…

    LISTEN
  • Dr. Marie Mihalicz, DSocSci

    Dr. Marie Mihalicz, DSocSci

    Indigenous Healing Scholar, Mental and Spiritual Healing & more…

    LISTEN
  • Mixalhítsa7 Alison Pascal

    Mixalhítsa7 Alison Pascal

    Junior Curator at Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, and more…

    LISTEN

Presentation

The 2nd component of the research dissertation by portfolio is a visual media tool that will optimize the knowledge dissemination of the dissertation focus. A “TED” Talk is being co-created in collaboration with the research participants.

Journal Article

The 3rd component of the research dissertation by portfolio is a journal article, written as a single author, and submitted to the International Journal of Indigenous Health. The article will include credible academic peer review, rationale for selection of the article, and be complete with illustrations, charts, references, and appendices.

Dissertation Synthesis Paper

The 4th and final component of the research dissertation by portfolio is a Synthesis Paper that contains the statement of the problem and contextualization of the research, the theoretical or conceptual framework for the research, highlights of the literature reviewed, the methodology and methods, the findings, the discussion, the rationale for the dissertation format, complete identification of each portfolio piece, the conceptual linkage between the portfolio components, and the knowledge dissemination and transfer plan.

Nicolette’s research foundation is built upon Decolonizing Research Methodologies opposed to typical Eurocentric research approaches that have historically undervalued and undermined the rich experiences and knowledge of local and marginalized populations.

Along the tour, Nicolette and her team will gather will local Inuit, First Nations, and Métis communities, and physician and youth groups. They will connect over lunches and dinners made of traditional plant-strong meals and beverages. Engaging in a collaborative community-based approach, the discussions will be ebb and flow through topics such as:

  • Decolonizing Food Systems

  • Traditional Foods as Medicine

  • Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

  • Building Resilience and Wellness

  • Narrative Medicine

  • Indigenous Food Sovereignty, and

  • Regenerative Land-based Pedagogies and Practices.

Knowledge mobilization through storytelling is at the root of Nicolette’s research and life’s work. This journey will be captured and shared by way of a feature-length documentary, public presentations and workshops, and a book in order to improve education, programming and public policy at it relates to all the topics mentioned above.

She is on a mission to educate 22 million people on how to use traditional, unrefined, plant-based, whole-foods as medicine to reverse chronic illness and disease. The first mini-doc ‘Grounded in my Roots’ is about an urgent call to come back to our roots, to pre-settler, whole-foods as our foundation, as our medicine. We need to respect the BIPOC ways of knowing… what science has been telling us for over 200 years that traditional foods are our medicine.

Decolonizing Food Systems | Traditional Foods as Medicine | Reversing Type 2 Diabetes | Building Resilience and Wellness | Narrative Medicine | Indigenous Food Sovereignty | Regenerative Land-based Pedagogies and Practices

Decolonizing Food Systems | Traditional Foods as Medicine | Reversing Type 2 Diabetes | Building Resilience and Wellness | Narrative Medicine | Indigenous Food Sovereignty | Regenerative Land-based Pedagogies and Practices

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