Living stories through a sweet grass porcupine quill box methodology:

The twofold purposes of this research project were to engage a distinctive Indigenous methodology and gather the living stories regarding community health experiences pertaining to Chronic Kidney Disease. An artistically inspired Indigenous methodology arose within contextual ways of being and knowing within the community, expressed through the art and crafting of a sweetgrass and porcupine quill box. The methods respected traditional community protocols prioritizing sharing circles involving elders and storytelling. The living stories from ten participants illuminated relationality and cultural knowledge as a strength amid fears and feelings of mistrust. Additionally, inequitable access and racialized health care also emerged as root factors leading to decreased participation in health care. The participant’s sharing of dreams revealed wisdom and interpretations that created living stories where dreams are enmeshed in all daily moments to guide and direct.