Indigenous Research Impacts National Assembly

Dr. Jessica Kolopenuk, Associate Vice President – Health and Research, has published an article on Indigenous research governance and is pleased to see its national impact. 

Dr. Kolopenuk is encouraged to see that the Assembly of First Nations’ draft resolution for the July 2026 Annual General Assembly, “Ensuring First Nations Governance in the Canadian Precision Health Initiative and Genomic Data Initiatives,” cites her recent Nature Communications article, “Indigenous sovereignty and the limits of the Canadian Precision Health Initiative (CPHI).”

The resolution builds on longstanding First Nations leadership calling for genomic research and precision health initiatives to respect First Nations governance, OCAP®, free, prior, and informed consent, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It also highlights concerns that governance must come before the collection and use of First Nations genomic data – a central argument of the article.

For Jessica, this is what meaningful Indigenous research impact looks like – not simply publishing papers but contributing to conversations that support Indigenous self-determination and inform the decisions of First Nations leadership. At the First Nations University of Canada, this kind of impact is celebrated.

📖 Article: Indigenous sovereignty and the limits of the Canadian Precision Health Initiative | Nature Communications

Submitted by: Dr. Jessica Kolopenuk