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University of B.C. researchers and Okanagan Nation elders have launched a new parenting app offering a mix of traditional, culturally appropriate parenting advice and contemporary resources for Indigenous parents.
The app, called Two-Eyed Seeing for Parents, has been a labour of love for Dr. Wendy Hall, UBC nursing professor emeritus, who has been working with members of the Okanagan Nation and the səxʷkn̓xitəlx k̓l̓ c̓əc̓málaʔ Central Okanagan Aboriginal Early Years Table on the app.
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“It felt like a very long gestation and now we’ve given birth,” said Hall with a chuckle. “I feel privileged to have worked with the elders at the table to reach this goal. We’ve created something that’s quite unique.”
Hall was working with UBC professor Patti Janssen, who had developed an app called SmartParent, which promotes healthy child development and wellness during a child’s first year of life.
Through a colleague, Hall was connected to the Okanagan Nation which was interested in the SmartParent app but felt it was not tailored to their needs. So they worked with Okanagan elders to develop one that would integrate both Syilx parenting values and traditions with modern-day parenting advice.
The app provides information on nutrition, health, and safety organized around different stages of child development up to age 1.
“We believe that children are sacred gifts who deserve the best possible start in life,” said Elder Wilfred “Grouse” Barnes in a statement.
“Our app aims to empower Okanagan Nation parents with the knowledge, confidence and skills to nurture their children’s development while honouring our cultural heritage.”
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For example, the app contains information about First Nation doulas and instructions on how to register an Indigenous child for their status card. It provides information about the healing properties of cedar, traditional foods, and a step-by-step recipe for an ointment using comfrey for diaper rash.
The app includes text in the nsyilxcən language, with English translations underneath, which would help revitalize the language within the Okanagan Nation community.
The app also has videos and audio clips, including Barnes and his daughter translating common phrases used to talk to a child in nsyilxcən and English.
Unlike SmartParent, which delivers the education program via text messages sent to the parents’ phone and requires connectivity to work, Two-Eyed Seeing for Parents can be used offline, reducing barriers to use due to limited Internet access in remote areas or expensive data rates, said Hall.
Hall is working on a paper that outlines the process of creating the app in the hopes it can be used as a blueprint for others who may want to create a similar resource for other Indigenous groups.
The app, which was funded with a federal grant and UBC funding, is available for download on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
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