Federal government invests $2. 4M into Yukon First Nations‑led health research centre
Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, August 18, 2026 The federal government is investing $2. 4 million in a new Yukon First Nations‑led health research network, with community priorities to be set through. . .
Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, August 18, 2026The federal government is investing $2. 4 million in a new Yukon First Nations‑led health research network, with community priorities to be set through consultations as it begins operating this fall. The funding, delivered through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, establishes the Yukon Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research and brings the national program to all provinces and territories. “With this center, the program is now operating in all provinces and territories in Canada,” Canada’s minister of health Marjorie Michel said. During the Aug. 18 announcement in Whitehorse, nominated principal investigator Dr. Norma Ann Shorty said an early focus for the centre will be identifying Yukon First Nations’ health research priorities through consultation. Shorty told reporters the centre expects to use circles, facilitated discussions and gatherings with elders and youth to help determine what communities want studied. She said this reflects Yukon First Nations’ ways of working and avoids committing funding before those conversations occur. The network, she said, will be grounded in ancestral knowledge and relationships with land, water, animals and community. Shorty described health as holistic, encompassing physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, cultural and land‑based dimensions that must guide future research. Shorty said the centre will support Indigenous graduate students pursuing health research, noting that master’s and PhD projects account for a large share of Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research funding. She cited early plans to back students doing end‑of‑life research and send them to a national conference to build connections with peers across the country. The announcement also highlighted the national context of the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research program, which received a large federal investment in 2018 to expand Indigenous‑led health research. Scientific director Dr. Chelsea Gabel said networks across Canada are working on priorities ranging from mental health and addictions to cancer care, in collaboration with local First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. Gabel said the Yukon centre will follow the same model, working with Yukon First Nations to set its health research priorities. She said networks across Canada tackle different issues. “It will create opportunities for the next generation of researchers to find mentors and build relationships,” Gabel said. “These are indigenous-led research environments grounded in relationships with communities. They recognize that good research is not something that is simply done to or about communities. It’s built with communities around their priorities, knowledge, and aspirations. ”Gabel described the program as a global success in Indigenous health research. She said her own career began with Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research support nearly two decades ago, and that the program’s student gatherings helped shape her path. The event featured reflections on the long‑term work behind the centre’s creation. Speakers pointed to years of partnership involving the Council of Yukon First Nations, Yukon University and the Institute of Circumpolar Health Research. Shorty said the network already exists in the relationships that have been built. Council of Yukon First Nations grand chief Math’ieya Alatini said the centre is an important pivot point in the Yukon. She said Indigenous voices shaping research and methodologies can change policies, programs and how people receive services. “We have been talking for years about how we can leverage our agreements and create a new system of healthcare, one that is rooted in equity and inclusion. This is one step towards that,” Alatini said. Yukon MP Brendan Hanley said the initiative reflects the territory’s focus on community‑rooted solutions. He said the centre will help make sure health research reflects the Yukon’s geography and daily realities. Shorty said full operations will begin in October, with early work focused on building on existing advisory relationships and preparing for community engagement. She said the centre will be housed at Yukon University. Shorty also acknowledged the contributions of past Yukon First Nations leaders who helped create conditions for this work. Contact Jake Howarth at jake. howarth@yukon-news. com