Nuts'a'maat shqwaluwun - Knitting ways of life with Indigenous research principles to examine preterm birth in Quw'utsun.

Setting: The Quw'utsun Preterm Birth Study used a community-led and participatory action research methodology to investigate preterm birth in Quw'utsun, a First Nations community in Cowichan Valley, British Columbia (BC). Quw'utsun people and staff from the community's Ts'ewulhtun Health Centre partnered with the BC First Nations Health Authority, Island Health (regional health authority), and the University of British Columbia to develop Nuts'a'maat shqwaluwun (one heart, one mind), a framework for conducting research activities.

Intervention: Guided by Elders, Nuts'a'maat shqwaluwun incorporated Quw'utsun standards for research ethics by knitting together snuw'uy'ulh (ways of life), such as Stsi'elh stuhw tu Sul-hween (honour the Elders), with federal policy for ethical conduct of research involving Indigenous people.