A participatory research project on health issues at the dog-human interface in seven indigenous communities in Northern Canada: how successful was participation?

This study examines community participation in a research project on health issues at the human-dog interface conducted in seven Northern Canadian Indigenous communities. Using a realist evaluation, we analyzed the mechanisms underlying participatory successes and failures in eleven projects derived from an ecosystem approach to health. This qualitative evaluation revealed that the researchers' concerns about collaborators' participation were largely unfounded. Experienced collaborators demonstrated resilience in the face of previous negative experiences and appreciated the participatory approach. However, over-solicitation of the same stakeholders and mistrust of researchers from the South limited wider community participation. Organizational collaborators played a crucial, but ambivalent role as intermediaries-both facilitating access to communities (boundary-spanning) and, at times, restricting researchers' contact with broader community members (gatekeeping). Although the "dog problem" was recognized as important, it was not a priority in the face of more pressing local or regional challenges. This evaluation highlights the importance of trust, realistic expectations and an understanding of cultural dynamics in optimizing participation in participatory research in Indigenous contexts.