Impact Awards—
2024 Talent Award winner: Louis Busch

Louis Busch has spent the last two decades contributing to mental health and community care, though his path to academic success was not easy.

“As a young man, I struggled with my own mental health challenges,” says Busch, a Bear Clan member of northern Manitoba’s Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation. “I realize now that I was at a crossroads that many Indigenous youth don’t make it back from.”

A pivotal conversation with his mother shifted his trajectory. “She reminded me of the many sacrifices made by my family and ancestors, so that I could have a chance at a better life,” he says. “And she reminded me of our clan’s responsibility to community healing and harmony. That conversation was a turning point for me.”

Twenty years later, Busch is a registered psychotherapist, a behaviour analyst and a community support specialist with the Shkaabe Makwa Centre for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis wellness at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. He is also a Vanier scholar and doctoral student at the University of Toronto, having recently completed a visiting fellowship at Harvard University. His research focuses on Indigenous approaches to helping, supporting and healing, highlighting the vital role of dialogue, relationships and community-driven innovation.

“As Indigenous Peoples, we are constantly confronted by grief and suffering in our families and communities,” he reflects, noting the very real impact of intergenerational trauma due to ongoing colonial processes. “There is a remarkable capacity for healing in the community. Helpers build meaningful relationships and save lives daily, yet they often go unrecognized by researchers, funders and policy-makers.”

Busch’s work has already had a significant impact as he trains Indigenous helpers and caregivers across Canada to support wellness within their communities.

“Many of these helpers aren’t necessarily people with degrees and plaques on their walls; they are Knowledge Keepers, traditional practitioners, caregivers, and community members with a wealth of knowledge in how to be in relationship with others,” he says. “They receive no funding or recognition, but they give the shirt off their backs to help anyway.”

Busch envisions a future where Indigenous communities have control over their own healing processes. His goal is to empower helpers across Canada, and to advocate for government funding that recognizes Indigenous helping and healing methods alongside Western practices.

Winning the SSHRC Impact Award in the Talent category has been a “surreal experience” for Busch, who feels immense gratitude for the recognition and for those who supported his journey.

“Funding Indigenous research affirms that Indigenous Knowledge is an integral part of our shared future and deserves to be centred in conversations about healing and wellness,” he says.

Busch is committed to ensuring his work leads to meaningful change for Indigenous communities. He plans to use his award to invest in knowledge sharing and training, continuing his journey of learning, healing and giving back.