The Journey of Fatherhood: A Community-Led and Father-Focused Approach to Understanding Indigenous Parenting.

The experience of Indigenous men as they become fathers is not well documented in the literature, and available parenting programming in Canada often does not account for their unique perspectives. Supports and resources for expecting parents can be an effective way to support the transition to parenthood, yet most programs focus on women and mothers and integrate only Euro-Western approaches and values of parenting. Providing resources that meet the needs of Indigenous fathers is important, as a father's involvement in the lives of his children has been demonstrated to have significant benefits, including improving parent-infant attachment and a reduction in parental depression. Using Charmaz's grounded theory approach, this community-led study seeks to understand the transition to fatherhood experienced by Indigenous men. A total of 18 Indigenous men participated in semi-structured interviews to share their experiences of becoming fathers, and their programming needs. A Steering Committee including Indigenous community members and parents guided the creation and implementation of the project, including participating in collaborative data analysis. The core category, the Journey of Fatherhood is organized into five sub-categories: visioning fatherhood, planning for fatherhood, the birth of a baby, pursuing fatherhood, and navigating fatherhood. The findings support a new understanding of the transition to fatherhood for Indigenous men, highlighting a holistic approach to parenting and an appreciation for life-long learning. Incorporating an understanding of the Journey of Fatherhood into local parenting programs and resources may better meet the needs of Indigenous fathers and their families, and improve their engagement in services.