Lecture Notes: Indigenous Research and Methodologies

Introduction

• Acknowledgement of Territory:

  • Traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Musqueam people.
  • Greetings from University of Saskatchewan, Treaty 6 territory.
  • Speaker: from Treaty 4 territory, Oji Cree from southern Saskatchewan, Pasqua First Nations.

• Connection to Land:

  • Lived in Saskatchewan and BC (Victoria, Terrace, Prince George).
  • Maintains a residence in Vancouver.
  • Emotional connection to West Coast inspired by Neil Young song.

Audience and Purpose

• Primarily speaking to graduate students, frequently discusses Indigenous research with them.
• Expresses hope and optimism about the future through the presence of graduate students.
• Intention to read from text to stay organized and share a slice of personal life.

Indigenous Methodologies

Key Awarenesses

• Be clear about terms: indigenous research vs. indigenous methodologies.
• Indigenous Research:
  • Involves research with Indigenous people within their contexts.
  • Can include various methodologies (e.g., quantitative, feminist, grounded theory, community-based).
• Indigenous Methodologies:
  • A type of methodology within Indigenous research based on Indigenous knowledge systems.
  • Requires an understanding and grounding in specific Indigenous knowledge.

Distinctiveness of Indigenous Methodologies

• Philosophical Basis:
  • Embedded in Indigenous knowledge systems, different from Western knowledge systems.
  • Requires understanding specific cultural contexts.
• Key Considerations:
  • Requires introduction of self and kinship in research (protocol of introduction).
  • Preparation involves community engagement, ceremonies, and discussions with elders.
  • Indigenous knowledges must be acknowledged and grounded in the research.
  • Ethical research practices specific to Indigenous communities required.
  • Reciprocity and respect for oral stories and knowledge dissemination.
• Integration of Story: Story as a crucial element in research, both personal stories and those collected from participants.

Challenges and Advice

Academic Context

• Support for Graduate Students:
  • Develop support networks within academic and Indigenous communities.
  • Find allies within departments who have an understanding of Indigenous issues.

Institutional Challenges

• Statistics: Indigenous faculty make up a very small percentage of Canadian professoriate (1.4% in 2016).
• Retention Issues: Difficult to retain Indigenous scholars within universities.
• Need for Institutional Support: Ensuring presence and involvement of university leaders in indigenization efforts.

Recommendations for Indigenous Scholars

• Community and Academic Balance:
  • Building strong relational supports within Indigenous and academic communities.
  • Advocating for methodologies grounded in Indigenous knowledges.

Personal Story Sharing

Excerpt from Maggie's 2017 Life

• Importance of stories in childhood and academic work.
• Reading Journey (2017): Strategy to reignite curiosity through early morning readings and relational sharing with spouse.
• Integration of Indigenous and European traditions in personal ceremonies.
• Emphasizes that story is relational, oral and integral to Indigenous methodologies.

Questions and Discussions

Navigating Colonial and Eurocentric Departments

• Advice to Students:
  • Find support networks and build relationships with allies in the department.
  • Understand and assert the value of Indigenous methodologies persistently.

Recruitment and Retention

• Indigenous Faculty: Essential for supporting Indigenous students.
• Institutional Changes Needed: Explicit support and acknowledgment of the importance of Indigenous methodologies by administration.