Introduction: Decolonizing Research
This module will introduce the concept of decolonization and how it applies to research. The module will begin with a land acknowledgement from the “Traditional Territory Acknowledgements in Ontario” by the OFL Aboriginal Circle and Ontario Federation of Labour.
Traditional Territory Acknowledgements in Ontario
Land Acknowledgement
(I/We) acknowledge that Huron University College sits on Indigenous land that has been inhabited by Indigenous peoples from the beginning. As settlers, we’re grateful for the opportunity to meet here and we thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land – for thousands of years. Long before today, there have been Indigenous Peoples who have been the stewards of this place. We acknowledge that this is the traditional territory of the Anishinabe, Haudenosaunee, Attawandaron (Neutral), and Wendat peoples. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. We recognize that land acknowledgements are just one way of situating ourselves within our colonial history and are by no means the extent of the work that must be done. We acknowledge our own complicity in maintaining our country’s colonial narrative into the present day. We strive to do better and to work towards learning and listening to our Indigenous neighbours, and towards healing and reconciliation together into the future.
Note: “More than Words”, Western’s guidelines on and examples of Indigenous land acknowledgments, can be found in further reading.
This link takes you to an interactive page where you can explore the land that is under different treaties in Ontario.
Map of Ontario Treaties and Reserves
These next resources provide insight into some of the guiding documents and reports regarding Indigenous communities in Canada, and larger governing bodies such as the United Nations.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Final Report
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
Indigenous Research
This section will highlight a variety of Indigenous research methods and researcher contributions.
This video, “Principles of Indigenous Research Methodologies” from the University of Victoria discusses how Indigenous knowledge is relational and explores the importance of researchers engaging with Indigenous knowledge holders in a way that is built on the strengths of relationships. “Both research and reconciliation reach into the past to create better working models for the future of our relationships with each other” .
Principles of Indigenous Research Methodologies (6:54) University of Victoria
In this next resource, “Indigenous Research as Storytelling”, Abigail Echo-Hawk, Director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, discusses research from the perspective of traditional storytelling. Her story demonstrates the need for research to understand the cultural and community needs of Indigenous people for research and health interventions to be effective.
Indigenous Research as Storytelling (7:50)
The National Inuit Strategy on Research (NISR) outlines the coordinated actions required to improve the way Inuit Nunangat research is governed, resourced, conducted, and shared. This strategy builds upon the important strides taken by Inuit towards self-determination in research by offering solutions to challenges our people have grappled with for decades. It envisions research being utilized as a building block for strong public policies, programs, and initiatives that support optimal outcomes for Inuit that in turn benefit all Canadians. – Natan Oben, ITK President
National Inuit Strategy on Research (NISR)
Key Takeaways:
- Indigenous research can embody different forms, dependent on community values and traditions.
Reconciliation and Decolonization
This section provides several resources regarding reconciliation and decolonization discourses. We encourage you to consider how these topics are applicable in research practice and who should be involved in these processes.
This link will take you to the NCTR’s page that features the Truth and Reconciliation Commision’s reports, including the Calls to Action.
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: University of Manitoba
This 3-minute “mini-documentary” features Muray Sinclar, the (former) Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada speaking to the history of Canada’s Residential Schools and the importance of working towards reconciliation.
TRC Mini Documentary – Senator Murray Sinclair on Reconciliation
In this video from CBC, Chief Robert Joseph shares his experience as a residential school survivor and the importance of truth and reconciliation in Canada. Although the video shows that efforts towards Truth and Reconciliation have been made, we recognize that so much work still needs to be done.
TW: Chief Joseph discusses his traumatic experiences in a Canadian Residential School through animation.
Namwayut: we are all one. Truth and reconciliation in Canada | Canada is …
Before you continue to the TEDTalk, “Decolonization Is for Everyone” by Nikki Sanchez, take a minute to consider this question that she poses to the audience: “Can you name the Indigenous territory and nation on whose land your grandmothers were born on?”
In this TEDTalk, Sanchez discusses the importance of decolonization and the role of Canadian Settlers in this process.
Decolonization is for Everyone: Nikki Sanchez
This article is featured in the journal Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society and offers insight into how Decolonization work is crucial – but messy, unsettling, and overwhelming. Tuck and Yang discuss the role of privilege and power in decolonization work, and the importance of “decentring” Settler perspectives.
Decolonization is Not a Metaphor by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Wang
These next resources examine how colonialism, and the history of Canadian residential schools are connected to the history of research.
Canada used hungry indigenous children to study malnutrition
Walking the path together: incorporatin…digenous knowledge in diabetes research
Key Takeaways:
- Settlers are still occupying Indigenous territories with no invitation or permission.
- Decolonization denotes a specific type of continual, difficult work, and is not a metaphor for Indigeneity.
- The wide adoption and “metaphorization” of “Decolonization” can encourage settler moves to innocence, that problematically attempt to reconcile a settler guilt and complicity.
Decolonizing Research Practices: Collaboration, Ownership, and Ways of Knowing
We hope that this next section will help you to understand how the topics you have explored thus far are connected to collaborative research.
In this article, researchers from Indigenous communities explain how colleagues and institutions can help them to battle marginalization in research, particularly STEM research.
“How to Include Indigenous researchers and their knowledge” by Virginia Gewin
The next resource is a video that looks at decolonizing research methodologies by thoughtfully considering Indigenous research engagement, enhancing the “chain and distribution of research” benefits in Indigenous communities. “We need to understand that research is very much implicated in the colonial project.” -Dr. Monica E. Mulrennan, Department of Geography, Planning and Environment at Concordia University
Decolonizing Methodologies: Can relational research be a basis for renewed relationships?
OCAP Principles:
The First Nations Principles of OCAP®
Understanding the First Nations Principles of OCAP™: Our Road Map to Information Governance Our Road Map to Information Governance
This next resource serves as a guide for those striving to be more inclusive of Indigenous voices and perspectives.
Towards braiding: Considering Indigenous Perspectives
The following questions are outlined in the Towards Braiding document and are important to consider for how to effectively and ethically practice equity, diversity and inclusion in academic (and non-academic) spaces.
- What do you expect the Indigenous perspective to do for you?
- What kind of learning are you willing to do?
- What are the hidden costs and labor involved in your invitation to engage?
- Are you committed to addressing the individual and group conflicts and anxieties that will most likely arise?
- Is your organization/team cognizant of the heterogeneity within and between Indigenous communities, and capable of engaging divergent perspectives?
Example of Collaborative Research in Practice:
This 10-minute video exemplifies the merging of Inuit knowledge with science and technology to better understand Climate Change influence on the Arctic and its species. It draws attention to the collaboration process in research initiatives with and in Indigenous communities.
Video Documentary: How indigenous knowledge is changing what we know about the Arctic
Questions to Consider:
- How does colonialism inform our very structures and institutions today? How does it inform our research?
- How can we have meaningful research that works to decolonize and educate? What does it look like? Who should be involved?
Conclusion
You’ve now reached the end of the third module: Decolonization Work in Research. Congratulations!
We hope that you have learned more about Decolonization work in research. There are many more issues and complexities that surround this topic, and we have chosen only to explore some.
You have now completed all the EDI modules!
Please continue to the “Conclusion” page on OWL to find some concluding remarks.