"Our Responsibility to Keep the Land Alive": Voices of Northern Indigenous Researchers

Abstract

This paper is based on experiences, views, and stories shared by the 22 participants who spoke at the Research the Indigenous Way workshop at the Northern Governance Policy Research Conference in November 2009. The paper does not address all the issues raised, but rather focuses specifically on how the workshop sheds new light on the nature of alternative Indigenous research that would support Indigenous governance. The sharing circle format of the workshop is considered as a model reflecting the research paradigm being talked about. This paradigm requires a critique of past northern “Indigenous” research that perpetuates colonial concepts of governance. Key messages from the groundbreaking work of the Traditional Knowledge Practitioners Group in 2008–2009 are combined with narratives from the 1. This paper would not be possible without the contributions of participants in the Research the Indigenous Way workshop at the Northern Governance and Policy Research Conference (NGPRC), November 5, 2009. The large number of participants that chose to participate in the workshop was a surprise to the coordinators — approximately 30 people were in attendance, and 22 of these shared a story. Verbal permission to record and transcribe the workshop proceedings was obtained at the inception of the workshop. Highlights from the workshop were aired numerous times on the Native Communication Society’s radio station CKLB. The entire transcript was reviewed as the basis for this paper, but only the nine individuals directly quoted in this paper were given an opportunity to review drafts. Each of these has given express consent for use of their quotes, and has provided feedback on the paper as a whole. Special thanks to Alestine Andre, Lia Ruttan, and Celine Mackenzie Vukson who provided detailed input. Thanks also to the two anonymous reviewers whose suggestions helped us to strengthen the paper.