Indigenous Studies

Contemporary struggles with Indigenous identities in Canada are deeply rooted in the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization, which have left profound and lasting effects on different geographical regions across the country. These struggles are multifaceted, encompassing complex questions surrounding who qualifies as Indigenous and what criteria are used to authenticate claims of Indigenous heritage.

In the modern era, the digital landscape has become an integral part of our daily lives, revolutionizing how we interact with the world around us. Digital spaces, including the vast expanse of the Internet, various social media platforms, and mobile applications, have transformed how we communicate, conduct business, seek entertainment, and share information. These virtual environments offer unparalleled opportunities for connectivity, collaboration, and the exchange of resources and ideas.Within this digital realm, social media platforms have emerged as powerful tools for self-expression and exploration of identity. Individuals increasingly use these platforms to delve into the complexities of their identities, including their intersectionality and connections to specific geographic locations. Research has shown that this exploration often leads to a reclamation and revitalization of Indigenous identities, serving as a form of political resistance against the ongoing legacies of colonization. Through social media, Indigenous individuals and communities are able to reclaim their voices, assert their autonomy, and challenge dominant narratives.

This research delves into how digital spaces, mainly the social media platform of TikTok, shape Indigenous identity formation, maintenance, and resurgence. By employing a mixed-methods approach, this study analyzes various dimensions of this phenomenon, including the role of storytelling, community building, and cultural expression in digital spaces. Moreover, the research explores how these digital platforms can empower Indigenous communities to reclaim, revitalize, and reconstruct their identities and notions of community. Ultimately, by examining the impact of digital spaces on Indigenous identity, this research provides valuable insights into contemporary practices of identity revitalization and proposes strategies to support Indigenous futures in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

This research used the Medicine Wheel, adapted from the research of Dr. Kathleen E. Absolon, Anishinaabekwe from Flying Post First Nation, in her article Indigenous Wholistic Theory: A Knowledge Set for Practice, as a framework to explore the dynamic interplay between Indigenous identity and the digital age. It highlights how each quadrant—East (birth and rejuvenation), South (relationships and advocacy), West (challenges and resilience), and North (wisdom and healing)—provides unique insights into the cultural preservation, self-discovery, community engagement, and integration of traditional knowledge with modern technology. Indigenous communities leverage digital platforms to rejuvenate cultural practices, foster relationships, advocate for social justice, and empower their voices while navigating the complexities of online spaces and ensuring cultural authenticity.

The findings emphasize the transformative potential of social media in preserving and revitalizing Indigenous cultures, advocating for critical issues, and empowering different generations. Ethical engagement in digital spaces is crucial, as well as promoting cultural respect and addressing historical injustices. The research underscores the importance of balancing traditional values with modern technology to foster resilience, empowerment, and holistic well-being within Indigenous communities.

Author Keywords: Colonialism, Identity Resurgence, Indigenous Identities, Online Communities, Self-Determination, Social Media

Nikawiy narratives including Mother to daughter, nation to nation, spirit and intent, and Treaty Enforcement are based on nikawiy (my mother's) teachings that I interpret as my inherent role as Nehiyaw iskwew (Cree woman) specifically for governance and numbered Treaty Enforcement. My methodology 1is also based on nikawiy's Circle of Life, Pimatisiwin, Calendar (Poitras, 1996) curriculum that is related and included in the "universe is listening to me" paskwaw moostoos Treaty Law School (Poitras, 2016). We are from the Peepeekisis Cree Nation in what is now known as Saskatchewan. My mother osawastimahkoop iskwew is originally from Onion Lake on what is now the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan. Peepeekisis is in Treaty Four territory and Onion Lake is in Treaty Six territory.Is there a 'gap' for the role of Indian women and Nehiyawak Iskwew in the numbered Indian Treaty negotiations and generally in leadership? 2Though such a 'gap' may be said to be relatively common knowledge perhaps from the time of the treaty negotiations, a comprehensive and chronological review has yet to be produced that may address this. Treaty Four was entered into in 1874 and Treaty Six was entered into in 1876. Before this and in historical accounts, this gap may also be apparent and indicative of European/settler ethnocentrism based on white male research and documentation of this history.3 The colonial disruption of the Indian Residential School, in particular, would have also impacted oral transmission of any history including the role of women in the treaty negotiations that might also denote a role in governance and leadership. In a contemporary context now, the question for this role is the search for inherent foundations that may be identified as the base to contemporary governance and leadership frameworks for Nehiyaw Iskwewak (Cree women) in Treaty Four and Treaty Six.

1 Protocol has been offered to nikawiy to request her interpretation of "methodology' meaning.2 I could not find any written historical accounts for the role of Cree women during numbered Treaty negotiations. I know that, in general, there are few sources for Indian women in leadership, and particularly for any historical accounts of Indian women leadership. In Treaty Four and Treaty Six, there are no written accounts of Nehiyaw iskwew (Cree women) involvement in these treaty negotiations. The signatories to these treaties are documented as Nehiyaw napew (Cree men) only. Historical accounts document what Cree men leaders/Chiefs may have stated at this time. 3 A reason for the lack of any Cree women documentation in historical accounts of numbered Treaty negotiations is that there could be a lack of understanding for the role of Cree women by the European men who wrote these accounts. Generally, Europeans were coming from white patriarchal societies where women did not commonly have leadership roles.

Author Keywords: Calendar of Life, Cree

My research into Et'sehch'i, the Traditional Dene Burial Practices, is a comprehensive study into how smaller groups, clans, of our northern Dene understood and handled matters of funerals. The research focuses on the Dene community of Radelie Koe, Fort Good Hope in the Northwest Territories of Canada, my home community. In these Pre-Contact times, there weren't any of the modern tools we are now familiar with. The dead were interred on outdoor stages, raised platforms.

The most important part of Et'sehch'i involved the matriarch or another Elder of the clan hand-picking individual youths to help keep the Community together. They kept together as a group, going around together, cutting wood for people, hauling water or ice and generally reinstalling joy into the People's lives. Another form of these coming-of-age ceremonials involved young girls becoming women. The research involves the ways in which the Dene handled anything to do with major changes throughout our history. It was mandated by the Elders Council and Band Council of Fort Good Hope and followed a community protocol of respect for culturally sensitive material. These traditions, following ethical standards, account in good part for our survival from a time we call "When the World was New", from dinosaurs to today's computers.

Keywords: Dene Community, Burial Practice, Et'sehch'i, Ceremony, Funeral, Youth, Painting, Ceremonial Practice, Ways of Being

Author Keywords: Burial Practice, Ceremony, Dene Community, Et'sehch'i, Funeral, Painting

Indigenous men are disproportionally incarcerated in the Canadian criminal justice system. A disproportionate number of Indigenous men who are incarcerated have also been through the foster care and adoption system. A good deal of them are disconnected from their cultures, traditions and communities. For many the prisons are the first times that they encounter Indigenous Knowledge (IK), Elders, and Knowledge Holders, and the introduction to IK can be a watershed moment for them. Reconnection is a critical first step in a healing journey that many Indigenous men begin in prisons. The healing journey is about healing from their history, traumas, and the actions that led them to prisons, but healing is also a process of healing towards a better life and better future. It does not stop once they are beyond the prison walls. This research project focuses on the Indigenous Healing Programs and Services that support the men that are on this healing journey. Using the Haudenosaunee framework of Kan'nikonhrí:io (the Good Mind) and Wake'nikonhrèn:ton (the Crooked Mind), this project endeavours to understand how these programs and services understand and support healing, how masculinity factors into the delivery of these programs.

Author Keywords: Community, Good Minds, Haudenosaunee, Healing, Social Programming, Social Work

This dissertation focuses on the special education of First Nation students in Ontario. The primary researcher is an Anishinaabekwe with decades of experience in special education. Taking an Indigenized qualitative research methodology drawing on the Two-Eyed Seeing Framework (TESF) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) exploring disability discourse, this study explores what 'special education' means in First Nations communities in Ontario and how special education can be reimagined to better meet First Nation children's needs. Thirty-one research participants, all involved in the education of First Nation students in Ontario with special education needs, provide data that is referred to as researched stories. Organization of the research includes using the elements within a medicine wheel framework to guide the analysis of the literature review and the stories of the participants. Adherence to the 7 original Anishinaabe (Grandfather) teachings is the heart of this research. This research offers the realization that a Holistic Education System may be the most effective system.

Author Keywords: Critical Discourse Analysis, First Nation Education, Grandfather Teachings, Medicine Wheel, Special Education, Two-Eyed Seeing Framework

The Selkirk First Nation (SFN) community safety officer (CSO) program in Pelly Crossing, Yukon, was established in 2019 to better respond to SFN citizen needs and fill the operational gaps of the RCMP. The SFN CSO program offers a unique example of a decolonized, Northern Indigenous community led CSO program operating in the Far North rooted in self-determination and self-governance working alongside the RCMP. This project focused on examining the strengths, tensions, and challenges of the SFN CSO program, along with the impacts of the program on self-governance, self-determination, and reconciliation with the RCMP in Pelly Crossing. Two final areas explored were key elements for formulating a CSO program in the Far North and how the SFN CSO program can provide crucial feedback for improving RCMP-administered policing for Northern Indigenous nations and communities.

Author Keywords: Community Safety Officer Programs, Decolonization of police, Indigenous Criminology, Indigenous Governance, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Selkirk First Nation

This study aimed to develop a culturally responsive teacher framework and evaluation tool for educators at Seabird Island Community School (SICS) and other Stó:lō First Nations community schools in British Columbia. Drawing from the perspectives of educators at SICS, the research sought to provide direction for wise pedagogical practices and establish effective evaluation methods rooted in best practices from the literature (Calliou & Wesley-Esquimaux, 2015). Employing qualitative methods, the study was informed by Wilson's concept of relational accountability (2008) and Ermine's notion of ethical space (2007). The research included interviews with nineteen educators, unveiling a range of opinions on what constitutes effective teaching at SICS. While educators widely recognized the importance of integrating Stó:lō culture into their practice, there was uncertainty about how to deeply embed it as a core element of the day-to-day educational experience. The data revealed four key themes that are essential to promoting effective evaluation: (1) fostering a growth mindset and commitment to lifelong learning, (2) creating supportive and transparent evaluation processes, (3) effective instruction, classroom management, and holistic assessment, and (4) cultural responsiveness, community engagement, and family communication. Moreover, the study highlights that an effective teacher evaluation framework at SICS must prioritize meaningful community engagement and foster solid relationships with students and their families. This suggests that the educator's role in community schools is deeply interwoven with the broader social ecosystem.

Author Keywords: community engagement, culturally responsive teaching, holistic assessment, Indigenous education, Stó:lō, teacher evaluation

Since the 1960s, post-secondary institutions (PSIs) across Chi'Mikinak (the Great Turtle) have been learning how to engage with Indigenous Knowledge Holders and their knowledges in academic programs and research, to decolonize, to support Indigenous-led initiatives, and make systemic, transformative, and reconciliatory change. This work explores what practices support and nurture Indigenous autonomy in relation to Indigenous Knowledge systems in four Canadian, Indigenous-focused post-secondary education (PSE) programs. It considers how to embody and activate these practices as individuals and institutionally, as well as the issues, tensions, opportunities, and prospects for doing so. Co-learning and co-creating are possible. However, Indigenous autonomy (often framed as control) demands rebalancing and restructuring of asymmetrical Indigenous/settler relations on the land, in governance, in the academy, and settler society. Indigenous inclusion in PSE does not result in structural, transformational, reconciliatory, or Indigenizing change, but rather, Indigenous Peoples say they are constrained within colonial governance structures and frameworks. Thriving prospects for upholding Indigenous relational autonomy and Indigenous Knowledge sovereignty in Indigenous programming is rooted in Indigenous governance, which inherently centres local Indigenous Peoples, their lands, knowledges, languages, histories, and spiritualities. It also requires settler peoples "to Treaty" their way forward using Treaty epistemologies and ontologies to uphold Treaty values, relationships, and responsibilities, and to create ethical spaces for Indigenous governance. The experiences, stories, and understandings of the Traditional Advisory Council of the Indigenous Studies Ph.D. program, plus 14 Indigenous Knowledge Holders and 20 settler people associated with three programs at the Chanie Wenjack School of Indigenous Studies at Trent University, as well as insights from Mi'kmaw Dr./Elders Murdena and Albert Marshall regarding the former Toqwa'tu'kl Kjijitaqnn/Integrative Science program at Cape Breton University, ground and guide this work. The work utilizes transdisciplinary and qualitative approaches, including co-learning, etuaptmumk (the gift of multiple perspectives), Indigenist, decolonizing and settler-colonial theory, within relational and Treaty-based accountability ethics. It draws from Indigenous-centred literature. It contributes to Indigenous, settler-colonial, reconciliation, and political studies; knowledge engagement, translation and mobilization; systemic change; Treaty education; co-learning; transdisciplinary and transcultural education and research; and Indigenous-settler alliances. The findings are relevant to PSIs across Chi'Mikinak.

Author Keywords: Albert and Murdena Marshall, Co-Learning and Two-Eyed Seeing, Indigenous Education, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Systemic Change in Settler-Colonial Education, Treaty Education in Canada

This intercultural rediscovery of Indigenous cacao culture draws upon Environmental Studies, Intercultural Studies, Indigenous Studies, Anthropology and Agroecology. The methodological antecedent for this kind of symbolic food study of cacao is the work done by Gustavo Esteva and others on the civilizational importance of maize. Similarly, the rediscovery of the Indigenous Knowledge of cacao explores the profound meaningfulness of cacao to ancient Mesoamerican civilization, and how that ecological, agricultural, and health wisdom can regenerate modern agricultural paradigms, and ecogastronomy. Chapter 1 explores, meditates, and reflects upon 20 Indigenous Knowledge teachings of cacao guided and supported by a unique interpretation of the Popol Vuh, the Mayan oral epic and creation story, as well as 20 years of collaboration and field work experience in Mexico. The methodology in chapter 1 is rooted in a phenomenological approach to dwelling with and relating to IK in an unmediated and embodied manner. Experience, story, dream and an awareness of the challenges of looking at Oral culture teachings are combined with an intercultural analysis of the Popol Vuh and other supporting texts. The spiritual ecology of the cacao forest garden of Chapter 2, seeks to make the connection between the maize milpa and the cacao forest garden milpa and posits a unique transition theory. The transition theory seeks to operationalize these Indigenous Knowledge agricultural and crop traditions into a regenerative agricultural model. Based upon Indigenous Knowledge, this view of the cacao forest garden functionally regenerates soils, regenerates forests, and supports food sovereignty in a way that is rooted in community scale Indigenous cultural practices, techniques, and food traditions. The methodology for chapter 2 and chapter 3 of this thesis moves to an intercultural comparison and analysis of agro-ecological and spiritual ecological understandings of cacao, chocolate, and the forest garden. Chapter 3 seeks to move from the explicating and analyzing of the 'transition theory' and proposes four main practical initiatives that further strengthen and explore the regenerative spiritual ecology of cacao forest gardens. The Indigenous forest garden commons of the Americas can be a powerful, unique, and fecund contribution to the intercultural dialogue around cultural regeneration in the 21st century. The Indigenous forest garden makes contributions around intercultural dialogue and reconciliation as well as current understandings around regenerative agricultural models. The cacao forest garden moves beyond an either/or narrative that separates environmental regeneration from cultural regeneration, and instead contributes to an intercultural both/and more holistic approach to regeneration that is rooted in culture and supported by agriculture.

Author Keywords: cacao, chocolate, forest garden, indigenous kmowledge, maize, transition theory

ABSTRACTASSEMBLING THE BRAID: ALDERVILLE FIRST NATION, LEARNING FROM THEIR WALK IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Catherine Davis Alderville First Nation is a small, dynamic Anishinaabe First Nation community in central Ontario with the distinction of having one of the first federal residential schools in Canada, established in 1838. Access to education, both on and off reserve, has been primarily through the provincial model. This study applies a weaving imagery of the Anishinaabe braided sweetgrass, and threads together three strands: (i) experiences in the education system, (ii) perspectives about learning, (iii) an exploration of future educational possibilities for Anishinaabe youth. Open-ended in-depth interviews were conducted with 25 members of varying ages, life experiences, geographical locations, spiritual beliefs, and backgrounds. Members shared experiences of racism and disengagement with the system. At times, classroom spaces were inhospitable spaces and relationships with teachers and peers proved difficult. As a member of Alderville First Nation, I draw on more than 20 years of experience as a community educator, and I am driven to understand why fundamental change has not happened. Though there have been surface changes, more profound transformation remains elusive. Consequently, the reconciliation project is a problematic endeavour for First Nations like Alderville. Our community, a microcosm of other First Nations and education systems, shares tensions between simultaneous, overlapping movements of reconciliation and resurgence. Nevertheless, it is our legacy to find a way forward for our youth.

Author Keywords: Alderville, Anishinaabe, Indigenous Education, Racism, Reconciliation, Resurgence