Indigenous Research at Memorial
Memorial is committed to strengthening Indigenous research, including establishing methods to ensure appropriate consultation and engagement with Indigenous communities, NGOs and government leaders prior to and during the initial stages of research on both community-identified and outside researcher-led initiatives.
Whether Indigenous research is conducted by settler researchers or by Indigenous researchers, it is a focal point for expression, concern, attention and most importantly, action, for truth and reconciliation. Memorial recognizes the critical role of educators, researchers, and university administrators in the work of truth, reconciliation and a renewed relationship with Indigenous peoples, including with our own Indigenous faculty, staff and students. We recognize that research processes and results bear significantly on the lives of Indigenous students, families, communities and governments.
The resources on this webpage focus on research with, by and for Indigenous peoples that emphasizes engagement based on understanding and respect. At the same time, we work to move beyond individual respect and understanding towards structural, ideological, institutional, and methodological change. We take our lead from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami’s National Inuit Strategy on Research, University Canada’s Twelve Principles for Indigenous Education (of which Memorial is a signatory), the Ethical Principles for the Conduct of Research in the North, Memorial’s own Office of Indigenous Affairs’ Strategic Framework for Indigenization and other Indigenous-led directives to guide us through these changes.
- Memorial's policy on Research Impacting Indigenous Groups
- NEW: Memorial University Policy Statement on Research Involving Indigenous Groups
- For researchers: Doing Indigenous research in a good way
- Research FAQs for Indigenous groups, governments and Nations
- Indigenous Research FAQs for student researchers
- Indigenous Research FAQs for RIS and grant facilitators
- Indigenous Group Contacts
- Doing Research Together: Rights of Research Participants brochure
Please note: the above are living documents and will be updated periodically.
NEWS
- From Nov. 2023: ‘Do the right thing’: Good intentions, surprising moments: Indigenous research policy review. Read Gazette article.
- From Oct. 2023: We are listening: Research Impacting Indigenous Groups policy review underway. Read Gazette article.
- From March 2023: Brown bag lunch about Research Impacting Indigenous Groups Policy. Read Gazette article.
- From Oct. 2022: The importance of Indigenous community engagement for research. Read Gazette article.
- From Oct. 2022: Consultations ongoing for Indigenous research policy review. Read Gazette article.
- From June 2022: Memorial is leading a review of its institutional Indigenous research policy. Read Gazette article.
- From May 2022: Dr. Paul Banahene Adjei is appointed interim associate vice-president (Indigenous research). Read Gazette article.
- From July 2020: Memorial has a groundbreaking new Indigenous research policy -- the Research Impacting Indigenous Groups policy, the first of its kind known in Canadian universities. Read Gazette article.
Questions?
Indigenousresearch@mun.ca