In this article, I outline three principles that form the conceptual basis of an emerging Indigenous research paradigm that I call beadworking. I then relate how beadworking informs my understanding of and engagement with an Indigenous research methodology. Beadworking addresses how Indigenous Peoples’ creation of beadwork can be used to help Indigenous researchers navigate the research process, while being grounded from within an Indigenous worldview. It is my hope that in sharing my research paradigm, it will inspire other Indigenous researchers to define and articulate their own research paradigms through the unique positionality of their own Indigenous People.
This article presents the findings of a qualitative study that examines how Indigenous epistemology 1 affects secondary Indigenous students' retention rates within public schools. The purpose of this study was to focus on Indigenous epistemology that is present in Indigenous culture and language courses to determine whether Indigenous students who engage in this curriculum have higher success 2 rates than those of Indigenous students who do not participate in this particular curriculum. As a Blackfoot scholar, I used a Blackfoot theoretical framework grounded in an Indigenous research methodology. Eight Blood Tribe members were interviewed: four participants (three graduates and one non-graduate) who attended a high school with Indigenous epistemology courses (offered Blackfoot language classes and Aboriginal Studies) and four participants (three graduates and one non-graduate) who attended a high school that did not offer Indigenous epistemology courses (did not offer Blackfoot language classes and Aboriginal Studies). The findings show that not only does the epistemology in the school play a role in Indigenous students' success in public education, but the epistemology also accompanies and influences the participants throughout their adult lives by shaping their identities and affecting how they function as adults.
For decades, Indigenous education in Canada has implemented policies that provide a more culturally relevant curriculum for Indigenous students. It is thought that such a curriculum will improve morale and academic success in Indigenous students. Despite these efforts, a gap still exists between Indigenous students and their counterparts. Little attention has been given to the role that race and racism plays in the lives of Indigenous students. This study examines whether a need exists for race and racism to be addressed in the public school system. Using an Indigenous research methodology, a survey was administered to elicit non-Indigenous attitudes towards the Indigenous peoples of Canada. It was found that in the absence of an antiracist education, nonIndigenous students held negative perceptions of Indigenous peoples, as well as lacked an understanding of racism and its significance.
This article articulates myself and my community’s journey navigating the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) records written historically about our People (the Bloods) in order to identify who our ancestors are. Through the examination of historical texts, records and materials written by the Oblate missionaries of North-Western Canada, we were able to discover the hidden lived experiences of our People. The purpose of this study was to provide new scholarly insights into the texts and records of the Oblates regarding the Blood People. This research took place at the Alberta Provincial Archives over a seven-month period. This article reviews who the Oblates of Mary Immaculate were, and what measures were used to uncover our ancestors in the Provincial Archives. Data analysis determined that the individual archival records fragmented Indigenous Peoples and their history; however, collectively these records blend together to tell a story.
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