topics of discussion: Research ethical considerations Sex vs Gender Indigenous World view and ways of knowing Sharing/talking circle Land based teachings Two eyed seeing Strength based vs deficit based Research Ethics Boards

1. CNUR209
Research is fun, no Really!
Greg Riehl RN BScN MA - Indigenous Nursing Student Advisor
March 26th, 2020

2. Where am I and Why am I
here.
• I ask myself this every day, and I also ask those who I am working with from time to
time…
• I would like to acknowledge Treaty 4

3. What are you hoping to leave with after
today?
 What questions do you
want answered?
 What knowledge are
you hoping to gain?
 How can I we help you
with the research that
you want to do?

4. Let’s start with an Icebreaker
My research has shown
that this slide gets a laugh
so I often include it…

5. What kind of learner are you?

6. What do you want to be when you grow up?

7. Learning elements/objectives
 Research ethical considerations
 Sex vs Gender
 Indigenous World view and ways of knowing
 Sharing/talking circle
 Land based teachings
 Two eyed seeing
 What’s your problem?
 Strength based vs deficit based
 What’s an REB, PI, CI, CoA, etc?
 Research Ethics Board and my role.
 My current and past research projects

8. Rocks
Nipin and the Rocks
“These rocks are gifts from the universe, and only
when they are in their rightful spot do they reveal
their power. Do not be fooled, these are not my
rocks, but all of ours. I am only the story teller, the
stones tell me the stories that I then relate to you.”

9. Perspectives are very important
When a person looks out
at the world, he sees it
filtered through a screen of
his words, and this process
is as invisible to him as
water is to a fish.

10. Good Hunters or Bad Tipi
Builders

11. Perspective
Upstream
Downstream
Linear
Vertical
Non-linear
Directions?

12. Canada’s Research History with Indigenous Peoples
Research used as a colonizing force
● Exploitive
○ “Helicopter Research”
○ No data, consent, or ethics
● Racist
○ Used to promote and legitimize racist ideology, rather than help communities
○ Capturing the ‘exotic native’ and Social Darwinism
○ Deficit based data normally used
● Violating human rights
○ Medical experimentation and dehumanization of Indigenous people (ex. nutritional and medical
research conducted on residential school children; forced sterilizations).

13. Western Medicine Western Research
 What is the problem, what is the question?
 How can we get rid of the problem? How can we fix it?
 What is the answer to the question?
 Who decides what the questions is?

14. Cultural Appropriation or Cultural Appreciation
“the only route to gaining a better appreciation of the different
cultures in Canada is through regular exposure, asking questions
and expressing opinions – even if those opinions are wrong.
Michael Taube on May 16, 2017 Troy Media

15. The 4 R’s of Indigenous Research
 Respect
 Of Indigenous Cultural Identity
 Relevance
 To Indigenous Perspective and Experience
 Reciprocity
 In relationships and in knowledge sharing
 Responsibility
 In one’s own life and through participation

16. Indigenous Research Methodologies
“As Indigenous peoples, we have always done research, always
searched for understanding, ways of being and knowing the
world around us in order to survive, we just didn’t call it
research”
Former Chief Norman Bone, Keeseekoowenin First Nation

17. Indigenous Research A Relational Worldview
Some believe that this relational way of being is the heart
of what it means to be Indigenous
 With people, families, community
 With the land
 With the spiritual
 With culture
 A Holistic approach

18. The Culturally Responsive
Framework
“If it’s true that we have been researched to death” he said, “maybe it’s time we started researching
ourselves to life.” As told by Elder Marlene Brant Castellano

19. How do we create a ‘middle ground’?
Ethical Space
A cooperative spirit between
Indigenous peoples and Western
institutions, in order to create new
currents of thought. (Ermine, 2007)
Two-Eyed Seeing
To see the strengths of Indigenous
knowledge and the strengths of
Western knowledge and use them
together.
(Bartlett, & Marshall, 2010).

20. What is my role in research?
 I need to understand myself, my place, my invisible knapsack or
worldview, my assumptions and understanding of myself and of others
and relationships and power dynamics.
 What is the goal of research? as a Moonias it is often about learning
more about myself as opposed to the outcomes, results, the data or
findings of the other.
 We all need to be a bit more self-reflexive

21. What is my role as an Ally in Indigenous Research?
 Indigenous research will be joined by allied researchers
 Always include wise people
 Circles, not squares, not lines.
 Land based, seasonality, balanced.
 What’s in a name?
Centre or Circle?

22. Recognizing my Privilege.
 Firstly, to be an effective ally I need to recognize the privileges I may
(unknowingly) be benefitting from.
 As a true ally I am aware of my privilege and I am willing to speak up
about it without taking attention away from those who are marginalized.
 As a true ally this can only be decided by those who I am working with,
that is, it is not up to me at all.
 Really, I am aligning myself with others, it is an action, and an act of
doing something, and not something to be turned on or off when it is
convenient.

23. How to Be an Informed Aboriginal Ally
by Madison Burns
Being an ally is not part of my identity but is part of an action
or a practice that I take . . .
Allies operate behind the scenes, it is not about taking credit,
it is about giving and supporting credit . . .

25. Best or Wise Practices
 Indigenous Knowledge Transfer (IKT) Indigenous Knowledge (IK)
Knowledge Translation (KT)
 Need to support Indigenous ways of knowing, need to link to
ceremony/s
 Community Identifies needs
 UNDRIP principles
 Informed by the TRC and community consultations

26. Feeling Uncomfortable
This may mean I am not invited, or I am asked to leave… and
sometimes that is hard… but that means I have done my job
as an ally.
This means constant education, and constant reflection, and
allowing time…

27. Sex and Gender
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=ptbjPXabohs&feature=emb_logo

28. Trust
Three biggest institutions of historical trauma and mistrust
Justice, health, education
 Honorariums – clarity/equity between all participants’ youth to elder,
childcare, transportation
 Partners – is the partner Indigenous?
A University is not Indigenous

29. Trauma-Informed Perspective
Researchers must take into account the intergenerational impact of colonization and its
associated negative health impacts on the lives of Indigenous people
“When [they] talk about the word ‘healing’, they forget how that word can sound
to people who were abused in residential school. Who is going to want to go to
the abusers for healing? No thank you!”
● Intergenerational Trauma
● Distrust of western health systems, researchers, government, etc.

30. Strengths-Based vs Deficit Perspective
 Attempts to identify what resources an
individual has to positively address
problems. It is a model that focuses on
developing assets (Smith, 2006).
 As people develop greater awareness of
their own strengths, they will be able to
take control of their lives and make
appropriate decisions to empower
themselves (Smith, 2006).
 Looking for opportunities for growth
“What makes us well?” rather than “What makes us sick?”

31. Traditional Questions
 Stigmatizing disease, illnesses, Western medicine always wants to fix something
 Is your research trying to fix something?
 Lateral violence as opposed to lateral kindness - Lateral violence focuses on deficits not strengths
 Advisory board oversees what? TOR needs to indicate what?
 Do you even need a TOR?
 Good governance structure or model developed and supported by elder and community input

32. Strength Based Research
 Strengths based as opposed to deficit based approaches
 Interviews – How are the interviews being conducted, sharing circles,
elder involvement, shared power, equal voice,
 Knowledge gaps, what is being addressed, be specific, need to identify
 Responding to suicide through community and culture
 Researchers receive training from the community, focus on a balanced
team
 Support for non – Indigenous mentors, all mentors receive support

33. To For With
 Western thought – increase awareness of effects of colonialism BUT most
Indigenous populations already know about the effects
 Resiliency – bouncing back hopefully more than that – thriving, striving,
more than just surviving
 Actively include/recruit the underrepresented – gender, sexuality, those
with low opportunity hard to reach, often this population is not
represented

34. So what?
 Knowledge Generation (KG) –local elders, scholars, knowledge keepers,
 Knowledge Translation (KT) – are articles co-authored with community members
 What are you going to evaluate or inventory
 Knowledge Holder (KH) – for anything document versus Knowledge User
 Ethnography – who owns our observations?
 OCAP – ownership, control, access, possession
 Do not confuse sex and gender
 Sharing circle – how will this be evaluated

35. OCAP
 What happens after the research, program, intervention?
 Cultural Teachings – drumming, singing, smudge, tobacco, whole family, storytelling,
sharing/talking circles,
 Cultural lens – more Indigenous and cultural approaches
 Cultural Continuity & Transformation Research, Social Continuity, and Change
 Do not focus on the development of the research; do focus on the development of the members
of the Indigenous people
 Project Scope, ultimate benefits,
 Data collection, how to analyze multi methods of collection modalities
 GIS – mapping – OCAP, community should get software and own it and use it and maintain this
data and tools
 Indicators or markers of success – what will the program add to?

36. Methods
 Decolonizing Methodologies vs Indigenous Methodology – Indigenizing vs reconciling,
deliberate dialogue
 Two-eyed Seeing approach, good to add to this
 Multi directional learning KTE throughout the process/phases
 Code of ethics practice working with Indigenous researchers CMT
 Bidirectional Knowledge exchange between mentors and mentees, both have
knowledge, culturally grounded mentorship – Four pillars of CIHR
 Teaching into action, How will it be delivered and translated out, catalyst for the future

37. Trends
 Cultural Competency is out, Cultural Safety yes, Cultural Humility very
good
 Cultural competence focuses on service provider vs cultural safety and
humility focuses on clients
 Humans not at the top of the hierarchy, focus on balance with all
creatures
 Land based programs and interventions
 Mentors mentees (the land is a mentor) are co-learners
 Cultural and ecological wellness need to be defined

38. Outputs
 TCPS2 - Tri Council Statement Chapter 9
http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/policy-politique/initiatives/tcps2-
eptc2/chapter9-chapitre9/
 Community Oversight committee very important
 Village of wellness methodology http://thevillagemethod.org/our-
method/ http://vchnews.ca/across-vch/2016/10/12/n%D3%99camat-
2016-downtown-eastside-aboriginal-womens-village-
wellness/#.WMr9Wbi1vRY
 Direct money and funding toward the community

39. Dos and do nots (donuts are good though)
 Budget describes activities; these activities need to be in the proposal
 Separation between those providing services and those evaluating, separate
implementers from evaluators
 From the community for the community
 Can we come up with a different term/inology for train-the-trainer
 Concern that $ is going directly to grad students, PIs, etc
 Letters or interest, support from the community, not a form letter, letters of support
need to focus on the project not the institution or researcher
 350 page submissions, 20 years of research, uhmmm no…

40. Examples
 Angela Snowshoe and Noel Starblanket 4 blankets of Indigenous Horse-Based Healing
framework http://journalindigenouswellbeing.com/media/2016/12/50.43.Eyininiw-
mistatimwak-The-role-of-the-Lac-La-Croix-Indigenous-Pony-for-First-Nations-youth-
mental-wellness.pdf
 Traditional Environmental knowledge (TEK)
http://nafaforestry.org/forest_home/documents/TKdefs-FH-19dec06.pdf
 Miro Matisiwin
http://www.rcaaq.info/images/M%C3%A9moire_RCAAQ_inclusion_sociale_anglais.pdf &
http://www.pimatisiwin.com/uploads/jan_20112/10ManitowabiShawande.pdf
 Unifying features of the black spruce, extending diversity and unity

41. Mâcîpiciw (he goes on a moose hunting trip):
The Intervention The traditional activity of moving around on traditional lands to harvest foods is a global Indigenous
cultural practice that teaches many things like patience, preparedness, physical fitness, providing for others, survival,
conservation, and so on – the teachings were integrated in this way (personal communication, W. Ermine, September
3, 2017). Mâcîpiciw: Restoration of Indigenous men's roles and responsibilities (Mâcîpiciw) will create an opportunity for
Indigenous men to reflect on and explore their relationships to their health and wellbeing, and integrate Nehiyaw
(Cree) teachings of boys' and men's roles and responsibilities – all while undertaking the preparations and training to
go moose hunting. The research timeline and activities (see details in Appendix B) will be framed around the seasonal
work related to the moose hunt - activities under examination include preparing for the hunt in spring (e.g., training,
teachings, prayers, songs, ceremonies, physical conditioning), learning the lands in summer (e.g., ceremony, orientation
to the land, tracking, wilderness safety/first aid, delegation of roles and responsibilities on the team, working together,
physical conditioning), harvesting the animal in fall (e.g., ceremony, actively hunting in small groups, taking an animal,
cleaning and skinning the animal), and after the hunt in winter (e.g., ceremony, processing the harvested animal,
sharing stories with community, providing food to Elders in Regina). These will be accomplished through organized
monthly outings led by Delorme, and strategic weekly men’s group programming at ANHN led by Ironstand and Maxie

42. The Nightmare Before
Christmas
“If you’re going to learn about other people’s cultures and traditions,
approach it from a place of respect. Go to the people who live that life and
treat them as the experts. Listen to others if they say you’re stepping over
your bounds. Show humility. Ask questions in a respectful way.
Don’t try to “improve” cultural elements just because that’s easier than
understanding it fully. Above all, practice empathy. And that’s a pretty good
lesson for us at any age.”
Katie Schenkel

43. “Reconciliation is about forging
and maintaining respectful
relationships.
There are no shortcuts.”
Justice Murray Sinclair

44. & DonT be arfaid to
kame mit sakes
Ask questions, listen, and then ask more questions.

45. Lateral Kindness
 Please be kind to each other
 Respectful and responsible relationships, there are no apps for that.
 Be Grateful
 Be Great!

46. Contact information
Greg Riehl RN BScN MA
Indigenous Nursing Student Advisor
Saskatchewan Polytechnic Indigenous Nursing
Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Regina Campus
Email: greg.riehl@saskpolytech.ca

47. Where You Sit In Class And What It Says About
Your Personality
 8) In the back row.“I really don’t want to be here, so I’m going to sit in
the very back where I can fall asleep, or surf Facebook without
anyone looking over my shoulder at the screen.”
 7) In the front row.“I want the professor to see my face everyday and
know who I am. That way, he’s more likely to bump up my grade
when I need an extra half point. At least, that’s what the article
in Seventeen Magazine told me.”

48. Where You Sit In Class And What It Says About
Your Personality
 6) Close to an aisle.“I don’t care if people have to shuffle over my
knees just to get in and out, I just want a quick exit when this class is
over.”
 5) Right in the middle.“I’m most comfortable when I’m surrounded by
people. Also, if this lecture hall is anything like a movie theater, I’ll have the
best view in the house.”

49. Where You Sit In Class And What It Says About
Your Personality
 4) Uncomfortably close to someone else. “I choose this desk right
next to you, even when there’s two dozen other desks available just
because I like to assert my dominance this way. Also, you smell nice.”
 3) Taking up two or more desks. “I need room for my laptop, my
gigantic bag, my books, my purse, and my coat. And damn anyone
who thinks I don’t deserve the extra space.”

50. Where You Sit In Class And What It Says About
Your Personality
 2) In a different classroom. “I read the schedule wrong.”
 1) In your bedroom. “I don’t feel like going to class today.”

52. Greg Riehl RN, BScN, MA
Informal MENtorship: Supporting Nursing Leadership
Acknowledgments
For further Information, References or Requests:
Sharon Ahenakew sharon.ahenakew@saskpolytech.ca
Greg Riehl greg.riehl@saskpolytech.ca
What do We Do?
• Through Kindred Spirits and Wild Horses we
indigenize by wholistically integrating
Aboriginal ways of knowing, teaching, and
learning within all of the institutional
practices, procedures and services that we
provide to students, staff, and communities.
• This results in Aboriginal people seeing
themselves and their realities reflected in our
institutional practices.
• It also results in non-Aboriginal people
gaining the skills and knowledge that enable
them to work with and live alongside their
Aboriginal neighbors knowledgeably and
respectfully.
• Most educational institutions are based on
western conceptualizations and knowledge
bases.
Research
• Title -A sequential mixed methods study
exploring the Aboriginal student
experience of self-declaration and self-
identification in a post-secondary
institution.
• Purpose of Study - Based on concerns
expressed by current nursing students, our
research team scanned the literature for the
student experience of self-declaration and
self-identification, looking for motivations
for, or against, doing either, and
description of the experience. Not all
Aboriginal students choose to self-declare
or self-identify and if they do it is
inconsistent. We feel that self-declaration
is separate from self-identification and the
experience of expressing either is unique.
• Self-declaration is a formal act of
declaring Aboriginal status for the
purposes of providing information to an
external source such as a government
agency or workplace. For example,
Damion is filling out his registration form
for an educational institution in
Saskatchewan. He chooses to check the
box on the application form confirming his
Aboriginal ancestry.
• Self-identification may occur in more
informal circumstances and requires a
person to convey a sense of self and/or
background. For example, the teacher asks
the class what they think it would have
been like attending a residential school.
Amanda chooses to raise her hand and
share the story of her Kokum from
Ahtahkakoop First Nation.
• Therefore, the aim of our research is to
understand the meaning for postsecondary
Aboriginal students of declaring or
expressing their identity.
Challenges
• Formalize and focus on expansion and
networking
• Moving forward it will be important to include
ways to decolonize our institutions to include
the voices and stories indigenous cultures
across Canada.
• There will be conflict as there is no one way to
mesh the different world views, but through
Kindred Spirits, the Wild Horses can come
together to find new paths for greater
understanding, growth, and reconciliation.
• We are still growing and coming to know the
Who What Where When Why and How the
Kindred Spirits and Wild Horses are coming
together.
• Our focus is on the students and on wholistic
understanding, growth, learning, and building
better learning systems.
Who are We
• The Kindred Spirits for Indigenization is a
grassroots group of faculty, staff and students at
Saskatchewan Polytechnic that originated from
Aboriginal students’ expressed concerns in the
areas of:
– perceived lack of support to self-
identify as Aboriginal
– perceived fear of discrimination,
Aboriginal health being taught from
a deficit-based approach
– perceived lack of faculty education
and knowledge in Aboriginal
history, culture and ways of
knowing.
• The group’s purpose is to move Indigenization
efforts forward in order to make the institution
culturally sensitive and safe, promoting the
success of Aboriginal students.
• The group has a large nursing faculty
representation, from both Saskatchewan
Polytechnic and the University of Regina, with
additional representation from nursing students,
Aboriginal support counsellors, and advisors from
Prince Albert, Regina, and Moose Jaw campuses.
• The group’s main focuses are on student support,
faculty/staff development, and research.
Kindred Spirits or Wild Horses: There is More than One Way to Indigenize Academia.
Sharon Ahenakew RN BScN MN Greg Riehl RN BScN MA

53. Chief Jo Mathias
“We walk into the future backwards because we are looking to
our Ancestors, listening to our Elders, and learning our traditions
and cultures”