Call 5 | We call upon natural scientists to provide meaningful opportunities for Indigenous community members, particularly youth, to experience and participate in science.
Excerpt from paperFostering future generations of Indigenous researchers is a commonly stated objective of Indigenous communities….. We believe that natural scientists can provide very unique opportunities to engage youth by bringing them out on their traditional territory while exposing them to technology and science. Skills, understanding, and capacity can be built from these field experiences, particularly if Indigenous youth are hired as field technicians.
DOWNLOAD THE PAPER (EN)
Download the paper (FR)Key Takeaways
Fostering Indigenous researchers does not necessarily mean in academia. There needs to be openness to supporting a range of practitioners and knowledge holders.
It is about creating opportunities that have not always been accessible for Indigenous youth in how to creatively see and be exposed to science and math.
To bridge differences and knowledge systems it means researchers need to be open to learning from Indigenous youth, Elders and other community members.
Considering approaches to supporting youth that assists in the communities’ long-term goals of achieving self-determination.
Natural science has a role and an opportunity to play. Projects can bring youth on the land as research assistants and those youth then connect with their grandparents and their parents and can talk about their time on the land. They can also show local youth how important their land is to so many different people with so many different priorities.
Murray Humphries, Professor of Wildlife Biology, McGill University
Photo: Sarah ChisholmStep up | Opportunities for Youth to Participate
Hire youth as field technicians, research assistants, or in some other capacity. Expose them to technology and science on their traditional territory.
Make space for the sharing of stories and ceremonies.
Create opportunities for youth to use and learn from Indigenous knowledge and science, including on-the-land work to gather knowledge, and in the lab or community to do analysis and reporting.
Support and encourage youth to help share research results in their community and elsewhere, such as at a conferences.
Ethical Research Engagement with Indigenous Youth: Seven Requirements
In partnership with the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society, Indigenous Youth Voices conducted community-based research and released a report on the topic of conducting research with and for Indigenous youth. The final report, A Way Forward in Conducting Research With and By Indigenous Youth, offers a path towards rethinking and reshaping research that is meaningful, respectful and inclusive of Indigenous youth. This factsheet summarizes seven requirements for conducting ethical research with Indigenous youth.
Examples
Wawatay: Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba
This program aims to transform emerging Indigenous students' talent and ambition into success in Science. It is guided by the principle of honouring traditional knowledge. Wawatay scholars learn with professors and staff who blend Indigenous knowledge with Western science in research, teaching, and learning.