Three years of individual and community-based research in Indigenous worldview and housing

Abstract

This presentation will follow researchers Cheyenne Greyeyes and Celina Vipond’s journey for the past three years working in Indigenous research. For Celina, that journey started with a summer research assistant position with the MacEwan Office of Research Services which connected her to their research supervisor, Cynthia Puddu from the Faculty of Health and Community Studies on the project ‘Indigenous Youth Coming Out Of Care’, which involved an Indigenous Community-Based Participatory Research approach with an Indigenous community partner. Cheyenne was hired on to the same project, which sparked years of collaboration including a publication with Radical Housing Journal titled ‘What is home? Wisdom from nêhiyawêwin”, podcasts, blog posts, workshops, and conference presentations two years in a row at the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. This work led to opportunities in youth work and counselling at Indigenous organizations, and much insight gained in research ethics, community engagement, and Indigenous knowledge keeping.  We have had to learn how to negotiate wearing different hats and working in a space that not only draws on academic knowledge, but also oral teachings, ceremony, and Indigenous knowledge, as in the concept of Two-Eyed Seeing. Through this we show how students can find their career paths through diverse roles in research and collaboration, and that Indigenous knowledge has a legitimate

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cynthia Puddu