Indigenous Research and Advancement Groups on Campus

Canadian Research Chair in Digital Indigeneities at Bishop’s

This initiative will be the first to bridge Indigenous researchers and activist networks from Latin America with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples of Canada to analyze and showcase the ways Indigenous peoples are using technological advancements to sustain and cultivate their identities, knowledge, life ways, languages, and traditions.

Digital media adaptation and its possibilities to support Indigenous cultural and language revitalization are currently discussed by Indigenous scholars in North America, but relevant examples and academic contributions from Indigenous Latin America are still missing in these discussions.

The research program will thus explore four interrelated areas of Digital Indigeneities, which all focus on the reclamation of Indigenous languages and knowledges.

Dr. Llanes-Ortiz and his team will work collaboratively with Indigenous partners to follow research protocols that support Indigenous ownership and control of data and information. In this way, they will create a repository of Indigenous language digital activism, which describes a wide range of initiatives (e.g., films, podcast, blogs, applications, etc.) that aim to prevent Indigenous language displacement and loss. They will also support the digitization of Indigenous cultural archives and collections in Canada to increase their accessibility.

This research program will also work on the creation of interactive digital maps of interest of First Nations, Metis and Inuit in Canada and Indigenous peoples in Mexico and Guatemala, using for example audiovisual recordings and photographs, local knowledge and practice or environmental information.

Finally, they will engage with Indigenous activists to discuss and analyze the impact that their activities have on Indigenous debates.

Read more On Dr. Lannes-Ortiz’s work via the link below:

Canada Research Chair for Sociology Department’s Dr. Genner Llanes-Ortiz – Digital Indigeneities

IRRA (Indigenous Race and Research Axis)

A group of faculty and staff members on campus who have done and/or are still doing work to advance education on Indigenous history and ongoing matters.

The purpose of this multidisciplinary research axis is to explore concepts of “Race” and “Indigeneity”. Since the heart of the crossing borders research cluster is to break down or challenge borders that have been created in all sorts of ways by all sorts of people and events, this cluster aims to combine the two concepts in a single research space in the hopes that scholars of each will benefit from an exchange of knowledge, interests and perspectives.

Specifically, the focus is to address questions relative to self-identification, recognition and/or marginalization of groups occupying, having occupied or willing to occupy a specific territory. The fluidity of sociocultural, historical and political phenomena of racial and Indigenous distinctiveness is highlighted as are issues of multiple asserted identities in a borderlands context.

Meet the members:

Dr. Vicki Chartrand
Department of Sociology
vicki.chartrand@ubishops.ca

Dr. Mary Ellen Donnan
Department of Sociology
mdonnan@ubishops.ca

Dr. Dawn Wiseman
Department of Education
dawn.wiseman@ubishops.ca

Dr. Lisa Taylor
Department of Education
lisa.taylor@ubishops.ca

Dr. Jean Manore
Department of History
jmanore@ubishops.ca

Dr. Genner Llanes-Ortiz
Department of Sociology
genner.llanes-ortiz@ubishops.ca

Shawna Chatterton-Jerome
Indigenous Student Support Assistant
schatter@ubishops.ca

Vicky Boldo
Special Advisor: Indigenous Student Support
vboldo@ubishops.ca

Dr. Avril Aitken
Department of Education
avril.aitken@ubishops.ca

Justice Exchange (and the new research grant)

Building on Dr. Chartrand’s Unearthing Justices project of 500+ Indigenous led initiatives for the MMIWG2S+ people, Dr. Vicki Chartrand, Dr. Genner Llanes-Ortiz and Dr. Alex Miltsov of the Sociology Department received a Race, Gender and Diversity Initiative grant for the Unearthing Justices Partnership (UJP): Digital Mapping of Indigenous Grassroots Resources and Supports for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit+ (MMIWG2S+) People project.

This research project will be done in collaboration with Indigenous Knowledge Keepers Gladys Radek (Tears4Justice) and Viola Thomas (Protect Our Indigenous Sisters Society), along with many Indigenous partners involved in addressing MMIW2S+ people. The goal of UJP is to partner with Indigenous-based collectivities to collaboratively organize and mobilize Indigenous-led and Indigenous-based resources and supports to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit + People.

This research partnership seeks to:

to center and build on Indigenous families and communities’ existing capacities, strengths, and self-determination to address the murders, disappearances, and violence;
to make visible the important work that already exists in Indigenous communities for public education, policy and program innovations, and potential funding;
to facilitate connections and networks and the sharing of resources between Indigenous groups and individuals involved in the MMIWG2S+ people work; and
to analyze and establish a digital based infrastructure and other media of resources and supports to address violence against MMIWG2S+ people.

Check out the website for more information