Research & Reconciliation: Unsettling Ways of Knowing Through Indigenous Relationships: A Learning Circle Series (CTE7013)

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2022 — 1:00 PM TO THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2022 — 3:00 PM EDT

Location: Online

Facilitators: Leslie Wexler (CTE)

Note: This workshop is intended for both Faculty and Staff

Description

This workshop is run in a circle format with specific protocols for listening and speaking and engage in appreciative and compassionate inquiry.

• TRC Call 65:
  • "We call upon the federal government, through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, post-secondary institutions and education, and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and its partner institutions, to establish a national research program with multi-year funding to advance understanding of reconciliation."

This workshop addresses TRC Call to Action #65 and creates a space for reflection and sharing related to the call.

Physical and Online copies of the book are available through the library and online.

Wilson, Shawn, Andrew V. Breen, & Lindsay Dupré, Research & Reconciliation: Unsettling Ways of Knowing Through Indigenous Relationships, Toronto: Canadian Scholars, 2019.

• Part 1 - What is Indigenist Teaching and Research? Learning Circle Series I (Thursday, June 16 from 1:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.) 

  • ​In this first circle, faculty will be introduced to an edited collection of essays by Shawn Wilson, Andrea Breen & Lindsay Dupré on the topic of Research & Reconciliation to stimulate discussion leading up the the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in September.

  • We begin with discussion of the varied definitions of Reconciliation and define a set of terms we would like to work within as we consider TRC65 alongside a learning circle related to how we each understand and seeking belonging in the research context.

  • Reading Section I: Being, Longing and Belonging as we consider Chapter 1 "Why Research is Reconciliation" 

• Part 2 - Exploring Mino-bimaadisiwin: Learning Circle Series II (Thursday, June 23 from 1:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.) 

  • This circle opens with a discussion of Reconciliation through Mino-Bimaadiziwin, and discusses the concept of "the good life" and treading carefully as a practice through 4 aspects of the Sacred Law (Gichie Dibaakonigewin). In circle we opens a space for participation in ceremony through a land-based teaching and practice about "all my relations.

  • Participants must attend to protocols (introduced in circle 1), cultural safety and registration within the three other Research and Reconciliation circles to participate in this sharing of Indigenous Knowledge and cultural practice. This ceremony offers a teaching in "Allowing." To allow ourselves time to practice remembering our connectedness, relationship and kinship with everything around us.

  • Participants are given two weeks in-between this circle and the third in the series to complete the "Allowing" activity 

• Part 3 – Reconciliatory Resistance: Learning Circle Series (III) (Thursday, July 7 from 1:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.)
  • In this circle we will be sharing from our personal experiences from the "Allowing" actitivy in circle two. Questions such as: ​What does reconciliation feel like to you? & Who can rise up and help shift cultural institutions and systems of power? will be considered alongside Section II of Research & Reconciliation with specific focus on Chapter 10: "Indigenizing the Academy: Listen to the Stories."
• Part 4 – Talking in Circles & Walking Forward in a Good Way: Learning Circle Series (IV) (Thursday, July 14 from 1:30 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.)
  • In this final circle we highlight the practice of "talking in circles" as a Indigenous method of engaging questioning, learning, searching, reflecting and participating in reconciliation. In this session we will practice "unlearning," a practice of rethinking what we've learned in the preceding three weeks and how it might shed light upon the possibilities of Indigenist research while attending to the limitations and contradictions that come with seeing things in new ways. Walking the path in a good way (mino-bimaadiziwin) is highlighted throughout the discussion
  • Questions in this closing circle could engage:
    • What are some of the possibilities, and limitations in our own relationships with Indigenous methodologies and our specific discipline(s)?
    • What does it mean to you to "walk in a good way?" Does the meaning change over time?
    • What experiences, stories, sources of support and guidance will you carry with you as you move forward?
    • In Research & Reconciliation Chapter 14 "Tentsitewatenronhste: We Will Become Friends Again," or Chapter 16 "Nipivut (Our Voices): A Discussion about an Inuit Values-Based Research Framework and Its Application in Nunavut" may be addressed in relation to the choices of participants in circle.
  • The series closes with Reflections and Gratitudes for all those participating.

Registration

Registration required for the entire series, you are committing to all four sessions (if this is your first time using GoSignMeUp, you will need to set up your account first). If you have changed roles at the University (e.g., graduate student to faculty) please updateyour "Participant Profile" in your GoSignMeUp account.

Cancellations

Many of our workshops have waiting lists, so if you've registered but can't attend, please cancel your registration well in advance through the registration system, so that someone else can fill your spot.

Accessibility

The University of Waterloo is committed to achieving barrier-free accessibility for persons with disabilities who are visiting, studying, or working at Waterloo. CTE’s online workshops are delivered through either WebEx, Microsoft Teams, or Bongo with the audio component available either as captioning or a transcript. CTE’s face-to-face workshops typically involve a mix of presentation and discussion-based activities, and we encourage a scent-free environment. We welcome accompanying assistants, interpreters, and note-takers. If you have questions concerning access, such as parking, building layouts, or obtaining workshop content in alternative formats, or wish to request accommodations for our programming, please let us know by emailing cte@uwaterloo.ca. Please note that some accommodations may require time to arrange.