A symposium to explore transformative social change through indigenist methodologies and social innovation with Dr. Shawn Wilson and Dr. Frances Westley
Symposium Details
Sunday, May 11th, 2014: 9am-4pm
Waterloo Aboriginal Education Centre
St. Paul’s University College at the University of Waterloo
Download the poster: km_symposium_poster.pdf
Symposium Goals
The conference has two goals:
1. To explore the concept of indigenist innovation by connecting two existing bodies of research and practice – indigenist methodologies and social innovation.
2. To gather Indigenous and non-Indigenous graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, and administrators to open a long-term and intercultural dialogue on the opportunities and barriers to advancing indigenist research and innovation at the University of Waterloo.
Key Questions
1. What is an indigenist research paradigm?
2. What is social innovation?
3. Can we have indigenist innovation?
a. Can/should social innovation be interpreted using an indigenist paradigm?
b. Does social innovation have useful tools and strategies for fostering change in Indigenous communities?
4. What are the opportunities and barriers to advancing change-oriented critical indigenist research at the University of Waterloo?
Why The University of Waterloo?
The University of Waterloo has an institutional focus on innovation—particularly social innovation, as embodied by the Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation and Resilience (WISIR). However, considering the growing interest in exploring Indigenous approaches to research (research founded in Indigenous Knowledge and pedagogies), there is a need to develop an understanding of social innovation that takes into account Indigenous ways of knowing. This requires physical, ontological, epistemological, and pedagogical space for Indigenous students and transdisciplinary spaces for indigenist research to better understand and implement strategies for social innovation.
A unique opportunity exists to foster the development of an indigenist field of study that would provide an institutional focus for pre-existing research on Indigenous issues across campus and build on UW’s strong tradition of innovation. We envision a “space” (not just physical space) where Indigenous scholars will be supported to conduct meaningful work from an indigenist paradigm, lead indigenist innovation projects, and advise and participate in related work on campus.