Indigenous research institute launched

Indigenous knowledge is valid scientific knowledge.

That is the core value of a new institute at McMaster University dedicated to advancing indigenous research.

“It’s really bringing that knowledge from elders, youth and the community and putting it at the forefront of research,” said Chelsea Gabel, acting director of the McMaster Indigenous Research Institute (MIRI) and assistant professor in the faculty of social sciences. “It’s changing the way research has typically been done.”

The facility, which launched in January, is made up of seven indigenous faculty members who teach at the university across multiple disciplines and a research co-ordinator.

Their main goal is to lead and inform indigenous research, including offering summer scholarships for undergraduate students, but also to partner with other centres, institutions and academics beyond the campus.

For example, the institute — housed in McMaster’s home for the humanities and social sciences L.R. Wilson Hall — is in talks with the city to get involved with its urban indigenous strategy, Gabel said. And they’re planning a symposium on indigenous governance at McMaster in February, which would be a partnership with the university’s indigenous studies program and the Centre for Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University.

Some of the key research interests include safe drinking water, indigenous people living with HIV/AIDS and the origins of language and culture. The formation of the institute comes at a “critical time” for indigenous people, said Gabel, noting the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“Sometimes we hear about indigenous issues, and they become really exciting for a bit of time and then they kind of disappear,” she said. “I’m hoping with an institute like this, we can really keep the important issues … at the forefront.”