Indigenous Relations - Master's Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://laurentian.scholaris.ca/handle/10219/2638

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Reframing indigeneity: community participation to inform the development of an indigenous identity measure
(2016-09-06) Bourgeault-Tassé, Émilie
Much of the research done on, rather than with, Indigenous peoples has led to the misinterpretation of Indigenous identity by mainstream society and academic researchers. Imagemakers of early Canadian history put forth misinformation about the “Imaginary Indian,” which set the basis for how many Canadians and those in academia still view Canada’s national history (Cronin, 2003; Francis, 1992). This research sought to understand how Indigenous peoples on the Laurentian University campus in Sudbury, Ontario defined their own Indigeneity. It is hoped that the results of this thesis will inform the development of an Indigenous Identity Measure (IIM) as well as reframe conceptions of Indigenous identities from the viewpoint of Indigenous participants. I employed Sharing Circles as a community participatory method, with an integrated approach to data analysis (Bradley, Curry & Devers, 2007; Nabigon, Hagey, Webster & MacKay, 1999). The purpose of choosing relevant Indigenous methods was to privilege the Indigenous perspective. The Sharing Circles effectively demonstrated the diversity and complexity of how the participants understood and expressed their Indigenous identity. Culture, Colonization and Selfdetermining identity, were vital themes to help understanding Indigeneity. Lastly, by asserting self-determined Indigenous identities and by supporting decolonizing methodologies, this research can serve as a template to reframe conceptions of Indigenous identity in the hope that this information might be useful for Indigenous persons, administrators, researchers and professors on a university campus.
Journey to wellness: Identifying culturally relevant supportive services for First Nations peoples in Northeastern Ontario during their cancer journey
(2016-10-11) Baker, Sherri
This thesis is intended to identify culturally relevant supportive services for First Nations in Northeastern Ontario, as perceived by service providers, in order to improve access to cancer care services and the follow-through of treatment at the time of diagnosis and during treatment. The author interviewed thirteen front line health care providers who provide direct services to First Nations communities. The participants within the research study discussed the importance of relationships First Nations peoples have with family members and their community as well as to the land and water. The need for supportive services that incorporate family and community, as well as land and water based healing practices are integral in ensuring the psychosocial needs of First Nations cancer patients are being addressed in a culturally relevant and safe fashion and that these services are significant for the patient, family, and community. The results of this research will be useful in broadening the understanding of the needs of service providers in First Nations communities who are working with First Nations patients during their cancer journey.
Indigenous culture as a strategy to defer Mushkegowuk youth from criminal behaviour in Moose Cree First Nation.
(2017-07-12) Lacasse, Natalie
The over-representation of Indigenous Peoples within correctional facilities is a growing concern in Canada. This research study aims to determine if the community members of Moose Cree First Nation find it feasible to initiate traditional culture as a course to deter Indigenous youth from criminal behaviour. The study consisted of interviews with eight First Nation individuals by way of purposive and snowball sampling to recruit participants. Three major themes were discovered in the semi-structured interviews: Mushkegowuk Culture as described by the community members residing in Moose Factory, Intergenerational Impacts on fragmented Culture as experienced in the recent past and/or today in Moose Factory, and, Protective Measures to ensure safety of youth residing in the community. Themes expressed were built upon by a grounded theory providing direct knowledge based on the experience of the residents in Moose Factory. Overall it was discovered that introducing more culturally relevant programming and education could cease undesirable behaviours and assist with healthy life choices for future generations.
An examination of the integration processes of Anishinaabe smudging ceremonies in Northeastern Ontario health care facililties.
(2017-07-21) Shawanda, Amy
In part of the Anishinaabek storytelling traditions, ceremonies emerged from the teachings from the simple act of offering tobacco to more complex ceremonies such as the rain dance. The smudging ceremony is no different because it has its own creation story that emerged with the four medicines (Benton-Banai, 1988; Geniusz, 2009). This research aims to contribute to the an understanding of how the Indigenous smudging ceremony takes place and how it is made available to individuals who want to practice this form of ceremony in urban health care settings. There has been limited research conducted on Indigenous ceremonies and even less on the smudging ceremony, which highlights the literature gap on scholarly souces on these traditional ways of healing written by Indigenous People. Most of the information on the smudging ceremony is from online sources, Elders that are not published, and non-Indigenous people. Although there are many books, how-to manuals, and kits that provide medicines that teach interested individuals on the smudging ceremony, these could be found in the New Age healing sections at bookstores or in alternative healing shops that many would not find to be a credible academic source. None of these sources address why the smudging ceremony is crucial and how it has been suppressed as part of a much larger process of cultural genocide. This research is situated within an historical context to better understand why the ceremony has not been accessible within these health care facilities. There are three facilities examined in Sudbury and Parry Sound, Ontario. The facilities and policies are compared to understand the integration processes as well as ensuring that the smudging ceremony is more accessible. In addition, the contribution of this thesis is to have the smudging ceremony accessible and accommodated outside the walls of medicine/healing lodge rooms. Lastly, this study is examined through the Anishinaabe perspective that complements the decolonization approach as it recommends meaningful pathways that support the efforts of reconciliation.
“Mother first, student second”: challenging adversity and balancing identity in the pursuit of university-level education as First Nations mothers in Northeastern Ontario
(2017-08-28) Rowe, Robyn
The literature surrounding the educational experiences of Indigenous Peoples is an ever-growing and diverse area of research in Canada. However, within this field, the voices of First Nations mothers attending post-secondary needs further development. Through a decolonizing methodology and the use of autoethnography and Indigenous storytelling, this project was designed to explore and better understand our experiences as First Nations student-mothers during the pursuit of university-level education while caring for our children. I argue that Canada’s oppressive history of colonialism and the resulting intergenerational trauma have had specific implications on the post-secondary experiences of the First Nations mothers who participated in this research. The First Nations student- mothers from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada who contributed to this research tell diverse stories about their experiences however, our narratives intersect in several ways. Areas of interest that emerged from the collected narratives include: (1) how we, as First Nations student-mothers have overcome obstacles, including what difficulties arose for us in the decision to pursue post-secondary education; what motivators contribute to our ongoing success, and how we experience self-doubt and internalized oppression despite our achievements and (2) how we, as First Nations student-mothers have blended our identities as First Nations women, mothers, and students within the university experience. Ultimately, this project aimed to contribute to continued efforts towards decolonization while furthering Indigenous-led research which hopes to improve the educational outlook for future generations of First Nations mothers.
The Noojamadaa Project: using visual research methods to elicit Indigenous women’s perspectives on healthy relationships and support reconciliation in Canada
(2017-11-27) Alexander Bennett, Beaudin
Indigenous women experience higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV), when compared with non-Indigenous women. Little research has focused on Indigenous women's perspectives of IPV. Three Northern Ontario First Nations communities wished to collaborate with researchers on IPV research. To provide women’s perspectives on IPV, groups of participants were established in each community (n=3). Participants (n=23) chose to approach research on IPV from a strengths-based approach and, together with researchers, transformed the photovoice method to research according to Indigenous worldviews. Gaataa’aabing is a new visual research method which adapts to the cultural values of participants and emphasizes participant-desired outcomes as a required result of research. Video footage and images from group sessions on IPV were used to create an educational video that promotes cultural safety for service providers who work with Indigenous women, shares Indigenous women’s perspectives on healthy relationships, highlights strengths which might help address IPV, and works toward reconciliation.
Flip it Around! To being a good reminder on how you’re supposed to live: understanding the role of storytelling as a means of encouraging compassionate listening in Type 2 Diabetes healthcare settings
(2018-05-02) Valenti, Toni
This thesis explores how the act of storytelling in healthcare care can facilitate compassionate listening and act as a means of improving the relationships between Indigenous patients who have type 2 diabetes and their caregivers and supporters. By centring relationships and Indigenous life stories, this research brings together two individuals as co-creators of found poems that reflect a life journey with type 2 diabetes. Through the sharing of Indigenous stories, this thesis implicates the researcher as a settler allied-listener who is gifted with one’s life history with type 2 diabetes. This research is grounded in the importance of relationships, allyship, and deep listening while engaging in Indigenous stories. Together, the co-creators of this research create an online poetry reading to be used as a tool for healthcare educators, students, and caregivers. This thesis addresses two main research objectives. The first objective of this research is to explore how the act of Indigenous storytelling and subsequent listening to health narratives is relevant to the delivery of holistic and culturally respectful diabetes health care to Indigenous Peoples. Secondly, this research also aims to present a life-story health narrative in the form of an online poetry reading to informal and formal caregivers of Indigenous patients in Sudbury in order to communicate the importance of the relationship between Indigenous storied health experiences and Indigenous spiritual and psychological wellbeing. Given that diabetes is intergenerational in many Indigenous families and something that an individual may live with for several years of their life, a life story is well-suited to this kind of health narrative research. This will aim to help establish a more culturally-safe healthcare system and decolonize the interaction between patient and healthcare providers in Indigenous communities while also engaging in relationship based research informed by allyship.
Perspectives on indigenous-based programs: the Mishk-Ode-Wendam classroom
(2018-05-04) Graham, Michelle
The Mishk-Ode-Wendam classroom program was created to assist First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit students who live with an addiction or mental health condition to assist them to obtain their high school diploma. The classroom focuses on supporting their learning by incorporating their cultural values and its connectedness to the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical well-being realms of knowledge. This thesis focused on a program evaluation of the Mishk-Ode-Wendam classroom program and presents findings gathered from three Sharing Circles and three individual interviews with a total of seven participants participating in the Sharing Circles and three participants were individually interviewed. Key themes emerged from the findings that were classified under strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Smudge and mirrors: representations of First Nations knowledge in the Sudbury Catholic District School Board
(2018-11-26) Nicolas-Bayer, Nicole
This research seeks to explore the understanding of, and representation of Indigenous knowledges within elementary schools within the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. Moreover, the research seeks to examine the perceived barriers that are faced by educators in the representation of Indigenous knowledges within elementary urban schools. The research will conclude by exploring some recommendations on reshaping educational institutions to better incorporate Indigenous content and knowledge within elementary schools. This research confirms what First Nations parents, communities and students already know, western systems of education are continuing to fail First Nations students and by extension First Nations communities as they continue to perpetuate colonial approaches to the delivery of education for First Nations students.
Walking with our sisters: healing through storytelling
(2019-04-12) Rowat, Julia
This thesis explores the experiences of members of the Walking with Our Sisters organizing committee before, during, and after the installation came to Sudbury, Ontario in January 2018. The primary research objective was understanding how storytelling allows for a collaborative and holistic approach to the research process. Through the sharing of Indigenous stories and knowledge, this thesis implicates the researcher as a settler-researcher who was privileged with stories of members of the WWOS organizing committee’s journey before, during, and after the installation visited Sudbury in January 2018. Although each participant’s story revealed the uniqueness of everyone’s experiences working in the committee, four major themes emerged from the interviews: 1) personal connections to violence against women 2) relationships, self-care & debriefing, 3) arts-based methods as a form of healing and 4) closing the bundle. Presenting the participants’ interviews back, through the process of storytelling, revealed the emotional and personal responses to the WWOS installation and created a more collaborative research process than traditional Western approaches, thus shifting the power in the research. The results of this research will be useful in contributing to decolonial literature and understanding the importance of practicing self-care when approaching the traumatic subject matter associated with MMIWG.
Planting the seeds: envisioning an academic pathway for Indigenous students in rural Northern Ontario
(2019-04-17) Daviau, Rena
My research examined how Indigenous students chose their post-secondary educational academic pathway, specifically the timing, type and amount information Indigenous students had prior to being enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario. This study utilized an Indigenous research methodology and quantitative method with a few qualitative questions using REDCap online survey. The research found that while current Laurentian Indigenous students had multiple pathways prior to enrollment at the university level, the results also found that earlier outreach might one of the strategies to closing the educational attainment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students at the postsecondary level. The study also revealed a need for Laurentian University to form close relationships with Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario to allow potential future students a way of envisioning the benefits and opportunities of their education pathway.
Indigenous (her)oes and their healing work: ending violence against Indigenous women and girls
(2019-04-30) Kennedy, Michelle
This thesis explores strategies thirteen community leaders are implementing to prevent violence and educate the public on historical and current violence, and to empower Indigenous women and girls. These strategies that the researcher explores are from programs and events in London and Sudbury, Ontario. Through qualitative interviews, the researcher brings together the voices of 13 participants, 11 Indigenous leaders (Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee), one settler ally, and two Elders, who implement nine initiatives. Using the framework of the Jingle Dress, the researcher ensures that the data is inclusive of culture and Indigenous perspective. The collective strategies were found to have eight main themes: Culture; Education; Oshkabewis: Taking care of Spirit Through Commemoration; Partnerships; Looking Towards the Future; Families; Art as a Medium for Healing; and Funding. The target audience of the initiatives were both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. This research will help other organizations, grassroots or government, incorporate Indigenous Peoples’ voices and culture within programming and events, and can inform allies on how to decolonize their relations to help improve the well-being of all Indigenous Peoples, as well as improve Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations.
Indigenous epistemologies, worldviews, and theories of power
(2019-12-06) Hickey, Dana
The purpose of the study is to understand Indigenous epistemologies of power from the standpoint of Indigenous participants who are originally from or currently living in the Sudbury and Manitoulin Island areas of Ontario, Canada. Indigenous research methods are privileged throughout, and key aspects of grounded theory are woven in to add support. Comparisons between the Indigenous epistemological concept of power and the Western theories of power of mainstream academia are made, as are relevant criticisms of Western epistemology. Fifteen Indigenous participants were interviewed. The central category that arose from the data is, relationships. This central category ties the other main categories together which are: language, sacred sources of power, Indigenous women, abuse of power, and knowledge. The findings indicate that there are many forms and manifestations of power which are related to each other. The source of power is in the interrelatedness of everyone to everything else that is known and unknown. Humility, harmony and balanced relationships produce the healthiest and most magnificent manifestations of power. The paper argues that understanding more about epistemologies of power will help illuminate a pathway by which Indigenous peoples and Canadians of settler ancestry can better understand one another, creating the shift in these relationships that is required in order to gather large-scale support for reconciliation and for ethical distribution of power resources in Canada.
Including Indigenous perspectives in policy-making processes: natural resource development in Northern Ontario
(2020-01-24) Burke, Joseph
This research seeks to understand the experience of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek with the Ontario Government, specifically with consultation on legislation pertaining to natural resource development (NRD). It also seeks to build an understanding of whether or not the experiences of Atikameksheng, an Anishnawbek Nation whose territory includes the Sudbury Basin, are applicable to NRD policy-making contexts surrounding Indigenous communities in Treaty 9 near the Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is located in remote Cree and Ojibway territories in the Northwest of Ontario. Economic and environmental interests there have resulted in new legislation for natural resource development and land-use management and these remote First Nations are having to interact with the resource development sector for the first time. Following an Indigenous research methodology based on Anishnawbek relationship building principles, qualitative data was collected via semi-structured interviews. Participants came from three groups: Atikameksheng Anishnawbek employees and community members, Ontario Government employees, and/or a mining company. There were five participants in total. Key informant interviews with research participants established that there is a clear gap in terms of consultation for legislative policy making. It is commonly misunderstood that consultation is continually occurring within the NRD sector as it is only happening formally for specific projects, but not for the development of legislation that mandates consultation. The results of this research suggest that the demands of regulatory and consultation processes established by the Crown do not align with the expectations of First Nations. These demands often also outweigh the required resources available for First Nations to effectively participate in this engagement.
Relocating for specialized care: exploring First Nation patient experiences
(2020-08-20) Seidel, Justice
This thesis explored the experiences of patients from the Moose Factory and Moosonee area who travel to larger urban cities for medical appointments. The main objectives of this project were to have a greater understanding of the patient experience in having to travel for medical appointments, as well as understand the strengths and challenges that patients face before, during, and after a trip to a larger city for a medical appointment. The study also provided participants an opportunity to envision approaches to improve patient experiences. Through open-ended interviews with 10 participants, a number of themes were explored in relation to a patient’s experience prior to attending an appointment, during an appointment, and returning home from an appointment. Most notably, the themes that were discussed in great length by many of the participants included issues with travel arrangements, transportation services, and food arrangements. The results of this study were translated from patient experiences in travelling for medical appointments into recommendations that could be used by the local First Nation leadership to advocate for improvements to the healthcare system that affects their community members. These recommendations also are helpful to the local health authority that currently serves patients in the Moose Factory and Moosonee region.
Mitigating the impacts of the First Nation water crisis in Ontario using Indigenous approaches
(2020-12-18) Arsenault, Rachel
The purpose of this study is to speak with First Nation community members across Ontario to assess how they’ve been impacted by water insecurity and to share their perspectives on potential solutions and recommendations. While several reports and studies have been conducted over the past two decades by both levels of government, Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations and individuals, little progress has been made toward achieving water security for First Nations. The research question for this thesis is what are Indigenous peoples saying about solutions to their water insecurity challenges?
A study on the Canadian mining industry and the potential for the “Duty to Consult” as a pathway towards reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples: lessons for Brazil
(2021-04-19) Duarte, Maria Paula
Using a reconciliation framework, this research examines select Canadian case law and the evolution of the “duty to consult” to explore the potential lessons for resource extraction in Brazil. It conducts an analysis of the legal precedents that exist in Canadian common law as they relate to Indigenous communities and apply the framework drawn to the resource extraction process with the hope of determining best practices. In Canada, ongoing discussions and challenges about the importance of land to Indigenous Communities, their culture and traditions are commonplace, but in Brazil, legal precedents and policies do not appear as well developed. Indigenous land claims and resource extraction decisions at the countries’ top courts are of critical importance to both nations given that mining development impacts upon the social, economic, and cultural aspects of Indigenous Peoples in both countries. This research targets legal policies, commentary and Court decisions in Canada relating to Indigenous land and the mining industry, with an emphasis on constitutional law, to compare aspects of land claims and constitutional rulings and how they have influenced social policy on Indigenous lives in regards to reconciliation. There are constructive lessons for the Brazilian government emerging from the comparison regarding how Canadian constitutional law has framed Indigenous rights with regard to resource development. In this research, I have found in my analysis that the “duty to consult” it’s an important key element in the path for reconciliation with the Indigenous communities. This study revealed the influence of colonial social structures that still persevere and directly affect Indigenous communities in contemporary society.
Urban and rural homelessness in Northern Ontario: an Indigenous lens
(2021-09-10) Hendel, Isabelle-Gabriele
Indigenous Peoples are at a higher risk of experiencing homelessness in Canada than non-Indigenous Peoples. As a result, there is a disproportionate representation of Indigenous Peoples in the homeless population. Studies have been conducted in order to identify what services are needed for people living with homelessness in Canada. However, these have failed to include an Indigenous specific focus and have not included the perspectives of Indigenous people with lived experiences. Furthermore, the majority of previous studies explore homelessness in large urban settings and seldom focus on rural or Northern Ontario. A secondary analysis on a photovoice study completed in 2014 on homelessness in Northern Ontario was done to highlight the unique experiences and needs of the Indigenous participants from the previous study. This research focused on health impacts and service provision requirements surrounding Indigenous homelessness in four communities in Northern Ontario. A literature review was also conducted in order to explore the laws and policies surrounding the rights and legal responsibility for services in relation to UNDRIP and the TRC. All of the photovoice data represents lived homelessness or hidden homelessness experience, from the perspectives of Indigenous participants. These are their voices.
Grief, trauma & healing
(2021-11-22) Nadjiwon, Ashley
How do we understand non-physical trauma and experiences of grief in our society? And, how do we heal from a traumatic experience and move past our grief? Does Western medicine heal, or does it numb our symptoms to a point where we think we are healed? This research is an autoethnography that investigates the author’s experience with loss. This research compares Western medicine’s focus on healing the mind/body and Indigenous methods focused on healing the Spirit. The first uses a combination of prescriptions and counselling and the second draws upon ceremonies and traditional medicines. This research will contribute to a larger body of knowledge that will be useful to others struggling with the complexity of trauma and the methods that are used in healing.
Discourse analysis: a study of the social, political context of radioactive pollution effects on Indigenous Communities
(2022-10-04) Iashchenko, Roman
This thesis addresses the effects of radioactive pollution on Indigenous communities, across the world and particularly in Canada. In many cases Indigenous cultural and traditional lifestyle, environment and health of the community are directly impacted due to various sectors of the nuclear industry and its radioactive contamination. My thesis highlights radioactive contamination of Indigenous traditional lands and waters, its impact on health, various instances of historical injustice and displayed experiences of affected Indigenous persons. Additional research is devoted to highlighting the radioactive contamination of Indigenous lands and waters, and in particular I reviewed the impact of tailings on Serpent River First Nation, in Ontario. Indigenous worldviews and generational wisdom play an important role when it comes to coexistence and conservation of the surrounding environment, policies and role models which act as a guiding principle when it comes to the protection of nature and the wellbeing of future generations. Therefore, this thesis aimed to analyze information and sources with a view to a) Highlight potential dangers when it comes to radioactive waste in Indigenous communities; b) To promote Indigenous knowledge and worldviews in relation to the surrounding environment and; c) To suggest a positive shift in terms of the renewable, waste-free hydrogen fusion process, the very same process that powers stars in the universe including our sun. A discourse analysis, which consisted of an in-depth analysis of fifteen literature and related sources were oriented to address two key research issues: a) the dangers of radioactive pollution and b) the impact of dangerous tailings in Indigenous communities. An Indigenous methodology (Kovach 2010, Wilson 2008,) overarched the total thesis to ensure that it respected Canada’s Indigenous worldviews. Considerable attention is devoted to utilizing a discourse analysis research method for analyzing relevant texts on existing radioactive danger, experiences and the living conditions of Indigenous First Nations as a result of radioactive contamination. This work highlights the importance of implementation and careful consideration of Indigenous worldviews. Key findings call to attention instances of historical injustice addressing the devastating impact on Indigenous cultures, traditional lifestyles, community health, historical injustice, and contamination of the surrounding environment as a result of radioactive pollution.

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