Indigenous Engagement and Partnership Development

University of Alberta via Coursera

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Details

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Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Paid Course
Languages

English
Certificate

Certificate Available
Effort

12 weeks, 1 hour a week
Sessions

Self-Paced
Level

Beginner
Subtitles

German, Hindi, Pashto, Russian, French, Chinese, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Indonesian, Kazakh, Swedish, Korean, Portuguese, Greek, English, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Thai, Japanese, Azerbaijani, Polish, Farsi, Dutch, Turkish

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Overview

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Indigenous Engagement and Partnership Development is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies (University of Alberta) that teaches the fundamentals of how to respectfully collaborate with Indigenous communities, nations, and organizations. Learners will receive comprehensive instruction about historical relationships, Indigenous governance and ethical relationship building. This course is open to all learners aiming to develop core competencies and practical skills for effective engagement within Indigenous community contexts.

Syllabus

Introduction and Framework for the Course
- This module introduces the course, its structure and themes. Adam Gaudry and Florence Glanfield define what it means to do Indigenous engagement, collaborate with Indigenous communities and build ethical partnerships. It encourages participants to locate themselves within the research and partnership development process, recognizing that building good relationships encompasses diverse activities and requires active learning, meaningful connection, and a commitment to just relationships.
Learning by and Through the Land (kisiskâciwani-sîpiy River Walk)
- This module invites learners to understand their connection to place and the deep and enduring relationship Indigenous peoples have with their territories. Centering amiskwaciwâskahikan, Dwayne Donald takes us through the kisiskâciwani-sîpiy valley and shares the centrality of place to Indigenous worldviews. This module encourages learners to understand where they live and work, and appreciate the long history of Indigenous life in that place.
Indigenous Community Teachings on Indigenous Engagement and Partnership Development
- This module focuses on the expertise of Elders, knowledge holders, and community leaders who outline the history of colonialism in research, resource development, and governance. Speaking from direct experience, they show you how many of these activities are disruptive to Indigenous communities. They also explain how meaningful collaboration under Indigenous leadership also creates new opportunities for their communities. The module emphasizes the value of listening and following the lead of community members.
Indigenous Research Partnerships and Empowering Communities
- This module explores how ethical research partnerships can empower Indigenous communities by focusing on strength-based practices for developing such collaborations. Kisha Supernant examines best practices and engages with a real-life example showcasing the work of the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology and its research supports for Indigenous communities.
Community-Based and Decolonizing Research
- This module introduces foundational concepts of community-based research and ethical partnership development for all stages of a project or research endeavor. Distinguishing between community-based, -engaged, and -driven approaches, Nancy Van Styvendale helps us to challenge colonial norms and to centre Indigenous knowledges when working with Indigenous communities.
Visiting and Relationship Building: Community-Engaged Frameworks for Building Partnership
- This module highlights the importance of visiting in Indigenous cultures, recognizing it as a fundamental way of being, knowing, and building kinship. Paul Gareau and Joe Wiebe examine broadly applicable visiting protocols and apply these principles to help learners foster respectful relationships with Indigenous community partners. Visiting is a methodology of ethical relationality that informs successful partnership by prioritizing Indigenous self-determination.
Indigenous Engagement, Science and Technology
- This module examines the evolution of scientific research practices, highlighting the broader historical trends of research related to Indigenous communities. Kim TallBear emphasizes the growing importance of Indigenous control over research, the contributions of Indigenous people to science and the importance of research for community governance.
In Good Relations: Respectful Distinctions-based Indigenous Re-Search Partnerships in Health Sciences
- This module examines Indigenous research partnerships in Canadian health fields. Learners will investigate the crucial role of Indigenous knowledges and their divergence from Western research paradigms. The module emphasizes ethical engagement through principles like the 4 Rs (Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, and Responsibility) and highlights wise practices currently implemented in various Indigenous communities, including those drawn from OCAP® and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Research and Partnership Development in an Unequal World: Overcoming Barriers for Successful Collaboration
- This module analyzes the history of unequal interactions between Indigenous peoples and settlers, focusing on the dynamics of race, power, privilege, and dominance in research and knowledge production. Paulina Johnson and Murray Humphries underscore the responsibility of non-Indigenous researchers and professionals to be accountable to Indigenous partners by understanding community practices and protocols rooted in culture, tradition, ceremony, and kinship.
Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Good Partnerships Produce Good Data
- This module challenges the notion of data neutrality, exploring how data actively constructs our social reality. Chris Andersen examines the political nature of data, recognizing the influence of power dynamics on its creation, collection, analysis, and communication. This module enables learners to understand that data are dynamic processes embedded within complex institutional, political, and social contexts and that working with communities to develop better data can help build better relationships and outcomes.
How to Build a Reciprocal Partnership: So Where Do I Start?
- This module emphasizes the diversity of Indigenous communities and nations, stressing the importance of honoring each one's unique characteristics. Florence Glanfield and Chelsea Benally share the significance of ceremony and cultural protocol, outreach, and connection within Indigenous communities and nations.
Conclusion: Next Steps and Putting this into Practice
- In this capstone module, Adam Gaudry synthesizes knowledge from the previous eleven modules, solidifying learners' understanding of major themes and guiding them to apply the skills to their specific contexts and professional endeavours, enabling confident and ethical engagement with Indigenous partners.