NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: social sciences, environmental monitoring, traditional knowledge

Objective(s): To collect survey data about sustainability practices and policies, links to community-based conservation practices, and involvement with national and international decision-making processes on environmental issues.

Project Description: Interview and collect survey data from educators at select Aboriginal post-secondary places of learning about their sustainability practices and policies, links to community-based conservation practices, and involvement with national and international decision-making processes on environmental issues. Three publishable manuscripts will be produced based on research data including: 1) A manuscript on existing sustainability policies and practices in Aboriginal post-secondary education places of learning; 2) A manuscript on linkages of Aboriginal institutions with community-based conservation and national and international decision-making on environmental issues (examining how practices align with legal and policy instruments such as Aboriginal and treaty rights in Canada, international human rights, and environmental standards); and 3) A manuscript with components of a new model that could build local capacity for networking on environment and sustainability issues. The research team hope to contribute research findings to the study being conducted by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funded Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN) in the University Of Saskatchewan College Of Education on the practice-policy gap of sustainability education and its linkages to Canadian environmental issues. This research study is significant because little is known about the status of sustainability programming in Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education (PSE) places of learning. In Canada, there is a paucity of research in the fields of environment and sustainability coming from Aboriginal PSE places of learning that could potentially benefit Aboriginal communities and policy decision-makers. The gap in literature reflects an absence of scholarly perspectives of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit on sustainability topics such as the role of Aboriginal faculty members in research and publishing, curriculum development, and community-based projects. Subsequently, there is also a gap in literature on how Aboriginal PSE places of learning might support each other to build capacity and increase proactive participation in sustainability matters locally and beyond. Aboriginal PSE places of learning participants will be asked to complete the national SEPN survey on-line and a supplementary interview. Since the national SEPN survey was not designed specifically for Aboriginal PSE places of learning, the supplementary interview will be used to augment responses. The survey is estimated to take 30-45 minutes. The supplementary interview will collect qualitative data only and will be approximately two hours in length. The Principal Investigator (PI) will conduct interviews by telephone. The PI will conduct the interviews in accordance with ethical research guidelines approved by the University of Saskatchewan for engagement with Aboriginal communities. Traditional Aboriginal protocols for knowledge exchange will be honoured as requested. Interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed. Part of the research plan includes exploring the possible formation of a national network of Aboriginal post-secondary education programs to work together on sustainability issues of importance to Aboriginal communities. This might include knowledge exchange, awareness-raising, community engagement. For example, some Aboriginal PSE programs can learn from what others are doing or undertake new collaborations. There are very few Aboriginal post-secondary education programs or institutions who are involved with organizations such as the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which sets international standards for sustainability programming in Canada, the USA, and Mexico. In the case of Aboriginal communities, sustainability is embedded in traditional teachings and lifestyle and has a role to play in shaping post-secondary education, research, curriculum, governance, operations, etc. As such, it is expected there may be future opportunities for local involvement but at this stage it is limited to faculty or administrators of Aboriginal post-secondary programs. The final results of the research will be shared electronically with each participating institution. The research will also be shared publicly as each manuscript is published. A variety of electronic dissemination will be attempted through web video recordings on specific topics (YouTube channel) and existing Aboriginal, SEPN and public communication networks (SEPN & SENS Websites and newsletters, email, Twitter, Facebook) as permitted by publishers. The PI will also participate in academic conferences and other forums hosted by Aboriginal Peoples as possible. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from April 12, 2016 to May 31, 2016.