April 15, 2022
Towards Reconciliation: 10 Calls to Action to Natural Scientists Working in Canada – Role of Co-Production and Ethical Space in Indigenous Research
Lawrence Ignace
PhD Student, University of Victoria
Abstract
In 2015, after documenting testimonies from Indigenous survivors of the residential school system in Canada, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released 94 Calls to Action to enable reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. Without personal connections to Indigenous communities, many Canadians fail to grasp the depth of intergenerational impacts of residential schools and associated systemic racism. Consequently, reconciliation remains an elusive concept. Here we outline 10 Calls to Action to natural scientists to enable reconciliation in their work. We focus on natural scientists because a common connection to the land should tie the social license of natural scientists more closely to Indigenous communities than currently exists. We also focus on natural sciences because of the underrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in this field. We draw on existing guidelines and our experiences in northern Canada. Our 10 Calls to Action are triggered by frustration. The authors have witnessed examples where natural scientists treat Indigenous communities with blatant disrespect or with ignorance of Indigenous rights. These 10 Calls to Action challenge the scientific community to recognize that reconciliation requires a new way of conducting natural science, one that includes and respects Indigenous communities, rights, and knowledge leading to better scientific and community outcomes.
Biosketch
Lawrence Ignace is PhD student in the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria. As an Anishinaabe from Lac Des Mille Lac First Nation within Treaty 3 Northwestern Ontario his passion lies at the intersection of science, ecology, and Indigenous knowledge. He holds a Master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis on Natural Resources Policy from the University of Alaska Southeast. As a lifelong learner, he is returning to school from an extensive career that has allowed him to engage on Indigenous rights, natural resource management and environmental issues at the international, national, provincial/territorial and community levels across Canada. Over the last thirteen years Whitehorse, Yukon has been his home and has held positions with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Carcross/Tagish First Nation, Arctic Institute of Community-Based Research, and the Government of Yukon. He is currently on the Board and the Research Management Committee of the Canadian Mountain Network. Plus is an active member on the Reference Group for the appropriate review of Indigenous research established by the three federal research funding agencies.