In Northern regions, a surge in Indigenous women engaging in field research is sparking a wave of inspiration among female scholars, according to researchers. Nicole Redvers, an associate professor at Western University and a member of the Deninu Kue First Nation in the N.W.T., noted a significant rise in female Indigenous students pursuing master’s and PhD programs over the past few years. While Statistics Canada reports an increase in Indigenous women entering post-secondary education in Canada between 2016 and 2021, specific data on Indigenous women involved in field research in the North is currently unavailable.
Redvers advocates for a centralized university in the North to facilitate the tracking of such information across all territories. She attributes the observed trends to various factors, including heightened geopolitical interest in the Arctic, the emergence of new funding sources, and a notable increase in the visibility of female Indigenous researchers. Redvers emphasizes the importance of representation in research spaces, highlighting the impact of seeing oneself reflected in those environments.
Addressing education and funding disparities outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, Redvers emphasizes that Indigenous people are the driving force behind the ongoing transformation of academia. Ashley Ens, a PhD student from the Nihtat Gwich’in in the N.W.T., underscores the pivotal role of Indigenous women as knowledge keepers and advocates for the recognition of Indigenous methodologies, community knowledge, and oral histories.
Female Indigenous researchers are reshaping academic landscapes by fostering supportive settings where women can pursue academic endeavors while honoring their familial and community commitments. Ens shares her personal experience of pursuing a PhD as a mother and underscores the need for institutions to provide sustained funding for community-led projects and support northern students in accessing education in southern universities.
Envisioning reconciliation through research, Ens emphasizes the importance of shifting power dynamics in determining research questions, controlling information, allocating resources, and benefiting from research outcomes. By integrating traditional knowledge and involving community members in their work, northern researchers are establishing trust within communities, as highlighted by Redvers.
Laurie-Ann Lines, a senior researcher at the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research in Yellowknife, applauds the increasing presence of Indigenous female graduate and post-doctorate students, attributing this positive trend to the collaboration between elders, community members, and researchers in promoting Indigenous research methodologies. Lines, a member of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, reflects on the growth of Indigenous-led research initiatives in the N.W.T., underscoring the evolving landscape of research in the region.
The transformation of research practices in the North is characterized by a shift towards collaborative and community-centered approaches, where research is no longer conducted solely about Indigenous communities but with and by them, serving the collective interests of all involved stakeholders.