Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (M4, #5)

http://www.iwri.org/index.php

Vision: To support the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples to achieve full and complete health and wellness by collaborating in decolonizing research and knowledge building and sharing.

This is an amazing site containing detailed information on how the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI) is helping Indigenous people realize self-actualization. By understanding how traumatic events of the past (including the impacts of colonization and residential schools, etc) have damaged the spirits of many Indigenous people and led to a justifiable mistrust, it quickly becomes apparent why the quest for decolonization is so imperative.

Return to Wellness – this relatively short video clip is a must view as it effectively explains the goals of the IWRI and how they are working to empower Indigenous people.

Through making the IWRI’s goal of attainment of higher education the norm for Indigenous people, the hope is this will lead to realization of what is perhaps the highest level of wellness – that which comes from being afforded the opportunity to share one’s wisdom and insights in supporting others to achieve their full potential.

Early Childhood Development Intercultural Partnerships (M4, #4)

http://www.ecdip.org/

As an elementary school educator, this site immediately piqued my interest. It also helped me better understand some of the issues surrounding ethical and respectful research practices. “Nothing about us without us” is a quote that stuck with me as effectively describing how Indigenous people feel research should be conducted.

Collaborative, innovative projects between the research team and Aboriginal people are well explained including: Indigenous Child Assessment, Indigenous Fathers, Early Language Facilitation, Social Support in ECD, and others.

It seems the work of  Dr. Jessica Ball, Faculty U Vic and others is making a real difference in the lives of Aboriginal people, especially the children. The primary goal here seems to be that of building relationships and working collaboratively with Aboriginal groups in order to identify issues of concern and work together towards lasting solutions. The various project stories (which include project background, goals, activities and outcomes) are intriguing and inspiring. This site is truly a wonderful resource!

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