Research

Indigenous Research

Discovering new alliances

The UNESCO Chair – The Transmission of First Peoples’ Culture to Foster Well-Being and Empowerment is an Indigenous research Chair. Like any scientific or academic research, Indigenous research must identify a specific scientific issue and attempt to resolve it by applying demanding protocols and exemplary ethical codes evaluated and approved by a community of peers. However, it bears a distinctive aspect of First Nations and Inuit, their wisdom, their concerns, their cultures, their experiences and their forms of knowledge. Indigenous research encompasses intellectual, material and spiritual dimensions, and develops among relations based on equality and mutual respect.

Les projets

Co-construire

Pour la Chaire UNESCO, un projet demeure, par définition, un projet. Ce n’est pas un modèle réduit dont on assemblerait les morceaux pour obtenir le résultat illustré sur la boîte. Au départ, on n’en connaît ni le nombre de pièces ni leur agencement, on les découvrira au fur et à mesure d’un processus de coconstruction réalisé par un groupe de partenaires engagés issus d’horizons divers. [...]

Areas of focus

Nurturing knowledge

Life situations are plentiful and often complex. What seems apparent at first glance can sometimes vary at second glance. Observation does not suffice; one must understand. In the words of the Brazilian anthropologist Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, “The world is composed of multiple perspectives”. To fully grasp a shared reality, various viewpoints must be examined. [...]

Rebuilding and building

The work of the UNESCO Chair focuses on key components regarding cultural safeguard, empowerment, sustainable and viable development, interconnectivity and networking. These aspects stem from many years of collaboration with First Peoples of Quebec and Brazil. Each consultation practice carried out within the framework of a research project may give rise to new priorities and thus provide as many potential guidelines for the management of respectful and productive projects. [...]

Knowing yourself and becoming known

Empowerment is both a process and the outcome of such process. Primarily based on egalitarian relationships and decision-making, this intervention method deals with the development of individuals and organizations by building on their skills and resources. As an essential element of identity building, its philosophy is simple: to provide the fishing gear and techniques, not the fish. [...]

Making connections and networking

Everything is connected. Personal situations and social phenomena sometimes have more than one cause. Focusing on only one of them, looking at only one perspective, can limit the number of possible solutions and their effectiveness. Thinking outside the box leads to new possibilities. Making connections can unravel many dead ends. [...]

Thriving and lasting

In his book The Imperative of Responsibility, published in 1979, the German historian and philosopher Hans Jonas invites us to rethink the foundations of ethics in light of a holistic vision. He writes: “Act so that the effects of your action are compatible with the permanence of genuine human life”. This proposal expresses an essential element of Indigenous teachings transmitted for millennia: respect for all forms of life.

Se sentir en sécurité

Une démarche de transmission culturelle repose sur la confiance. Confiance en soi, confiance en l’autre. Les Premiers Peuples du Canada partagent une longue et douloureuse histoire. Les politiques assimilatrices, la volonté d’éradication de la culture, le tragique épisode des pensionnats et la destruction des liens de famille ont laissé de profondes cicatrices. Toutes ne sont pas refermées. [...]

Les alliés de recherche

The holder - Mathieu Cook

Mathieu Cook has been a professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) since 2014. He is a graduate of Laval University in Quebec City, where he completed a Bachelor's egree in Anthropology in 2001, earned a Master's degree in Social Work in 2004 and a PhD in Anthropology in 2016. He is particularly interested in discourse analysis, intercultural relations and the decolonization of relations between non-Indigenous and Indigenous peoples in Quebec and Latin America. [...]

The holder - Élisabeth Kaine

Artist, designer, author and professor, Élisabeth Kaine, of Huron-Wendat origin, is a pioneer in the field of cultural transmission among First Peoples of Quebec. Her innovative participatory and collaborative approach focuses on the driving forces of communities and their ability to take action for their own developmental. Her personal qualities as a leader have been consistently recognized and have earned her the trust and respect of many Indigenous partners.

Les alliés institutionnels