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Four Feathers Writing Guide

Learn more about traditional Coast Salish teachings and approaches to learning that can support your development as an academic writer.

Gather Information: Resources

 

The following list of resources is not intended to be exhaustive; rather, it provides a brief introduction to finding information with a focus on Indigenous peoples and/or Indigenous research methods. For more information or assistance with locating information, please feel welcome to contact the RRU librarians.

Principles of Academic Integrity

  • Indigenous Academic Integrity (shared with permission from Keeta Gladue; also permission granted by the Taylor Institute of Teaching & Learning, University of Calgary):

This project demonstrates the formal rigor, validation, and approaches found within Indigenous paradigms that serve to caretake and protect the integrity of all knowledge. This resource provides concrete practices that centre Indigenous academic integrity and stem from Indigenous theory and Indigenous research, and it focuses on the principles of relationality, reciprocity and respect. (Taylor Institute of Teaching and Learning, n.d., para.1)

Primary Sources

To locate first accounts by Indigenous peoples (e.g., interviews, oral histories, diaries):

  • Indigenous Studies Portal: “Database of full-text electronic resources such as articles, e-books, theses, government publications, videos, oral histories, and digitized archival documents and photographs. The iPortal content has a primary focus on Indigenous peoples of Canada with a secondary focus on North American materials and beyond” (University of Saskatchewan Library, n.d., para. 1).
  • Government of Canada First Nations Profiles: Contact information for each First Nation; good source for finding initial contacts.

Ethical Guidelines

Note that many funding bodies have ethical guidelines specific to research involving Indigenous Peoples:

Secondary Sources

To locate information written about Indigenous peoples, including materials written by Indigenous scholars (e.g., scholarly books, journal articles, conference proceedings):

  • FNIGC Data Online: Excellent source of published information, including statistics about First Nations people living on reserves and in northern communities in Canada
  • Indigenous Studies Portal: “Database of full-text electronic resources such as articles, e-books, theses, government publications, videos, oral histories, and digitized archival documents and photographs. The iPortal content has a primary focus on Indigenous peoples of Canada with a secondary focus on North American materials and beyond” (University of Saskatchewan Library, n.d., para. 1).
  • Indigenous Studies: Journal Articles, Books, & Ebooks (RRU Library): Many sources of information as well as tips for finding Indigenous scholarship in journal articles, books, and ebooks.

Indigenous Research Methods

If you are writing a paper, thesis, or dissertation, you may be investigating Indigenous research methods with which to approach your topic. Royal Roads’ Indigenous Education Manager, Russell Johnston, can provide advice and refer you to appropriate scholar-practitioners.

There are also many publications available to help you understand how to approach your inquiry from an Indigenous position. For an overview of the elements of the Indigenous research paradigm, please see the following core texts: