Seventeen students spent Reading Week becoming Knowledge Makers as part of what is hoped will be an annual program designed to encourage Aboriginal undergraduate students to engage in research.
Knowledge Makers is sponsored by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies and coordinated by Sereana Naepi, a TRU research fellow and Indigenous doctoral student working with Professor Airini, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Social Work.
“We’ve been doing this for centuries—exploring, understanding and making new knowledge,” said Naepi, explaining the program’s name. “The students in this program are not just taking in information, they’re thinking about it and making it their own.”
The Reading Week workshops were spent developing a large goal—a research publication—with each student then taking time to establish his or her unique research project.
Jason Johnston, in his final year of a Bachelor of Tourism Management degree, used the opportunity to strengthen his business plan through research. Johnston, a member of the Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation in Cape Croker, ON, plans to return home and develop a culturally-based adventure experience business, but wants to ensure his business has the support of band members.
“I want to find out what they want and what they don’t want. I’ve seen a lot of secondary research about what people should want, but I need to conduct research first hand,” he said. While Johnston’s immediate plans are to launch a business, he also wants to go to graduate school, and knows the Knowledge Makers experience will prove beneficial when he begins applying.
Melissa Aird, in her final year of a Bachelor of Arts degree with an Aboriginal Studies Certificate, is already applying for graduate school.
“The tools we’re given here are going to benefit me through all of my studies,” she said, adding that the relationship-building was even more valuable.
“We’re getting a sense of community with other Aboriginal researchers at TRU. We’re all working on different subjects, but we’re working together and we could really invoke change.”
Students will make final presentations in April, when they complete the program.
