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Respectful Relations

For me respectful relations means that this research needs to benefit Îethka people. It also needs to be done in a way that is respectful of Îethka people, traditions, and beliefs. It is very easy for a researcher to say they are being respectful, but research is a colonial project, and in order to really be respectful I need to be mindful of the ways I could harm or impact Îethka people through my privilege as a settler and a student.

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Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about my approach to respectful relations. Here are some of the things I am doing to try and make sure I have respectful relations:

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OCAP® 

I have taken training offered by the First Nations Information Governance Center to learn more about how to make sure Indigenous partners in research have Ownership Control Access and Possession of data. This training has shaped how the research was designed, and how I will work with the Stoney Nakoda peoples. I am keeping track of how this project engages the ideas of OCAP® here

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Pilot Study

In Spring of 2020 I began a small study to ask Îethka people how they feel about research, and what they think could be done to make the research I propose to do more respectful. I asked them to help design the ways the research is conducted (methods) the things the research tries to discover (outcomes) and the ways to make sure everything is done according to Îethka custom (protocol). The results of this study are posted on this website.

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Following University Regulations

Every University has strict rules that govern how their students conduct research. All research must pass through a review board of professors and community members who check if it seems ethical and respectful or not. This research has been approved by this ethical board twice, first the pilot went through this process, then the full study. Also, I have two supervisors who guide my work, and who are helping to make sure that everything I do is according to University standards. The contact info for my supervisors and the ethics board is here.

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Indigenous Advisors 

Before I applied to become a student at the University of Calgary I asked the blessing of a Blackfoot Elder and a Îethka Elder. These two individuals are people I've known for a long time, and I keep learning from them. I've asked them to help me connect with other Elders who are willing oversee parts of this research. Most of the people they have suggested are also Elders. I want to be sensitive to their desires about naming, so contributors are named on any publications or documents, and I am thinking about and discussing ways to share collaboration.  

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Kinship Obligations

I have married into an Îethka family, and I know that means I have kinship obligations. I have asked for guidance from my ade ma Tyson Crawler to help me understand these obligations in the context of research, and to help me make sure I am not doing anything inappropriate. I have asked his help so that I honor my kinship obligations, and to watch that I do not favor or give benefits to my kin through this research. If you have concerns about this special set of considerations please contact me.

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This Webpage

I hope that this webpage can be used to help make this research transparent and accessible. I will continue to post research updates on the project overview page, and information about museums and the general idea behind the project on the home page.

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If you have other suggestions about how to make sure this project is in keeping with respectful relations, please contact me.

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Pina mach for your trust.

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