Maskwacis Researchers
Walter Lightning University of Alberta ERA repository
Dr. Elizabeth Lightning University of Alberta ERA repository
Dr. Shauna Bruno University of Alberta ERA repository
Dr. Pauline Johnson Western University repository
Dr. Claudine Louis University of Alberta ERA repository
Dr. Yvonne Saddleback Blue Quills University Alberta
Dr. Tina Northwest Blue Quills University Alberta
Dr. Lillian Gadwa-Crier Blue Quills University Alberta
Walter Lightning
Name of Researcher: Walter Lightning
Researcher Biography: Walter Lightning was the dean of cultural studies at Maskwacis Cultural College.
Name of Cree Nation: Samson Cree Nation
Thesis Supervisor: Carl Urion
Thesis Title: Compassionate Mind, Implications of a Text Written by Elder Louis Sunchild
Abstract: The late Elder Louis Sunchild from Sunchild Reserve, Alberta, was a teacher of Cree tradition, and was highly respected for his profound, comprehensive, and detailed knowledge. In the late 1980s he wrote a short text in Cree about the nature of the mind, and gave the author of this thesis his direction to interpret and to explain that text in writing. Because it is customary for elaboration of such topics to occur only in the context of face-to-face interaction, a text such as this is unusual. An initial step in this study was to develop methods for interpretation that were consistent with Cree protocols and traditions. A word-for-word translation is provided. Two assumptions about the nature of teacher-learner relationships, in context, and four structural principles for interpretation of the text are explained. Interpretation according to those principles and assumptions follows. A preliminary synthesis of the implications of some of the ideas contained in the text is presented in the form of a dialogue.
Dr. Elizabeth Lightning
Name of Researcher: Dr. Elizabeth Lightning
Researcher Biography:
Name of Cree Nation: Samson Cree
Thesis Supervisor: Dorothy Smith
Thesis Title: First Nations Control of First Nations Education: An Issue of Power and Knowledge
Abstract: This study is a two-part inquiry into the First Nations control of First Nations Education movement which began in the 1970's. The study is unique in that it utilizes postcolonial, feminist, critical pedagogical, and anti-racist perspectives in the development of theoretical and methodological models. The use of alternative critical and oppositional perspectives facilitates the study of the historical context which, it is argued, is integral to understanding the contemporary situation of the First Nations. Although a comprehensive study of socio-cultural changes which have occurred since European contact is not possible, the thesis argues that the recognition of these changes is also integral in the development of contemporary Native epistemologies and pedagogies. This approach reveals the diversity that characterizes First Nations communities, but it is argued that it is possible to focus on the problems which they share through their relationship with the dominant government.
Part One comprises an exploration of colonialism in general, and the study of residential and integrated schooling in particular. Native education of this period is conceptualized under the title of Historical Colonial Indigenous Education, a period when the First Nations did not have any control over their own education but were forced to attend forms of schooling which were alien to their own cultures. The development of theory which explores colonialism is crucial for understanding the way colonialism impacted on the indigenous people of Canada. In the pursuit of land and resources, the destruction of indigenous cultures and languages was a necessary component for the success of colonialism. Schools, such as residential schools, became crucial sites for genocidal practices and policies. The chapter on residential schools reveals, one, the destructiveness of this type of schooling, and two, the way residential school experiences continue to impact on the lives of Native people today.
The second part comprises two chapters which focus on the period when the First Nations won the right to have significant control over their own education. This period is conceptualized as the Postcolonial Period. One chapter provides an overview of the First Nations control of First Nations education movement. The problems inherent in this endeavour were identified through an extensive review of existing literature on Native education, and by observation of the practices of Native communities in general and one Native community in particular. The last chapter provides a synthesis of the different strategies, visions, and constraints which are integral to the issue of Native education. A major constraint is that Native educational practices and curricula have to be developed within a Western European educational framework. This section includes a discussion of the way curricula based on Native values and philosophical systems can be developed and implemented.
Dr. Shauna Bruno
Name of Researcher: Dr. Shauna Bruno
Researcher Biography: Dr. Shauna Bruno is a proud mom of two daughters and is a sessional lecturer at the University of Alberta. She is an advocate for Maskwacîs children and families who she states deserve a quality education which involves strong foundational Cree language and land-based teachings. In doing this, Cree values must be embedded within the curriculum, thereby ensuring that Maskwacîs community values are reflective. This may disrupt how curriculum is understood and involve recontextualizing it alongside the lives of children and families. This means centering curriculum alongside Elders/Traditional Knowledge holders/Cultural Advisors/Teachers to learn the creation stories, philosophies embedded in our value system, language, treaties, Maskwacîs history and culture that is experientially based.
Name of Cree Nation: Samson Cree
Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Stan Wilson and Dr. Carolyn Yewchuk
Thesis Title: Aboriginal Women: The Journey Towards a Doctorate
Abstract: This study is based on the lives of four outstanding Aboriginal women who have completed or are close to completing a doctorate. The purpose of this study is to learn about the challenges that high achieving women have to face during their academic endeavor, and discover the facilitative factors that help them in their journey. In order to gather the necessary data, an Indigenous framework was used based on the life experiences of these women shared through their stories. In order to organize and interpret the experiences, a qualitative technique of semi-structured interview questions and thematic analysis was used to gather the stories.
The stories revealed that the academic journey towards a doctorate is more than about academics and perseverance in the face of adversity. It is also a journey towards self-discovery built on the foundations of the Aboriginal culture and the influential people within that culture. The stories provide insight into the life journey of women empowered and strengthened by their culture who develop a dedication and determination to improve the lives of Aboriginal people.
Dr. Paulina Johnson
Name of Researcher: Dr. Paulina Johnson
Researcher Biography: Dr. Paulina Johnson, Sîpihkokîsikowiskwew (Blue Sky Woman), is Nêhiyaw (Plains Cree) and is a citizen of the Samson Creek Nation which is located in Maskwacis, Alberta. After graduating with distinction with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology and History from the University of Alberta, she then completed a Master of Arts in History and a Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology at Western University. Her doctoral degree had a focus on Nêhiyaw law and governance and advocated for the importance of implementing Indigenous philosophies and methodologies within institutions and systems. While working at Concordia University as an Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies, she developed the Indigenous Studies Minor. Now, she works in the sociology department at the University of Alberta. Her research interest includes telling Indigenous stories, Indigenous women’s voices within academia and professional settings where institutional racism, oppression, and gender discrimination occur so that this knowledge can aid in liberating Indigenous experiences.
Name of Cree Nation: Samson Cree
Thesis Supervisor: Regna Darnell
Thesis Title: E-kawôtiniket 1876: Reclaiming Nêhiyaw Governance in the Territory of Maskwacîs through Wâhkôtowin (Kinship)
Abstract: The Nêhiyawak, Four-Body People, known as the Plains Cree, reside in the territory of Maskwacîs. Of the Four Nations that encompass Maskwacis, this study focuses on Nipisihkopahk, also known as Samson Cree Nation and is located 70km south of the city of Edmonton in Alberta. Governance for the Nêhiyawak lies in the philosophical and spiritual teachings passed down through generations of ancestral knowledge especially in discussions relating to wâhkôtowin, kinship, ohtaskanesowin, origin, and the teachings from Wîsahêcâhk, Elder Brother, who taught the Nêhiyawak about morality and self through oral narratives. As relationships between the settler state of Canada and Indigenous Nations create dialogue concerning authority and autonomy, this study discusses the methods utilized through community collaboration for the process of enacting traditional governance. As it stands, Samson Cree Nation follows the band council system that was enforced by The Indian Act.
Forwarding the collective memory of the Nêhiyawak through their cultural knowledge, this study follows the journey of Nipisihkopahk as they forward the resurgence of traditional governance through their own laws rooted in the idea that we are all related, and this extends not only to the human world. Kisê-manitow, Creator, gave the Nêhiyawak wiyasiwêwina, laws, of how to conduct our self morally and ethically, revealing further the mindset of the people. Insights into the Creation story allow this study to delve deeper into the philosophical and spiritual values aligned within ceremony. Through this understanding of what it means to be Nêhiyaw, the study will also reveal key philosophical insights into Treaty and how better understandings can shape the diplomatic discussions between Indigenous Nations and the settler-state. Concepts of miyo-pimâtisiwin, the good life, and pimâcihowin, livelihood, allow for the ability to understand how the Nêhiyawak connect to land, culture, and family.
The Elders agreed that already published oral narratives and teachings would be utilized, since the intellectual property and ownership belongs to the Nêhiyawak Nation. The significance of this study is to allow Nêhiyaw indigeneity to come forward and allow for the well being of the citizens of Samson Cree Nation outside of the domination of colonial policies to occur. This study presents the process in how meaningful relationships should occur between researcher and community.
Dr. Claudine Louis
Name of Researcher: Dr. Claudine Louis
Researcher Biography: Dr. Claudine Louis has two Cree names which are Kihew Iskwew (Eagle Woman) and Chanak4. She is a mother to five beautiful children. As well, she is an educator and an entrepreneur that presents on topics that are relevant to Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups and organizations. She received a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Master’s degree in Education, and a Ph.D. in Education from the Indigenous Peoples Education Program, Educational Policy Studies Department within the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. She is the president of Maskwacis Cultural College.
Name of Cree Nation: Samson Cree
Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Cora Weber-Pillwax
Thesis Title: KIWEYTOTAHK ISKWEW ISKOTAYOW: Returning to the Women Fire
Abstract: The literature available on First Nations women from a Euro-Western Canadian perspective has painted a bleak, shortsighted, narrow image of the Native woman. Euro-Western societal structures acknowledge that the Aboriginal woman is at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, and such structural and societal imbalances continue to marginalize the Aboriginal woman in Canada. In contrast, Indigenous ontological and epistemological systems recognize the Aboriginal woman as being next to the Creator, in a position of reverence and respect. Hence, the Euro-Western and the Aboriginal views of womanhood clash with one another. This research study introduces the Omisimaw Leadership Model as one approach to investigating that clash, and to seeking ways through which that model can be used as a tool in the healing of Aboriginal communities. Returning to the Women Fire describes processes of personal transformation through engagement with Indigenous Research Methodologies, and it provides the reader with an understanding of how ancient Indigenous knowledge structures, like the Omisimaw Leadership Model, continue to prevail and help Aboriginal women in personal and community healing, wellness and transformation.