Indigeneity, Positionality, and Ethical Space

Navigating the In-Between of Indigenous and Settler Academic Discourse

Abstract

Academia has been dominated by European/settler ways of knowing while denying the existence and validity of Indigenous epistemologies, science, and philosophies. Post-secondary structures were not built to be inclusive spaces, they were built without Indigenous voices or considerations and often housed individuals and departments who have perpetuated research harms towards Indigenous peoples. These spaces have been and remain a place of privilege where few Indigenous knowledge holders manage to become established. In this article, calls for action to transform academia into an inclusive space through ongoing conversations on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report and the widespread theme of taking on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) conversations will be examined. Without conversations around tools and ideas about practical steps to take in our daily work navigating academic spaces, we maintain colonial structures by being complicit and avoid the question of where the Indigenous voices are found in these spaces.