Addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) can create spaces and shifts in institutional culture to embrace uniqueness, worldviews, and cultural systems. However, it requires acknowledging individual and collective rights and responsibilities while creating just opportunities independent of socioeconomic, cultural, and biological background.
Indigenous worldviews, epistemologies, and orality foster heterogeneity, interdependence, and inclusiveness; they also support Indigenous strengths and keep ways of knowing essential to be free from discrimination, oppression and threatening behaviours. Universities must redefine current dominant approaches to EDI affecting Indigenous scholars. Such a shift requires Indigenous voices and collaborative engagement grounded on Indigenous values, knowledges, histories, rights, and the examination of current power relations and governance. Part of our first-year efforts have focused on nurturing environments to build the foundations of our network. Our goals are ambitious, but they are necessary to change the current academic approaches for Indigenous research excellence.
Re-examining the role of IK in higher education and research is needed to break down barriers and systemic processes oppressing those at the margins. Our cluster has fostered opportunities for dialogue about historical disparities that affect Indigenous rights and titles and aligned our work with the recommendations outlined in the UNDRIP, TRC Calls to Action, and MMIWG Calls for Justice to support the implementation of the UBC ISP.
We are contributing to amplifying Indigenous voices, leadership, and participation in research to build an equal knowledge exchange base. In addition, our cluster continues addressing the inequalities and dynamics of racism, gender, and deficit-informed research processes. Finally, we are developing research opportunities to further social justice and build holistic research environments.