Positionality and Research: “Two-Eyed Seeing” With a Rural Ktaqmkuk Mi’kmaw Community

As evident from the original proposals for self-negotiation from the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, the formation of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation represented a small victory for Ktaqmkuk Mi’kmaq: recognition. Validation of the existence of Ktaqmkuk Mi’kmaq outside of Miawpukek was a small step toward decolonization yet cannot be a panacea for reconciliation. This study was a collaborative project in the Mi’kmaw community of Ewipkek through the No’kmaq Village Band and Elder Calvin White, a known champion of Mi’kmaw rights in the province. This project emerged from a collaborative research effort between the community of Ewipkek and Grenfell Campus, Memorial University. This article presents current approaches, principles, and considerations for researchers working with Indigenous communities, drawing from both academic literature and the collaborative experience working with the community of Ewipkek. This collaborative project describes the different characteristics of a Western research paradigm versus an Indigenous research paradigm that can support the application of the Two-Eyed Seeing framework.

community-based research, case study, oral histories, social justice, narrative