Research Summary
Indigenous communities across Canada are advancing self-determined approaches to governance, knowledge and research. To support this movement, Dr. Shalene Jobin, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Governance, is focusing on relationality—the interconnected systems, lifeways and knowledge traditions that shape Indigenous societies.
Jobin is developing a decentralized research network that connects diverse, community-rooted projects across disciplines. Guided by local relationships and Indigenous intellectual traditions, she and her research team are using grounded relational research and resurgent methods to strengthen Indigenous governance and self-determination. By linking foundational worldviews to practical questions of leadership, society and ethics, their work is revitalizing Indigenous knowledges and supporting ethical, community-led research. It is also contributing to broader conversations about how research is done in Canada, promoting methods that are inclusive, respectful and rooted in the priorities of Indigenous Peoples.