About CAIR
What is Critical Approaches to Indigenous Relationality?
Critical Approaches to Indigenous Relationality (CAIR), is a research network program dedicated to exploring the concept of Indigenous relationality in the breadth of Indigenous traditions and their overlapping connections. CAIR is an initiative hosted by the Prairie Relationality Network (PRN), which is based out of Canada.
Critical Approaches to Indigenous Relationality (CAIR), is a research network program dedicated to exploring the concept of Indigenous relationality in the breadth of Indigenous traditions and their overlapping connections. CAIR is an initiative hosted by the Prairie Relationality Network (PRN), which is based out of Canada.
Why CAIR?
As humanity faces unprecedented crises at local and global scales, there is a need to explore and draw on a multitude of resources to respond to questions of how we might exist in relation to one another, to non-human entities, and to the living earth in generative and sustainable ways. Given this, there is need for generational knowledge sharing between local, regional and intersocietal contexts.
Compounded with this, there has been an ongoing need to address the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization. This has been a prohibitive barrier in many cases to creating space in and out of the academy that embraces the diversity of Indigenous thought as well as philosophies in Canada and around the world.
CAIR aims to address the complexity of all these factors by supporting 25 co-developed research projects that centre Indigenous Indigenous approaches within the humanities and social sciences. Key to these approaches are Indigenous knowledges and practices of relationship which act as the foundation.
As humanity faces unprecedented crises at local and global scales, there is a need to explore and draw on a multitude of resources to respond to questions of how we might exist in relation to one another, to non-human entities, and to the living earth in generative and sustainable ways. Given this, there is need for generational knowledge sharing between local, regional and intersocietal contexts.
Compounded with this, there has been an ongoing need to address the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization. This has been a prohibitive barrier in many cases to creating space in and out of the academy that embraces the diversity of Indigenous thought as well as philosophies in Canada and around the world.
CAIR aims to address the complexity of all these factors by supporting 25 co-developed research projects that centre Indigenous Indigenous approaches within the humanities and social sciences. Key to these approaches are Indigenous knowledges and practices of relationship which act as the foundation.
What gap does CAIR fill?
CAIR exists to advance new knowledge about the interconnected structures, systems, and lifeways of different Indigenous Peoples through the deepening and strengthening of decentralized Indigenous research.
CAIR has identified that a limitation in the scholarship today is an absence of theory that is based on examples of relational politics, society, economics, culture, and pedagogies in Indigenous life. CAIR exists to fill the need for place-based, nuanced, contextual engagements with relational models so that the concept of relationality remains grounded in specific notions of place, family, connectivity, and community. A result of this will be resources related to relationality. Resources pertaining to relationality need to be stable and ongoing to ensure critical dialogue and exchanges can endure in order to engage in Indigenous-led knowledge mobilization and exchange.
Providing meaningful, supportive space for community-drive research will continue to benefit and support Indigenous Peoples in many ways. For the research community, CAIR hopes to act as an enduring example of collaborative, ethical and respectful research partnerships. In addition CAIR has the potential to advance the self-determination and empowerment of Indigenous communities. Again, this is achieved by exploring relationality in localized contexts and engaging in collaborative applied research which resist operative norms that often distil Indigenous People into mere subjects of research rather than partners in research.
CAIR exists to advance new knowledge about the interconnected structures, systems, and lifeways of different Indigenous Peoples through the deepening and strengthening of decentralized Indigenous research.
CAIR has identified that a limitation in the scholarship today is an absence of theory that is based on examples of relational politics, society, economics, culture, and pedagogies in Indigenous life. CAIR exists to fill the need for place-based, nuanced, contextual engagements with relational models so that the concept of relationality remains grounded in specific notions of place, family, connectivity, and community. A result of this will be resources related to relationality. Resources pertaining to relationality need to be stable and ongoing to ensure critical dialogue and exchanges can endure in order to engage in Indigenous-led knowledge mobilization and exchange.
Providing meaningful, supportive space for community-drive research will continue to benefit and support Indigenous Peoples in many ways. For the research community, CAIR hopes to act as an enduring example of collaborative, ethical and respectful research partnerships. In addition CAIR has the potential to advance the self-determination and empowerment of Indigenous communities. Again, this is achieved by exploring relationality in localized contexts and engaging in collaborative applied research which resist operative norms that often distil Indigenous People into mere subjects of research rather than partners in research.
What is the geographic extent of CAIR?
Most CAIR projects occur within Canada, but there are some exceptions. CAIR’s work is not geographically limited to the Prairies as its parent network may suggest. Instead, CAIR involves communities coast to coast.
Most CAIR projects occur within Canada, but there are some exceptions. CAIR’s work is not geographically limited to the Prairies as its parent network may suggest. Instead, CAIR involves communities coast to coast.
How does CAIR differ from PRN?
The best way to explain the difference between CAIR and PRN is to say that PRN is a parent program to CAIR. This means that not all CAIR participants are PRN members and vice-versa. Nonetheless, there is a lot of collaboration between the CAIR and PRN to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Another difference lies in the fact that CAIR is an initiative of PRN with a set amount of funding time to operate while PRN is an organization with an indefinite lifetime. PRN will likely outlive all initiatives and projects it takes on.
CAIR is also inspiring a new direction from what PRN initiatives have generally followed. Specifically, CAIR advances the research network and efforts well beyond the prairies, including projects expanding north (Dinjii Zhuh research), south (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, South Dakota), east (Radical Culture School), and west (Secwépemc research). On top of this, CAIR is investigated topics beyond what was initially researched within PRN—Indigenous politics—and expanding to more than ten disciplines.
The best way to explain the difference between CAIR and PRN is to say that PRN is a parent program to CAIR. This means that not all CAIR participants are PRN members and vice-versa. Nonetheless, there is a lot of collaboration between the CAIR and PRN to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Another difference lies in the fact that CAIR is an initiative of PRN with a set amount of funding time to operate while PRN is an organization with an indefinite lifetime. PRN will likely outlive all initiatives and projects it takes on.
CAIR is also inspiring a new direction from what PRN initiatives have generally followed. Specifically, CAIR advances the research network and efforts well beyond the prairies, including projects expanding north (Dinjii Zhuh research), south (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, South Dakota), east (Radical Culture School), and west (Secwépemc research). On top of this, CAIR is investigated topics beyond what was initially researched within PRN—Indigenous politics—and expanding to more than ten disciplines.
Who is involved with CAIR?
CAIR, in short, involves scholars, organizations and community partners. The program involves predominantly Indigenous academics and partner organizations divided into three overarching thematics and then one of twenty-five unique projects. Our scholars and partners come from eight distinct Indigenous traditions and are from at least 17 Indigenous communities. Our scholars come from a wide range of disciplines including political science, Indigenous studies, literary studies, film, nursing, techno-science, women’s studies, archaeology, education, sociology, religion, anthropology, and history.
CAIR, in short, involves scholars, organizations and community partners. The program involves predominantly Indigenous academics and partner organizations divided into three overarching thematics and then one of twenty-five unique projects. Our scholars and partners come from eight distinct Indigenous traditions and are from at least 17 Indigenous communities. Our scholars come from a wide range of disciplines including political science, Indigenous studies, literary studies, film, nursing, techno-science, women’s studies, archaeology, education, sociology, religion, anthropology, and history.
How long will CAIR formally run? What is the timeline?
CAIR will formally operate between 2024 and 2031. There will be a few formal reporting milestones throughout this time to meet the obligations and responsibilities in continuing to receive this SSHRC grant funding.
Most of the 25 themed research projects will be held in the first four years of the grant. The final two years of the grant will be focussed on weaving the findings from those 25 projects and their subsequent themes, and objectives. This will be done through network-wide synthesis, co-production, theorization, and dissemination.
CAIR will formally operate between 2024 and 2031. There will be a few formal reporting milestones throughout this time to meet the obligations and responsibilities in continuing to receive this SSHRC grant funding.
Most of the 25 themed research projects will be held in the first four years of the grant. The final two years of the grant will be focussed on weaving the findings from those 25 projects and their subsequent themes, and objectives. This will be done through network-wide synthesis, co-production, theorization, and dissemination.
How much funding is supporting CAIR?
CAIR will be receiving $2.5 million over 6 years, with no more than 500K given per year.
CAIR will be receiving $2.5 million over 6 years, with no more than 500K given per year.
Objectives of CAIR
To facilitate the cross-fertilization of ideas and network-wide activities, we have developed three overarching objectives:
- Strengthening Indigenous research networks to support local, regional, and intersocietal knowledge exchange;
- Using a decentralized research program to theorize relational practices, pedagogies, and methodologies, and;
- Advancing innovative knowledge-mobilization techniques focused on societal engagements
To facilitate the cross-fertilization of ideas and network-wide activities, we have developed three overarching objectives:
- Strengthening Indigenous research networks to support local, regional, and intersocietal knowledge exchange;
- Using a decentralized research program to theorize relational practices, pedagogies, and methodologies, and;
- Advancing innovative knowledge-mobilization techniques focused on societal engagements
Project and Impact Indictors
Progress indicators for this project include but are not limited to:
- Critical thought and knowledge creation for diverse audiences
- A dynamic decentralized network of autonomous thinkers
- Feelings of connection, welcome, and inclusion among members of the network and participants
- Innovative outputs at multiple scales
- A leadership team that actively practises and theorizes relationality through this project
Progress indicators for this project include but are not limited to:
- Critical thought and knowledge creation for diverse audiences
- A dynamic decentralized network of autonomous thinkers
- Feelings of connection, welcome, and inclusion among members of the network and participants
- Innovative outputs at multiple scales
- A leadership team that actively practises and theorizes relationality through this project
Theoretical and Methodological Approaches
Our engagement with Indigenous relationality includes not only identifying and developing practices, pedagogies, and methodologies but also developing a larger body of theory related to these practices, pedagogy and methodology. Research will be mobilized on local, regional, national and international scales. CAIR is committed to using decentralized methodologies that allow for a wide array of sites to be used to enact relationality within their subsequent localized contexts and forms of Indigenous knowledge. This is paramount to meaningful dialogue and collaboration.
We use the Cree-Métis concept of kîhokêwin (visiting) as the foundation of our methodology and our knowledge mobilization plan. This concept has informed our kîhokêwin Declaration which is intended to guide our work. The Declaration provides a deeper understanding about the key tenants that visiting, as a prairie Indigenous form of knowledge transfer, possesses. Likewise, it also embodies the principles that guide our methods and procedures. The Declaration has since evolved into an agreement shared by all project participants after holding multiple consultation meetings with our partners. These discussions ensured that a wide range of people and and place-specific understandings of visiting were included in this living, collaborative agreement.
Compounded with this, we assert the need to ensure the work of the twenty-five themed research projects is robustly interconnected. To do this, we have adopted the use of conceptual fingerweaving. This method is inspired by the rich traditions of fingerweaving in many Indigenous Peoples lives. This is a skilled craft characterized by intertwining numerous different threads into an intricate pattern and is a traditional method of creating a Métis sash. Dr. Jobin’s late aunt Laura McLaughlin was an accomplished Métis weaver, and these familial teachings and her art provide the visual metaphor we are using to interconnect this diverse research program.
Our metaphor plays out like this: Imagine that our 25 themed research projects are instead 25 threads. The role of the project leads and program directors is to take those individual threads and intertwine them together in service of creating a larger whole that can only be seen by weaving the threads carefully and purposefully. Under this metaphor, our themed research projects are not simply separate entities; rather, they are entities meant to be woven in and around eachother to build a pattern which is our overarching research question of: What contributions does Indigenous relationality make towards knowledges and societies?
Our engagement with Indigenous relationality includes not only identifying and developing practices, pedagogies, and methodologies but also developing a larger body of theory related to these practices, pedagogy and methodology. Research will be mobilized on local, regional, national and international scales. CAIR is committed to using decentralized methodologies that allow for a wide array of sites to be used to enact relationality within their subsequent localized contexts and forms of Indigenous knowledge. This is paramount to meaningful dialogue and collaboration.
We use the Cree-Métis concept of kîhokêwin (visiting) as the foundation of our methodology and our knowledge mobilization plan. This concept has informed our kîhokêwin Declaration which is intended to guide our work. The Declaration provides a deeper understanding about the key tenants that visiting, as a prairie Indigenous form of knowledge transfer, possesses. Likewise, it also embodies the principles that guide our methods and procedures. The Declaration has since evolved into an agreement shared by all project participants after holding multiple consultation meetings with our partners. These discussions ensured that a wide range of people and and place-specific understandings of visiting were included in this living, collaborative agreement.
Compounded with this, we assert the need to ensure the work of the twenty-five themed research projects is robustly interconnected. To do this, we have adopted the use of conceptual fingerweaving. This method is inspired by the rich traditions of fingerweaving in many Indigenous Peoples lives. This is a skilled craft characterized by intertwining numerous different threads into an intricate pattern and is a traditional method of creating a Métis sash. Dr. Jobin’s late aunt Laura McLaughlin was an accomplished Métis weaver, and these familial teachings and her art provide the visual metaphor we are using to interconnect this diverse research program.
Our metaphor plays out like this: Imagine that our 25 themed research projects are instead 25 threads. The role of the project leads and program directors is to take those individual threads and intertwine them together in service of creating a larger whole that can only be seen by weaving the threads carefully and purposefully. Under this metaphor, our themed research projects are not simply separate entities; rather, they are entities meant to be woven in and around eachother to build a pattern which is our overarching research question of: What contributions does Indigenous relationality make towards knowledges and societies?
Future Outlook
Looking ahead, we hope that CAIR leaves a lasting legacy on relationality scholarship and continues to inspire scholars to critically engage with the emerging theory surrounding it and the practice of living in a relational way.
Looking ahead, we hope that CAIR leaves a lasting legacy on relationality scholarship and continues to inspire scholars to critically engage with the emerging theory surrounding it and the practice of living in a relational way.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity
Our equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigeneity plan centres around critical Indigenous research practice and design. We aim to foster a supportive research environment for Indigenous Elders, students, emerging scholars and community members through our relational visiting and mentorship methodologies. In research design, our program is Indigenous-led and critical in its constitution, and includes themed research projects focused on Indigenous mentorship, neurodiversity, and insurgent knowledge held by youth, queer, and women members of Indigenous nations.
Our equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigeneity plan centres around critical Indigenous research practice and design. We aim to foster a supportive research environment for Indigenous Elders, students, emerging scholars and community members through our relational visiting and mentorship methodologies. In research design, our program is Indigenous-led and critical in its constitution, and includes themed research projects focused on Indigenous mentorship, neurodiversity, and insurgent knowledge held by youth, queer, and women members of Indigenous nations.
What academic scholarship informed CAIR?
Click the PDF document below to see what academic scholarship informed CAIR. Take note of the many works done by CAIR members!
Click the PDF document below to see what academic scholarship informed CAIR. Take note of the many works done by CAIR members!
.png)
Contact Information
Critical Approaches to Indigenous Relationality
c/o Faculty of Native Studies
2-31 Pembina Hall, University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
T6G 2H8
CANADA
email: cair@ualberta.ca