Research mandate

Research at the Centre is Survivor-centred and oriented towards reconciliation efforts. The Centre’s Research team:

• Supports personalized visits for individuals looking to access Residential School records
• Collaborates on research-focused or related projects that are community-inspired and led
• Co-develops, curates and contributes to exhibition development
• Engages in dialogue sessions with community members to inform research practices

The Centre collaborates on research that is addressing specific Survivor and community needs in a culturally appropriate and Indigenous-informed way. The Centre respects Survivor and community-led research protocols around ownership, stewardship, access and information security. In support of the Centre’s mandate, the Research team promotes Indigenous voices in research, and engages in research that is innovative, prioritizes new knowledge and involves Indigenous knowledge exchange.

The Centre recognizes that communities and Survivors are often dealing with complex and cross-cutting research issues which include, but go beyond residential schools and into broader reconciliation or healing processes. Through its multi-disciplinary team, the Centre can help address these wider issues through collaborations with other communities, organizations and UBC partners.

Research within the Centre also supports and informs the broader educational mission of the Centre to provide advanced approaches to thinking about information, interactivity, and challenging traditional or colonial narratives around Indigenous information and research.

As part of its on-going dialogue series, the Centre brings together community-based experts, researchers, and educators to discuss the ongoing impact of the schools and their ties to issues such as economic development and the health and sustainability of Indigenous communities. Research at the Centre, as well as partnerships, are informed by feedback from this outreach.