Two FNUniv Faculty Awarded SSHRC Funding to Advance Indigenous Research

First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) is celebrating the success of two faculty-led research projects that have received a combined $100,000 through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s (SSHRC) Indigenous Capacity and Leadership in Research (ICLR) Connection Grants.

The funding supports projects led by Dr. Merelda Fiddler-Potter, Assistant Professor in Indigenous Journalism and Indigenous Business and Public Administration, and Audrey Dreaver, Assistant Professor in Indigenous Fine Arts. Together, the projects will strengthen Indigenous research leadership, advance Indigenous knowledge systems, and create new opportunities for collaboration with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, students, and community partners.

Building Indigenous-Led Research Ethics

Dr. Fiddler-Potter’s project, Ethics in Our Own Voices: Building an Indigenous Research Ethics Board, will lay the groundwork for establishing an Indigenous Research Ethics Board (IREB) at FNUniv.

The initiative will bring together Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Indigenous scholars, students, early-career researchers, and community partners for a two-day gathering focused on developing Indigenous-led approaches to research ethics. Guided by Indigenous laws, languages, ceremony, and relational accountability, participants will work together to develop principles that reflect Indigenous approaches to research governance.

The project will also produce a report, toolkit, and knowledge mobilization resources that may support other Indigenous institutions interested in developing culturally grounded research ethics processes.

Exploring Indigenous Art as Knowledge

Audrey Dreaver’s project, Indigenous Art: Understanding Indigenous Intellectuality Through the Lens of Fine Art, examines the central role Indigenous art has played within Indigenous societies for thousands of years while challenging colonial perspectives that have marginalized Indigenous artistic practice.

Through a series of interdisciplinary workshops, the project will connect Indigenous Fine Arts with fields including science, language revitalization, journalism, social work, healing, and education. By bringing these disciplines together, the initiative will highlight Indigenous art as a sophisticated system of knowledge and an important intellectual tradition.

The workshops will also encourage participants to reconnect with the cultural, educational, scientific, and historical significance of Indigenous artistic practice.

Advancing Indigenous Research Leadership

Together, these projects highlight FNUniv’s leadership in Indigenous-led research by strengthening Indigenous knowledge systems, fostering collaboration with communities, and supporting the next generation of Indigenous scholars. The combined $100,000 in SSHRC funding reflects the growing recognition of Indigenous research that is grounded in community relationships, cultural knowledge, and Indigenous ways of knowing.