Building bridges between all communities
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JULY 2012 • PAGE 11 Trent University attracts $2.5 million in funding through social sciences and humanities council Professor David Newhouse to work with National Association of Friendship Centres and other partners on five-year project focusing on urban Aboriginal success FRIDAY, MAY 25 – Peterborough – Trent University is the recipient of $2.5 million over five years from the Social Sciences and Hu- manities Council (SSHRC) to explore success- ful models of Aboriginal people building and liv- ing fulfilling lives in urban settings. Professor David Newhouse, professor of In- digenous Studies at Trent University is the lead researcher working with the National Associa- tion of Friendship Centres and a number of oth- er university and government partners in the Ur- ban Aboriginal Knowledge Network, directed by a vision of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peo- ple in urban communities "living well together." "The idea is to look at the ways in which Aboriginal people who live in cities are building good lives," said Prof. Newhouse. "We want to go beyond examination and analysis of prob- lems and focus on the ways in which people are building institutions and communities in response to the issues and dilemmas of urban life." Trent's vice president, research & interna- tional, Dr. Neil Emery, expressed the signifi- cance of the funding announcement. "SSHRC's funding recognizes the pivotal difference in this research approach: a focus on success stories in urban Aboriginal communi- ties," said Prof. Emery. "This project shines a light on the ex- pertise within Indigenous Stud- ies, one of the signature areas in Trent's academic plan – and will advance our knowledge of how flourishing Aboriginal com- munities in urban settings can be perpetuated." Although over 50 per cent of self-identify as Aboriginal cused around four broad themes – human de- velopment (needs and outcomes of individuals and families), social cohesion (community well- being, education, justice), economic develop- ment (economic participation, employment, en- trepreneurship, income), and civic engagement (or "political ownership"). The Network consists of four regional re- search centres, in British Columbia, the Prai- ries, central Canada, and Atlantic Canada – partnerships have also been made with a Quebec research network, ODENA, and with Regroupement des centres d'amitie autoch- tones du Quebec, a Provincial/Territorial Asso- ciation of the National Association of Friendship Centres To ensure that knowledge gained by the 'The idea is to look at the ways in which Aboriginal people who live in cities are building good lives.' those who in Canada live in urban centres, the realities of urban Aborigi- nal peoples remain much less understood by researchers, scholars, government officials, and many service agencies than those of "on reserve" First Nations peoples and Inuit in the North. With the SSHRC funding, the Urban Ab- original Knowledge Network will address this knowledge gap through a national partnership for research, scholarship and knowledge mobi- lization on matters of importance to urban Ab- original peoples. Based on the premise that Aboriginal com- munities have too long been the subjects of research rather than participants and partners in research and knowledge mobilization, the members of the Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network (Aboriginal organizations, universities and governments) are working collaboratively on research projects across the country. The project's research activities will be fo- Network is mobilized as effectively as possible in the relevant communities, the Network is committed to making its work widely available through publications, conferences and work- shops, reports and presentations to commu- nity groups and governments, and the Internet. Through funding provided last year by Indian and Aboriginal Affairs, the Network has already published one book: Well-Being in the Urban Aboriginal community (Newhouse, Fitzmaurice, McGuire-Adams and Jette, Thompson, 2012). An important part of the Network's strategy is to pro- vide opportunities for emerg- ing scholars, especially Ab- original scholars, to engage in research and thinking about urban Aboriginal issues. The knowledge created by the Network will be avail- able for use in courses on Aboriginal issues at both the graduate and undergraduate levels and provided to community-based and govern- ment partners, thereby helping to improve poli- cy, programs and services for urban Aboriginal peoples. The announcement took place in Kitchener, Ontario, where Minister of State (Science and Technology) Goodyear shared that more than $70 million is being awarded over a period of seven years to support 92 research teams across the country. SSHRC is the federal agency that promotes and supports postsecondary-based research and training in the humanities and social scienc- es. Through its programs and policies, SSHRC enables the highest levels of research excel- lence in Canada, and facilitates knowledge- sharing and collaboration across research dis- ciplines, universities and all sectors of society. Professor David Newhouse 705-748-1011 x7497 ~ For more information, please contact: • PENNER OIL has provided petroleum fuels to First Nation communities for over 20 years in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and N.W. Ontario • PENNER OIL can help you with the design and layout of new first nations gas stations to meet the needs of the community • PENNER OIL offers a full range of Nemco & Peak oil products at very competitive prices Call us and ask about the 10 best reasons why you should deal with Penner Oil PENNER OIL has been a wholesale Distributor of petroleum products for over 20 years. 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