It’s been around 18 months since the lab and I started to think about how we could contribute to the process of reconciliation. This blog represents one way to document some of the things we have learned, and in some ways to provide a point of accountability. As a new year begins, I find myself asking how this process, this commitment to engaging in reconciliation, has changed the way we work as a lab and the way I engage in both professional and personal activities.
From one perspective, much has continued as usual. Change comes slowly. Our research questions regarding the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning impulsivity and risky choice are still the same. However, I am definitely more mindful of the enormous influence that culture and politics play in the generation of those questions thanks in no small part to Kim Tallbear’s book Native American DNA
As I connect with others on campus simply by being engaged and interested in learning about reconciliation efforts, opportunities to sit on EDI committees, discuss how to integrate Indigenous ways of knowing into the courses I teach, and to mentor First Nations students who are curious about Behavioural Neuroscience have grown.
Engaging in reconciliation should impact every aspect of life. Because I began searching for news content regarding First Nations communities online, I see more of these stories in my social media feeds. A small change perhaps, but one that almost certainly increases how mindful I am of Indigenous issues on a daily basis. Stories like this one, reporting the development of high school science lessons that incorporate Indigenous knowledge encourage me to look for opportunities to decolonize and update my own classroom materials. Other articles, such as the renaming of Trutch street to Musquamview, the impact of tourism on the Indigenous culture of Hawaii, and the use of Indigenous knowledge to effectively fight wild fires in BC, are all stories I feel I paid more attention to, or processed more intentionally, because of the reconciliation activities we have done. I increasingly look to purchase gifts or clothing from Indigenous-owned businesses, and every connection brings additional vendors to my attention. Small changes, but changes nonetheless.
As with all things, I worry about momentum, and how to ensure this remains a priority despite the ever-growing list of demands on my time. One impossible thing at a time.
Catharine Winstanley, January 18th 2023