Fostering Indigenous research “in a good way”

Ana Maria Peredo, Telfer professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, has received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Connection grant for a project titled “The International Academy of Research in Indigenous Management and Organization Studies.”

The project aims to enhance Indigenous research and research training for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous management and organization researchers, creating a bridge between traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western ways of knowing.

Indigenous perspectives lacking

Peredo, a mestiza from Peru and a pioneer in the field of Indigenous research, notes the lack of recognition of the unique perspectives and contributions of Indigenous peoples. She says that “Indigenous knowledge systems have valuable insights to offer in the realm of business, community organizing, leadership, and economic development.”

The Indigenous Academy will address this by nurturing a new generation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous management scholars who can weave together Indigenous and Western knowledge, ensuring research benefits both locally and globally.

The academy has assembled a remarkable lineup of Indigenous scholars, academic mentors—including Telfer professors—dedicated to supporting emerging Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars from around the world.

Peredo notes a significant increase in Indigenous enterprises worldwide, leading to a growth in management and organization studies looking at Indigenous perspectives. Several business schools in Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere have taken steps to attract Indigenous students and professors and develop Indigenous-focused initiatives. Yet despite these efforts, there remain barriers to Indigenous peoples in management education and research.

Benefits to Indigenous communities and beyond

Collaboration with leaders from four Indigenous organizations will ensure that Peredo’s research is relevant and beneficial to Indigenous communities.  Moreover, Peredo believes that the research impact will extend beyond academia, to Indigenous communities, Indigenous organizations and society at large.

The project will support Indigenous self-determination and economic reconciliation and respond to the calls of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Indigenous Academy could become a beacon of change within the broader academic community, promoting research “in a good way,” to use a term that refers to honouring Indigenous traditions and spirit.