Featured Speaker: Shawn Wilson

Working in Respectful Relationship to Engage Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Knowledges

Shawn Wilson

Director of Research
Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples
Southern Cross University

Shawn Wilson is Opaskwayak Cree from northern Manitoba, Canada, with a doctorate in social sciences/Indigenous studies. His expertise is in research methodology and epistemologies, particularly in ways of knowing and conducting research used by Indigenous peoples. He has applied these within the contexts of Indigenous education, counselling and counsellor education, Indigenous mental health, and general Indigenous studies through comparison between Indigenous peoples internationally. His current role is in building research capacity with primary health care workers. Previously, he has documented ideas about what an Elder is and how Elders can be supported. His latest book, Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods, examines some of the similarities in philosophy underlying Indigenous peoples' research methodologies in Canada and Australia. In addition to further articulating Indigenous philosophies and research paradigms, his research focuses on the inter-related concepts of identity, health and healing, culture, and wellbeing.