Associate professor Kim TallBear talks about being named Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Environment and why it’s important to look at how Indigenous communities and people shape and participate in science.
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On Edmonton Journal(External Website)
University of Alberta professor Kim TallBear has been named the first recipient of a prestigious Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Environment. She spoke to Postmedia about the barriers indigenous researchers face as well as how they shape the scientific field.
Q: What does it mean to be recognized with a Canada Research Chair?
A: The fields of science and technology studies haven’t ever really looked at the indigenous peoples and technoscientific knowledge. … Some people look at feminist implications or post-colonial implications … but only a few of us have looked at how indigenous communities shape science.
There are long-standing, explicit racial assumptions in science. Take genetic research — that narrative is still there in terms of how aboriginal people are sampled … we’re described as a race that’s vanishing or disappearing. African populations are often viewed in much the same way by European or North American researchers.
Q: You are planning to launch a summer internship program that will expose aboriginal post-secondary students as well as community members to scientific fields. Why is it important to build capacity for future aboriginal researchers? [Read full article on Edmonton Journal]
