Four new UM Canada Research Chairs focus on Indigenous research

Today, the federal government announced support for four new Canada Research Chairs (CRC) and three renewals at UM.

UM is committed to fostering research by, for and with Indigenous Peoples, as demonstrated in the institution’s Strategic Research Plan, 2024-29. Each of the four new Canada Research Chairs are either Indigenous scholars or are engaging in research involving Indigenous researchers and/or communities. Their work incorporates Indigenous perspectives, knowledges, paradigms and tools that represent First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples and honours their distinctions.

“UM is excited to welcome the newest group of incredible CRCs,” said Mario Pinto, Vice-President, Research and International. “These researchers represent a cross section of exciting research in various disciplines – from physics to social justice – advancing critical work from an Indigenous perspective. UM has invested wisely!”

The CRC program recognizes world-class researchers to reinforce academic research and training excellence in Canada and attract top talent. Chair holders are focused on humanities, social sciences, engineering and the natural sciences, and health sciences. UM has a total allocation of 50 CRCs.

New Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs

Lucy Delgado – Faculty of Education

Lucy Delgado

Michif and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer Education as Wellness 

Delgado is focusing on Michif (Métis) youth identity, Indigenous education, queer theory and will be building on her research program by partnering with educators in Manitoba. Through a Métis conceptual framework, emphasizing “Being a Good Relative,” grounded in wahkotowin (kinship relations) and kiyokewin (visiting) and informed by antiracist and anti-oppressive theories, this research will be grounded in joy and community building amongst 2S/IQ Michif peoples to amplify community voices.

Delgado’s research will:            

• Determine the ways Michif and 2S/IQ perspectives, histories and stories are addressed in Manitoba K–12 education.
• Develop tools and techniques for different educational safe spaces in both formal and informal learning settings to improve the experiences of Michif and 2S/IQ learners.
• Design research and gathering spaces that prioritize joy and celebration of self and culture to re-claim knowledge and co-create research that meets Michif ethical commitments.

Delgado was recently awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project Grant to fund her work on the impact of Métis-specific spaces on the health and wellness of Métis women and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer people.

Learn more about Lucy Delgado.

Jeremy Patzer – Department of Sociology and Criminology

Jeremy Patzer

Comparative Indigenous Rights 

Patzer is engaging in new collaborative work with Indigenous communities from Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Finland to study the complexities and barriers faced by Indigenous rights activities.

Patzer’s CRC program aims to use sociolegal data and interviews with Indigenous rights advocates to deepen understanding through comparative study. This work will emphasize a transdisciplinary approach based on Indigenous experiences and will compare Indigenous rights, not only by jurisdiction or group, but also by activity and the type of struggle. This approach recognizes diverse avenues for rights assertion within law and politics.

Patzer is Métis, Saulteaux and German with roots in the West Interlake region of Manitoba. (Indigenous family names are Spence, Monkman, Pottinger, and Dumas.) A citizen of the MMF, Patzer co-owns the family farm in the Vogar Métis Local, just outside Lake Manitoba First Nation, and has family ties to members of Peguis and Sagkeeng First Nations.

Dr. Patzer’s work will:

• Compare different types of struggles.
• Identify opportunities for and obstacles to success.
• Examine their effects on strategies and aspirations of advocates.
• Collaborate with Indigenous peoples to co-produce knowledge and equip and empower for more effective rights advocacy.

Learn more about Dr. Patzer.

Warren Bernauer – Department of Environment and Geography

Warren Bernauer

Energy Transitions and Social Justice in the North

Barnauer’s CRC program will examine inequities, conflicts and the social justice effects of moving away from fossil fuels, focusing on Northern Indigenous communities and conflict over critical mineral extraction and electricity generation.

Using participatory action research methods, Barnauer will work with Indigenous partners to explore the possibilities and challenges of a just transition away from fossil fuels. He will focus on conflicts and injustices in current energy transition approaches and identify alternatives that emphasize improved resource management and economic development. Specific projects will support Indigenous involvement in decision-making about mineral extraction, waste management, electricity production and alternative economic approaches. The North is changing, and this research ensures Indigenous peoples will influence this transformation.

Dr. Bernauer’s research will:

• Examine conflicts and injustices in the current approach to energy transition.
• Identify alternative approaches to energy transition policy in Northern Canada.
• Work in partnership with Indigenous communities and advisors with expertise to highlight the complexity at the heart of pressing social, economic and ecological issues.

Learn more about Dr. Bernauer.

Kyle Shiells – Department of Physics and Astronomy

Kyle Shiells

Nuclear Femtography

The study of nuclear femtometers, which are a million times smaller than an atom and are used to describe tiny dimensions, has become a frontier involving researchers in multiple disciplines. Shiells’ research focuses on better understanding protons. He will use advanced statistical and mathematical methods to address complex challenges and help solve the mysteries of the proton.

Shiells’ CRC program aims to merge cutting-edge theory with new and existing data to answer important lingering questions about protons, including:

• How does the proton acquire its spin?
• How are the quarks and gluons distributed within the proton?
• How does the proton acquire its mass?

Learn more about Dr. Shiells.

Canada Research Chair Renewals

Britt Drögemöller – CRC in Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine. Learn more about Dr. Drögemöller.

Andrew Halayko – CRC in Lung Pathobiology and Treatment. Learn more about Dr. Halayko.

Lisa Lix – CRC in Methods for Electronic Health Data Quality. Learn more about Dr. Lix

UM Today Staff