Go to the Aboriginal Policy Research Conference

Conference Goals

The specific goals of the Aboriginal Policy Research Conference   are three-fold and reflect the holistic perspective that figures so prominently in Aboriginal cultures.

First, the Aboriginal Policy Research Conference   will bring attention to the wide body of research available on Aboriginal issues. Although the need for Aboriginal research is widely recognized, it has not received the level of priority and coordination which it deserves. Bringing together a diverse array of researchers will allow promising theories and methods to be shared and advanced. Moreover, by engaging policy-makers and Aboriginal peoples as active participants, rather than as passive spectators, research gaps can be more easily identified, and researchers more easily apprised of how to make their work more policy-relevant. In addition, the conference will promote the establishment of networks among the various stakeholders in Aboriginal research. These relationships will provide continuous feedback, ensuring that policy needs continue to direct research agendas long after the conference has ended.

Second, dissatisfaction has been voiced with respect to the "victimization" model with which Aboriginal issues are often framed; that is, in the past, researchers have overwhelmingly addressed "problems" related to Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The Aboriginal Policy Research Conference will attempt to foster a paradigm shift away from this victimization model, affording equal attention to those studies that examine the positive aspects of Aboriginal realities.

Third, rather than addressing the different research areas - such as social, economic, and health - in isolation from one another, an attempt will be made to integrate them at the conference, so that their interrelationships with respect to Aboriginal quality of life can be better understood and appreciated.