Professor Aimée Craft has been appointed to the newly-created Reference Group for the Appropriate Review of Indigenous Research, an initiative of Canada’s Tri-Council research funding agencies — the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Canadian Institutes of Health Research— to guide the development and implementation of culturally appropriate review approaches and practices for research conducted by and with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Professor Craft is an internationally recognized leader in the area of Indigenous laws, treaties and water, prioritizing Indigenous-led and interdisciplinary research. Throughout her career, she has frequently partnered with Indigenous organizations to conduct research, organize conferences, deliver public education and engage in advocacy initiatives.
As part of the Reference Group, Professor Craft will work with the Tri-Council agencies to ensure appropriate recognition of Indigenous knowledge systems while building the capacity of Indigenous communities to lead their own research and collaborate with the broader research community. These efforts will not only benefit Indigenous researchers and Indigenous communities, but will also expose the broader Canadian research community to Indigenous worldviews, knowledge and laws as necessary ontological, theoretical, practical and epistemological foundations rather than contingent add-ons to Western research agendas and practices.
The Common Law Section congratulates Professor Craft on this important appointment. She continues to inspire those around her to take big steps towards respectful engagement with Indigenous people through the process of truth, reconciliation and decolonization.