MDP Students doing Research

Tue. Oct. 20, 2020

In addition to their coursework, MDP students are actively sought out to work with University of Winnipeg faculty from different departments. Here are the exciting and unique research projects that the MDP students are currently involved in:

Kiera Kowalski - The Impacts and Experiences of Indigenous Community Members as Participants in Indigenous Outreach Activities (Dr. Jaime Cidro; NSERC EDI Project)

"As part of my work as a Research Assistant at the Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre I will be piloting interview questions with youth who participate in cultural programming at the centre. These interviews will help understand how culturally relevant programming housed within university institutions effects Indigenous students sense of identity and self-esteem.

This RA-ship has given me the opportunity to work closely with community and practice utilizing Indigenous research methodologies.  I have been able to take much of the theory I have learned throughout the first year of MDP and put it into practice."

Ali Nychuk and Sarah DeLaronde - She Walks With Me: Supporting Urban Indigenous Expectant Mothers Through Culturally Based Doulas (Dr. Jaime Cidro; CIHR Project Grant or SSHRC Partner Development Grant)

"Having the opportunity to meet Indigenous Women from across what we now call Canada who are taking on this important work that traditionally existed in our communities, has been nothing short of inspirational. This work continues to demonstrate the need for a holistic health model that appreciates and recognizes birth support work within the health care system, specifically in light of recent current events as racism is being documented by Indigenous people who are accessing care. I am so grateful for this opportunity to learn from and be mentored by a strong group of Indigenous women." Ali

Tara Myran, Janelle Poiron and Ada Chukwudozie - Kishaadigeh: Indigenous Self Determination through Research for our Future Generations (Dr. Jaime Cidro; CIHR NEIHR Project)

“I am very excited to learn about and do work in Indigenous-led research. It is critical that Indigenous communities identify their priorities and pursue their own needs. This will create self determination through not only our generation but the seven generations to come." Janelle

"Working on this project has opened a new type of practical research for me; one that is mindful of meaningful relationship building and dedicated towards working closely and respectfully with Indigenous communities. I get to work with several teams and soak in so much knowledge and it's something I would not trade for anything." Ada

 

Alexander Keone Kapuni Oldroyd - Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak (Dr. Mavis Reimer - project director; Dr. Roland Bohr - team leader; SSHRC Partnership project)

 “The overall goal of the Six Seasons project is to advance the work of reclaiming Indigenous languages, histories, and knowledge among the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak (Rocky Cree). Our work responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call for the revitalization of Indigenous cultures and the ‘relearning of Canada’s national history.’ At the heart of the project is the creation of a series of historical picture books for use in classrooms and homes across the Province.

As a graduate research assistant, I work with Dr. Roland Bohr to conduct historical research to help piece together what life was like for the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak in the mid-1600s. Part of this research has involved working with knowledge keepers from the O-Pipon-Napiwin First Nation and the Nisichawayashik Cree Nation to craft explanatory notes as part of the book text. I am grateful to be a part of a project that is able to make the knowledge of the past so accessible to the children of today.”

Alexander Keone Kapuni Oldroyd - Business Development for Value-added Fishery Products in the Misipawistik Cree Nation (Dr. Melanie O’Gorman; Mitacs Accelerate Project)

“Both the level of waste in the Manitoba fishery and the rates of food insecurity in Northern Manitoba communities are unconscionable. Put them together and we have a tragedy. The goal of this project is to work with a fisherman from the Misipawistik Cree Nation to create a social enterprise that uses fish that would normally go to waste to create high-quality, nutritious, and affordable fish products for local consumption. I am working in partnership with Wa Ni Ska Tan, a SSHRC funded non-profit run out of the University of Manitoba, to create a market-assessment and feasibility study that will form the foundation of the social enterprise’s business plan.

The most exciting part of this research for me is the chance to use good business practices to sustainably solve community problems.”

Babatunde Alabi - Your Voice Matters. Really?! Public participation and consumer engagement in regulatory proceedings (Dr. Patricia Fitzpatrick; Office of Consumer Affairs)

 "I am excited to be involved in this very interesting project as Senior Research Assistant. It affords me the opportunity to learn about what constitutes effective and meaningful participation of the public in the government’s administrative review and decision-making processes. My work involves conducting case studies on regulatory tribunals review processes across Canada to determine the extent to which their proceedings and public participation conform to best practices. It also affords me the opportunity to further hone my skills in qualitative research techniques and the use of qualitative tools in the analysis of data."

 Kate Robb - Community Appropriate Sustainable Energy Security (Dr. Patricia Fitzpatrick; SSHRC Partnership grant)

"The CASES partnership is a 7-year SSHRC funded project led by the University of Saskatchewan in collaboration with researchers and partners in Canada, Alaska, Norway, and Sweden. CASES aims to re-imagine energy security in northern and Indigenous communities by co-creating knowledge, understanding, and capacity to design, implement, and manage renewable energy systems that support and enhance social and economic values.

 As a senior research assistant, I am working with Dr. Patricia Fitzpatrick, the lead of the Manitoba CASES team. Last spring we held a workshop at the University of Winnipeg to bring Manitobans together to share ideas about the future of energy in the province. In addition to assisting with event, I analyzed the data that was gathered and wrote a report on our findings. Currently, I am completing the ethics application that we will submit to begin working with the two CASES communities in Manitoba: Churchill and York Factory First Nation.

Being a part of the CASES team has been a great learning experience thus far, and I'm looking forward continuing throughout my second year in the MDP program!"

Ada Chukwudozie - Court as a Health and Well-Being Intervention: An Empirical Analysis of the Socio-Legal Implications of Vancouver’s Downtown Community Court (Dr. Kristi Kenyon; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research - CIFAR)

 " This project has highlighted for me, the importance of holistic approaches. All through my first semester in the MDP program, we were introduced the concept of social determinants of health. With this project I get to see the real-world application of this multi-pronged approach in a justice system that takes into consideration social dimensions of health and elbowing in dealing with clients at the Vancouver's downtown community court and it's been intense, interesting and different from anything I've ever worked on."