Areas of focus

Life situations are plentiful and often complex. What seems apparent at first glance can sometimes vary at second glance. Observation does not suffice; one must understand. In the words of the Brazilian anthropologist Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, “The world is composed of multiple perspectives”. To fully grasp a shared reality, various viewpoints must be examined.

The research projects supported by the UNESCO Chair come from many fields of knowledge and expertise. They are particularly, but not exclusively, interested in education, well-being and culture. They support communities in their desire to:

• offer culturally significant education;
• follow in the footsteps of ancestors on the path to well-being;
• promote culture.

Not everything can be learned from books. For First Peoples, nature is a library and territory an encyclopedia. Every animal species is a collection of books; every custom is a page of history. The community is a school and homes are classrooms for sharing, across generations, knowledge and know-how, practices and representations acquired through observation and experience.

In this regard, the research projects supported by the UNESCO Chair encourage young people to succeed academically by offering them culturally significant education. For instance, they strive to:

• initiate a meaningful dialogue between Indigenous and Allochthonous allies in educational and cultural fields;
• document the knowledge of First Peoples so that they may be integrated in school programs, as needed;
• co-create, test and validate didactic tools steeped in history and culture;
• include Indigenous learning methods in the Quebec education system;
• participate in the development of the identity of young people through knowledge of their living heritage.

For First Peoples, balance and harmony are at the center of a movement where heart and body, mind and spirit enliven and complement each other. Existence is cyclical, seasons of the earth and ages of life follow one another just like the sun rising and setting. This worldview is incorporated in the medicine wheel by Indigenous People. They have a holistic approach to events. No situation relies on a single factor; no solution depends on a single remedy.

Family, education, employment and housing play a key role in developing and maintaining the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Embracing traditional values as well. According to various authors, it strengthens resilience, accelerates healing and prevents hardships. It nurtures one’s sense of having a “good life” featuring positive interpersonal relationships and strong self-awareness.

On the river leading to well-being, rapids are sometimes tumultuous, portages are plentiful, but mutual support enables us to pursue the journey. In this front, ancestors have shown the way.

In a perspective of cultural transmission, the research projects supported by the UNESCO Chair focus specifically on:

• better understanding the factors associated with well-being from the perspective of Indigenous experience;
• recognizing the best health practices focused on customs and traditions of First Nations and Inuit;
• designing places of care for the ill or troubled, where the healing process takes into consideration the impact of family proximity;
• adopting a culturally significant approach to address issues of substance abuse and suicide;
• developing ways of using the territory to heal the mind, body and spirit.

Culture is a driving force for development and a source of pride for the people generating it. Parent of reflection and sibling of action, it plays a decisive role in the emancipation process of those in search of reference points and power over their lives. It offers them the possibility to create their own tools of representation. Both mirror and window, it provides the framework that encourages self-fulfillment. Through cultural expression, a community develops a self-portrait through which it can identify itself and allow others to perceive it as it perceives itself.

A nation’s culture is rooted in territory. Capturing the extent of all its dimensions and complexities involves travelling, to share life moments and activities in the field. The more a project develops in harmony with the environment, the more it is linked to the problems experienced or perceived by the people and groups involved, the more likely it is to generate positive impacts.

Culture is a vital element. Mobilisation is already increasing it tenfold. With this in mind, the research supported by the UNESCO Chair seeks to:

• promote all aspects of culture, from territorial knowledge to the educational dimension of stories, from artistic creation to plant medicine;
• affirm its importance regarding the desire of autonomy sought by communities and nations;
• take advantage of its affective and expressive potential rendering it the fundamental support of any identity approach;
• develop transmission devices for tangible and intangible heritage.