Defining My Research Focus

Indigenous Research Methodologies
Indigenous research methodologies are ways of learning and sharing knowledge that come from Indigenous worldviews and ways of life. They focus on relationships, respect, and reciprocity, and are guided by community and connection to the land. Instead of separating the researcher from what is being studied, Indigenous approaches can see everything as connected. Storytelling, listening, and lived experience are all important ways of understanding and passing on knowledge.

Watch Indigenous Research Methodologies to hear chuutsqa’s Story and learn how Indigenous research is guided by relationships, stories, and the land.

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What is Research? (Through a Western Lens)​
Research means asking deep questions and trying to find thoughtful answers by exploring, reading, listening, and learning from others. It is not just something that happens in a lab or only by university students. We actually research every day without realizing it. When we compare prices at the store, look up how to make a recipe, or learn more about our family history, we are doing research...we are searching for knowledge and trying to understand something more deeply. Watch the short video to learn more.

How is Western Research different from Indigenous Research?
Western research often focuses on objectivity, data, and proving results. Indigenous research is different because it’s based on relationships, respect, and responsibility. It values stories, experience, and learning that benefit the whole community. Instead of studying something from the outside, it’s about learning from within through connection and care.

What is a theory and a theoretical framework? 
​A theory is an idea or set of ideas that helps explain why something happens or how things are connected.

A theoretical framework is the lens you choose to guide your research. It helps you shape your question, organize your thinking, plan your methods, and explain your results. In a PhD, it keeps you from feeling like you are starting from nothing, and helps you place your work in conversation with other researchers.

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Defining my Research

Articulating My Research Using Creswell’s Framework
For one of my doctoral assignments, I had to explain my research using Creswell’s (2012) “Topic, Problem, Purpose, Question” framework. At first, it sounded simple, but it actually helped me organize my thoughts. Creswell is a well-known scholar in educational research, and his framework helps students and researchers break down complex ideas into four simple parts: the topic (what you’re studying), the problem (why it matters), the purpose (what you hope to do about it), and the question (what you’re asking). Using his structure gave me a clearer way to talk about my research and helped me connect my personal experiences as a writer, teacher, and researcher to the bigger academic picture.
Below is how I’ve explained my project using Creswell’s approach, written in my own words to reflect where my research is heading right now.
Research Question
My research asks: How do publishing practices contribute to the overrepresentation of trauma-centred Indigenous picture books in Canadian K-5 classrooms, and what stories of cultural continuity, joy, and everyday Indigenous life remain excluded from children’s access? ​In my research, I hope to study Indigenous picture books and how they are shared in Canadian classrooms. I explore the types of stories being published and identify which ones are missing. My goal is to understand why many books focus on trauma and what can be done to make sure stories about Indigenous joy, family, and everyday life are also shared.
Topic
My research looks at how Indigenous picture books are represented in Canadian classrooms and how publishing practices shape which stories children get to see. As part of my PhD in Indigenous Education, I’m exploring the connection between publishing, education, and cultural representation. This builds on my master’s research, where I focused on how Indigenous picture books can help students feel a stronger sense of belonging and pride in their cultural identity. Now, I want to look deeper into the systems behind the books, how publishers, educators, and curriculum developers decide which stories make it into schools, and how those choices influence what children learn about Indigenous peoples and worldviews.
Problem
Across Canada, more Indigenous stories are showing up in classrooms, but many of them focus on trauma and loss. While these stories are incredibly important and need to be told, they shouldn’t be the only ones. When trauma becomes the main lens, it can unintentionally narrow how Indigenous peoples are seen. Scholars like Eve Tuck (2009) have talked about this, describing how damage-centered stories risk defining Indigenous identity only through pain. Research by Stagg and others (2022) found that many Indigenous picture books focus on residential schools, colonization, or grief, while very few show joy, humour, language, or everyday family life. This imbalance makes me wonder why trauma-focused stories seem more accepted by publishers and schools, and why stories of cultural continuity or joy don’t receive the same attention. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action encourage including Indigenous histories and perspectives created with Indigenous peoples, but publishing still acts as a kind of gatekeeper. If trauma is overrepresented, students are missing out on seeing the full, vibrant picture of Indigenous life. For Indigenous kids, that affects how they see themselves. For non-Indigenous kids, it shapes how they understand reconciliation.
Purpose
The purpose of my research is to understand how publishing decisions influence which Indigenous stories reach classrooms and which don’t. I plan to interview Indigenous authors, editors, and publishers, and analyze book catalogues, school lists, and policy documents. By connecting these pieces, I hope to show how publishing and education systems work together to either limit or expand access to diverse Indigenous stories. My goal is to help shift toward a more balanced and strength-based approach to children’s literature, one that includes joy, family, humour, and everyday life alongside the harder truths. In the end, I hope my work will support more meaningful cultural understanding and belonging in classrooms for all students.
Connecting to My Methodology
​This research is guided by Indigenous methodologies that honour relationships, story, and respect as central to the process. My approach follows Indigenous Storywork (Jo-ann Archibald), relational accountability (Shawn Wilson), and decolonizing methodologies (Linda Tuhiwai Smith). These teachings remind me that research is not just about collecting information but about building relationships and learning through story. My methods include creating a list of Indigenous picture books and coding them for themes, talking with authors and publishers, and reflecting on my own experience as an Indigenous author and educator. This combination of reflection, analysis, and story aligns perfectly with Creswell’s framework because it balances structure and flexibility. It gives me a clear path to follow while still allowing the research to grow naturally through relationships, story, and community connection.

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2025 National Gathering of Graduate Students - Banff, Alberta

Here is my poster from NGGS. NGGS (National Gathering of Graduate Students) is a yearly event for Indigenous grad students and researchers. I was picked to present a poster. Posters are visual summaries of your research that you stand next to and chat about with other graduate students or guests from the event. SSHRC and NEIHR are both funding paths for grad students, but they focus on different stuff. SSHRC funds education, culture, books, history, pretty much anything in the social sciences and humanities space. NEIHR is more focused on Indigenous health and well-being. My research fits more in SSHRC overall, but it also crosses into that bigger picture of well-being, too, especially mental health, culture, story, and community. When I first started grad school, I applied to everything I could find. Every poster call, event, scholarship, conference, all of it. It wasn’t because I had it all figured out. It was more like throwing myself into the world of research to see what stuck. Honestly, it’s the easiest way to meet people, network, and learn fast. Indigenous storytelling is a huge part of how kids, families, communities, and even researchers make sense of the world, and those stories connect directly to overall well-being. That’s the part that’s becoming way more clear for me now, the idea that story isn’t separate from mental health or wellness, it’s part of it. So yeah, sign up for everything, meet people, listen to stories, swap ideas, it matters. And I’m just really grateful for the spaces that let us do that.