Seeing with two eyes: Exploring the interaction of Inuit Qaujimimajatuqangit and the principles of community-based participatory research.

This presentation will share a proposed doctoral research project in its early developmental stages. This project aims to examine Inuit community engagement, University-Inuit Community partnerships, the interaction of Western-Academic and Inuit ways of knowing, how participants perceive and feel about power-sharing and co-learning journey, and specifically the principles of CBPR and Inuit Qaujimimajatuqangit (IQ). This doctoral research project is part of a larger CBPR project that aims to adapt, pilot and utilize the Community Readiness Model (CRM) with Inuit communities in order to improve community readiness for HIV and STI prevention interventions. Although the literature that highlights CBPR as a successful research process for collaboration between University researchers and Indigenous communities is ever-increasing, what is missing is research evaluating the process with Indigenous ways of knowing. This proposed research project will examine a CBPR project 'in action', in order to assess its alignment with Inuit ways of knowing, cultural and traditional expressions and examine ideas around decolonizing research approaches. The results of this study will provide an in-depth understanding of how Western (Academic) and Indigenous (Inuit) ways of knowing interact within a CBPR study. This study will provide new knowledge about research that draws upon these two knowledge systems, and will provide insight to research processes, ultimately resulting in improved approaches to Inuit CBPR and improve Inuit health outcomes.