We are a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous interdisciplinary students and people from Indigenous communities, led by Nêhiyaw scholar Dr. Paulina Johnson. We work at the University of Alberta.
We collaborate with Indigenous communities and individuals to amplify their voices, past and present.
Our work focuses on amplifying Indigenous futures by making knowledge accessible and contributing to the decolonization work led by Indigenous Peoples.
Hi, I am Dr. Paulina Johnson, Sîpihkokîsikowiskwêw, Blue Sky Woman, and Nêhiyaw, Four-Spirit or Plains Cree. I am a citizen of Nipisihkopahk, Samson Cree Nation, in Maskwacis, AB. I am the daughter of Paul and Luci Johnson and the granddaughter of Chris Johnson, Ginger Wildcat, the late Fred Hodgson, and the late Grace Swampy.
I completed my Ph.D. in Anthropology with Dr. Regna Darnell and Haudenosaunee Scholar Dr. Susan Hill and my M.A. in History at Western University in London, Ontario. I am also an alumna of the University of Alberta, where I completed my B.A. in Anthropology and History with Distinction. I am an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Alberta.
I am one of the Co-Research Directors at Braiding Knowledge Canda (BKC) alongside Dr. Murray Humphries from McGill University. I continue to work with Dr. Humphries to braid Indigenous and Western Knowledge Systems together.
Our community partners are the roots of our research. The land-based knowledge, skills, and needs of these partners anchor our work to place and give it life and meaning. As we grow together, we challenge boundaries between researcher and participant, knowledge and practice, theory and story, and science and spirit.
Our research has no beginning or end — it is already happening even if we have not noticed it yet. Ceremony helps us become attuned to the intentions of our ancestors, lands, and generations to come. It thus moves our research beyond the constraints of linear time, and towards accountability to all our relations.
Dr. Diana K. Moreiras Reynaga is a Mexican-Canadian Anthropologist, born and raised
in Guadalajara, Mexico. She holds a BA (hons.) and MA in Anthropology from The University of British Columbia, and a PhD in Anthropology from The University of Western Ontario. Currently, Dr. Moreiras Reynaga is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Sociology Department at the University of Alberta and an Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology at
UBC.
My name is Jessica Morrison, I was born and raised in Alberta. I’m of mixed Indigenous and settler ancestry. My Indigenous roots include Red River Métis, and I am a member of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government. I hold a diploma in Alternative Energy Technology and a Bachelor of Technology with a concentration in Sustainability. I’m passionate about my community, our environment, and strive to foster connections that ensure a resilient future for all.
Tânsi, Hannah nitsihkâson! I’m Nêhiyaw from Montana First Nation in Maskwacîs AB. I’m a PhD student and I’m interested in climate change and oceanography research and Indigenous ways of knowing. I’m navigating the tensions between being a Western scientist and an Indigenous person and what it means to balance the two.
My name is Drake Worth, a third-year Sociology student and father since 2020. Fatherhood inspired my commitment to creating a better world for future generations. Mentorship with Dr. Johnson began my relationship with Indigenous Knowledges, fueling my passion for research that advances equality, inclusion, and respect for diverse perspectives.
Hi there! I’m Senyuan (pronounced “Sen-Yen”), one of Dr. Paulina Johnson’s master’s students. I’m interested in knowledge production and Indigenous ways of knowing. My role here revolves around literature reviews, podcast writing, and data analysis! I can’t wait for what the future holds and what truths will be uncovered.
Taanishi Sharaya Hill dishinihkaashoon. Hello, my name is Sharaya Hill, and I’m Métis. I am completing my BA in Psychology and Sociology at the U of A. My research interests include Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Land-based Knowledge and Decolonization. I’m so grateful I get to learn, grow and contribute to something bigger than myself. Maarsii.
I’m a settler with ancestors from Germany, Scotland, Ireland, France, and Iceland. Like many of my ancestors, I love growing food and hope to one day make a living as a farmer. For now, I am doing my PhD on how Indigenous access to land in the prairies has changed over the past century.
I grew up along the border of Treaties 6 & 7, coming from Ukrainian and mixed European ancestry. As a settler, disabled person, and molecular biologist I am using my master’s research to understand what it means to uphold Treaty relations as a “scientist” and conduct research in a good way.
I’m proudly from Trujillo City, Peru. Since I moved to Edmonton, I’ve been questioning my role in the decolonial movement. I have a dog named Nala, who barks for social justice. I’m a Health Promotion and Socio-behavioural Sciences Ph.D. Candidate. My work engages with critical analysis of the relationship between biopower and intersectionality.
I’m George, and I am a settler master’s student of Dr. Paulina Johnson. I grew up splitting my time between Treaty 6 and 4 territory, where I learned and grew in the light of the relationships to my family and the land. My research interests include Indigenous Queer Ethics, combatting settler-imposed binaries, and much more!
I’m Darian and I am from Klah’Ah Men Territory on the West Coast of BC. I am a recent graduate from the University of Alberta in in Sociology and Political Science with most of my studies focusing on Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Spatial Justice and Social Stratification.
Tânisi, môniyâw niya. It’s so nice to reflect on my journey here! I’m meandering through an Arts degree and came into the company of Dr. Johnson in Indigenous Feminisms class. As I was considering how ongoing, routine acts shape settlerhood, Dr. Johnson offered an ongoing opportunity to be part of The Auntie Is In–perfect! Thank you, Dr. Johnson!
Hello! My name is Jude; I am nonbinary, and I’m a settler from Treaty 6 Territory. I am an undergraduate student from Grant MacEwan University working on my major in Anthropology, and a minor in Gender Studies. I have a deep love for this land, and all of the little spirits and lifeforms that inhabit it alongside me. I see land stewardship and anti-colonialism as an essential and continuous pursuit in preserving life, history, ecology, and bodily autonomy. It is the path forward in forging a brighter, sustainable future, while bringing about justice from centuries of injustice. Land stewardship, Indigenization, and anti-colonialism are our collective futures.
