Topic statement (working thesis):

Through the deconstruction of Indigenous-Settler relations that have heavily favoured Settler perspectives, I will re-examine Indigenous participation in the First World War by constructing a study and biographical register of the Sylix volunteers from the Inkumupulux (Head of the Lake) Indian Reserve, located near what is now known as Vernon, British Columbia.

Knowledge mobilization & Dissemination Plan through Indigenous research paradigm:

I will be ensuring that all documentation (research notes) regarding this is made publically available through my own website and that the final products, primarily the Biographical Register and the Thesis are accessible.

I believe in the production of Living Documents, and thus I aim to adopt not just an indexing model, but a model of Hypertextualization. The linking of documents (knowledge) together. I already use Wikidpad, but I am considering shifting to other options such as World Anvil (normally used by writers and TTRPG players) but has more robust functionality than Wikidpad.  World Anvil is also easier to make publically available. However, I will see what I can do about making my own website/blog function in the same way first.

The purpose is to not draw (final) conclusions but to provide contributions. My education is my gift to my community as I return home. I have been given the gift of pursuing this education, now I will ensure through adequate reciprocity in my community that I provide my education and expertise on Indigenous History (Intellectual and Spatial), Canadian/BC History, and Settler-Indigenous Relations.

  1. Land Acknowledgement – As an Indigenous person
    • Kanaka Maoli belief “We are all Indigenous to earth.”
    • Further research on Indigenous scholars who deal with land acknowledgements
  1. To reflect my understanding of the the re-search (a), me-search (b) and we-search (c) investigation:
    • Historical research starts in the traditional sense with a researcher tackling the stacks to center the research in the current academic tradition. (Historiographic)
      1. Establish an intellectual tradition of Indigenous History.
        • Frank Deloria Jr.
        • George Manuel
        • James Riding In, etc.
    • Understanding where my story fits into this narrative.
    • Establish Indigenous Epistemology about common concepts that construct our perspective of Indigenous-settler relations
      1. Indigenous AND Settler Studies
      2. How it shapes our perception of Indigenous Peoples
        • Frank Deloria Jr.
        • Daniel Francis
  2. Propose a Theory of Reconciliation in History(field)
    1. In between binary perspectives is truth.[1] Settler perspectives must be reconciled with Indigenous perspectives as much as Indigenous perspectives must be reconciled with Settler perspectives. Identify and recognize Indigenous and Settler to reconcile them as binaries to expose a reconciled history.
  3. Demonstrate the shared global interests of Indigenous peoples:
    • The Enowkinwixw, inspired by Sylix Chaptikwl (Research)
    • Leanne Simpson – Anishnaabe Epistemology (Mesearch)
    • Urespa Program – Uzawa Kanako (Ainu/Global)
    • Whare Tapa Wha (Maori/Global)
  4. Situation of the self in research; Critical transparency
    • Inclusion of critical auto-narrative/self-community-biography as it is relevant to the topic under investigation.
    • Situating critical me-search with Indigenous transformative research.
    • Research Standpoint
      • Researcher’s Social Position
      • Researcher’s Axiology
      • Researcher’s Ontology
      • Researcher’s Epistemology
      • Standpoint Influenced Theoretical Frame
  5. My definition of Indigenous research paradigms, empowerment and research agendas.
    1. Theory of Reconciliation – Generation of Reconciliation
      • Decolonization can only come from the recognition of collaboration with settler descendants and their colonial institutions to reach re-conciliation based on a new future
      • A theory in which we must bring together Indigenous and Settler perspectives to understand history, on both sides. Thus, I will presume that settlers perspectives are not adversarial, but works in a systemic binary with Indigenous perspectives and must be deconstructed and understood as such.
      • Combining Indigenous and Settler studies/perspectives.
        1. Edward Valandra, Sarah Kizuh, Rick Lybeck, Lorenzo Veracini 
    2. Self-community-family based epistemology (Leanne Simpson/Sylix scholars) vs Western (capitalist) liberal education(?)/research model. [Research as a product?] – What Money Can’t Buy? Michel Sandel?
      • Kovach’s chapter “Situating Indigenous Research with the Academy.”
      • Indigenous gender frames of topic
        • Indigenous Feminism
        • Indigenous Masculinity
      • Sylix Binaries – En’owkinwiwx
      • Chain of Being
      • Systems Thinking
    3. Shifting Perception of Soveriengty – Constructed System for Nationalism
    4. Western Militarism vs Indigenous Warfare
    5. Indigenous chain of being, chain of knowing, chain of relations
  1. Systems Thinking & Knowledge[AR1] 
    • Bill Cohen ([Sylix] Web of Learning)
      • Todd Rose (Individuality)
      • Howard Becker (Settler-scholar sociology/social scienceperspective))
      • Isaac Newton and Systems Thinking
  2. Allyship
    • Dr. Peter Bryce
    • Evaluation of Colonizers – Duncan Campbell Scott & Indian Agents
    • Local Historical “Allys”?
      • Okanagan Historical Society?
  3. Education (Residential Schools) Indoctrination – Subsumption of Indigenous spirituality
    • Foucault/Jeremy Bentham – Pain, Punishment, Panopticon.
    • Father Lacombe’s Pictocal Catcheism and the imposition of Catholicism on Indigenous peoples
      • Claim that Jesuits invented Cree Syllabics
    • Deliberate destruction of culture – Does this match the Spirit of the Treaty? (The Intentions/What Indigenous people wanted when they understand Education)
  4. Hunting – Shifting Image of Indigenous Peoples
    • Daniel Francis, Vine Deloria Jr, “Forgotten Warrior”
    • Snipers
    • Indigenous and Anishnaabe Epistemology (Reflecting Pegamagabow and Cosley)
  5. Indigenous Veterans Relations – Cognitive Dissonance of Justice – (Settler) Veterans as neo-Settlers
    • Eric Story
    • Francis Pegemagabow
    • Mike Mountain Horse?
    • Indigenous interwar activism and post-war activism
  1. Emphasize Indigenous knowers and knowledge.
  2. Demonstrate Indigenous knowers and knowledge framing the research.
  3. Establish Indigenous knowers and knowledge as co-producers of knowledge (Emphasize Indigenous[Sylix] knowledge in researching Indigenous people’s perspective)
  4. Ethics review through Indigenous research paradigm(s)?
    1. Research is Ceremony Shawn Wilson
  5. Indigenous historical frames of topic.
    1. Historical contextualization of the Canadian settler-state following the deconstruction of concepts such as sovereignty, western militarism, Indigenous Hunting (Snipers), and Indigenous-Settler relations (Allyship)
    1. Integration of TRC recommendations as important to situating my topic
      1. The historical location of TRC w/ previous commissions (including RP 1763/treaties(Elders/Walter Hildebrandt/Sarah Carter – Spirit of Treaty 7)) and M&MIWG
    1. Integration and understanding of UNDRIP
      1. With the understanding it has been ratified by the Canadian and British Columbia Government.
  6. Situate BC as a colonial state
    1. Unceded Territory
    1. Address to Wilfrid Laurier
    1. Cole Harris, Andrew Woolford
  7. Local History
    1. History of the Sylix People
      • Qsaapi
      • Thomson, Duane – History of the Okanagan Indians and White Settlement (PhD Disseration)
      • Clarence Louie Rez Culture (out Nov2021)
    2. History of the Okanagan (Kelowna/Vernon)
      • Sharon Simpson
      • Local Historians (Bob Haynes)
      • Keith Boehmer
      • Howard Hisdal
      • David Dendy
    3. Local Military History
      • Bringing in the Canadian Military context[AR14] 
      • Camp Vernon & Sinews of Steel
      • Keith Boehmer and Howard Hisdal
      • Okanagan Military Museum
        • Vince Bezeau Military Library and Archives
        • Kelowna Public Archives

Research Methods

Name and describe and give reason why this method is useful, relevant and valid in this context (give examples, insert imagery, show)

Name: Indigenous Epistemological Reconciliation

Describe: Deconstructing of the Western Perspective to bring readers and learners closer to the Indigenous perspective. Although I am often told I should not aim to “re-examine” things in history, I aim to bring readers perceptions from the broad, to the narrow, focusing their attention on Indigenous (Community and Land-based) perspectives. Utilizing structural re-analysis based on Indigenous epitesemologies to re-research historical contextualizations with the aim of reframing broad understandings into narrow and then into Indigenous.

Why: Re-examination of north american historiography through Indigenous informed methodology based on Indigenous epistemologies

Example: My Analysis of Indigenous Snipers needs to be re-written

Name: Biographical Register

Describe: A collection of information available via extraction from the Canadian government (military and Indigenous affairs records.) The First World War service records are digitized[AR15] , which comes down to categorization based on an Indigenous epistemologies.

Why: Starting the process of recording the stories of Indigenous veterans from the Indigenous perspective will begin with understanding the biographical sketchs of Indigenous veterans. If we are to make analyses or conclusions about Indigenous peoples, we must do a wide study. I will be utilizing Indigenous Qualitative Analyses (By Walters and Andersen) reconciled with analytical tools offered by Becker.

Example: My Analysis of the United States Military Academy’s Biographical Register