Education, Faculty of
Educational Studies (EDST), Department of
DSpace
UBCV
Mahikwa, Robert
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
University of British Columbia
This study provides an in-depth and comprehensive overview of the worldviews (theories), knowledges (perspectives), and traditions (applied practices) that inform culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. Many Indigenous graduate students seek out faculty who can provide culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship; however, far too few faculty have the appropriate expertise to meet studentsâ needs. As such, the questions at the center of this study ask: What is culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship? What theories and practices inform this work? How is it, or how could it be, practised by Indigenous supervisors? How, if at all, is it unique from western-based graduate mentorship? What, if any, is or could be the role of Ally supervisors? And, why (if at all) is it so effective among Indigenous graduate students? To answer these questions, this study utilized the conversational method. This method included conducting thirteen (13) semi-structured one-on-one interviews with PhD/EDD Indigenous faculty who have mentored Indigenous graduate students in culturally attuned ways as their thesis or dissertation supervisor at a publicly funded and accredited university in British Columbia. The methodology and approach to analysis were also culturally attuned to help ensure findings and outcomes of this study would themselves be culturally applicable. In the end, nine thematic findings were identified. Namely, terminology and meanings; general distinctions; conceptual frameworks; mentor archetypes; five Râs; applied practice approaches; barriers and obstacles; role of non-Indigenous faculty Allies; and online technologies. Thereafter, a series of discussions and recommendations are also provided, followed by the limitations of this study, areas for future research opportunities, and concluding thoughts from the author.
CULTURALLY ATTUNED INDIGENOUS GRADUATE MENTORSHIP by ROBERT MAHIKWA M.S.W., University of Victoria, 2018 B.S.W., University of Victoria, 2016 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Educational Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) October 2025 © Robert Mahikwa, 2025 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, the dissertation entitled: Culturally Attuned Indigenous Graduate Mentorship submitted by Robert Mahikwa in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies Examining Committee: Dr. Margaret Kovach, Professor, Educational Studies, Faculty of Education, UBC Supervisor Dr. Jan Hare, Dean, Faculty of Education, UBC Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Dustin Louie, Associate Professor, Educational Studies, Faculty of Education, UBC Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Janice Foryth, Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, UBC University Examiner Dr. Daniel Health Justice, Professor, English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts, UBC University Examiner Dr. Graham Hingangaroa Smith, Emeritus, University of Auckland External Examiner iii Abstract This study provides an in-depth and comprehensive overview of the worldviews (theories), knowledges (perspectives), and traditions (applied practices) that inform culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. Many Indigenous graduate students seek out faculty who can provide culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship; however, far too few faculty have the appropriate expertise to meet studentsâ needs. As such, the questions at the center of this study ask: What is culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship? What theories and practices inform this work? How is it, or how could it be, practised by Indigenous supervisors? How, if at all, is it unique from western-based graduate mentorship? What, if any, is or could be the role of Ally supervisors? And, why (if at all) is it so effective among Indigenous graduate students? To answer these questions, this study utilized the conversational method. This method included conducting thirteen (13) semi-structured one-on-one interviews with PhD/EDD Indigenous faculty who have mentored Indigenous graduate students in culturally attuned ways as their thesis or dissertation supervisor at a publicly funded and accredited university in British Columbia. The methodology and approach to analysis were also culturally attuned to help ensure findings and outcomes of this study would themselves be culturally applicable. In the end, nine thematic findings were identified. Namely, terminology and meanings; general distinctions; conceptual frameworks; mentor archetypes; five Râs; applied practice approaches; barriers and obstacles; role of non-Indigenous faculty Allies; and online technologies. Thereafter, a series of discussions and recommendations are also provided, followed by the limitations of this study, areas for future research opportunities, and concluding thoughts from the author. iv Lay Summary This study explores various perspectives on how Indigenous students want and need to be mentored in culturally attuned ways during their graduate studies. The research questions at the center of this study are the following. What is culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship? What theories and practices inform this work? How is it, or how could it be, practised by Indigenous supervisors? How, if at all, is it unique from non-Indigenous graduate mentorship? What, if any, is or could be the role of Ally supervisors? And, why (if at all) is it so effective among Indigenous graduate students? To answer these questions, a culturally attuned methodology is applied, including thirteen (13) one-on-one conversational interviews with Indigenous faculty members who have mentored Indigenous graduate research students in culturally attuned ways and at universities in British Columbia. The findings from this study are grouped into nine culturally attuned thematic bundles. v Preface This dissertation is an original intellectual product of the author, Robert Mahikwa. No Generative Artificial Intelligence tools were utilized during the writing, development, nor analyses therein. The research was also approved by the University of British Columbiaâs Behavioural Research Ethics Board. Certificate number H24-00604. vi Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iii Lay Summary ............................................................................................................................... iv Preface ............................................................................................................................................ v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. x List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... xi Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... xii Dedication ................................................................................................................................... xiii Chapter One: Opening the Circle ............................................................................................... 1 Territorial Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 1 Self-Locating Prologue Statement .............................................................................................. 1 Introduction Protocol .................................................................................................................. 2 Connections to the Topic ............................................................................................................ 3 Indigeneity: Understanding and Relationality ............................................................................ 5 Summary and Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 7 Chapter Two: Research Scope ..................................................................................................... 8 Aim of this Research ................................................................................................................... 8 Culturally Attuned Indigenous Graduate Mentorship ................................................................. 9 Defining âCulturally Attunedâ ............................................................................................. 9 Defining âMentorshipâ ...................................................................................................... 11 Defining âGraduateâ .......................................................................................................... 12 Research Inquiry ........................................................................................................................... 12 Rationale for the Research Scope ............................................................................................. 12 Organization of this Study ........................................................................................................ 13 Chapter Three: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 14 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 14 âWestern-based âand âIndigenous-basedâ Worldviews ............................................................. 14 Origins of Western-Based Mentorship ..................................................................................... 17 vii Pre-Colonial Indigenous Mentorship ........................................................................................ 19 Contemporary Indigenous Mentorship in Graduate Studies ..................................................... 21 Issues and Struggles Among Indigenous Graduate Students .................................................... 24 Indigenous Graduate Student Success ...................................................................................... 28 Emergence of Indigenous Mentorship in Graduate Studies ..................................................... 30 Tenets of Indigenous Mentorship in Graduate Studies ............................................................. 32 Relationality and Relationships ................................................................................................ 35 Frameworks for Indigenous Mentorship in Graduate Studies .................................................. 37 Gaps Analysis, Opportunities, and Next Steps ......................................................................... 41 Chapter Four: Methodological Design ...................................................................................... 43 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 43 Overview of Indigenous Research Methodologies ................................................................... 43 Culturally Rooted Metaphors within Indigenous Methodologies ............................................. 45 Research Methodological Framework ...................................................................................... 47 Powwow Big Drum .......................................................................................................... 48 Medicine Wheel Surface of the Drum .............................................................................. 49 Painted Research Paradigm ............................................................................................... 49 Ontology: Wholism ........................................................................................................... 50 Epistemology: Oral Traditions and Storytelling ............................................................... 50 Method: Conversational .................................................................................................... 52 Axiology: Relational Accountability ................................................................................ 52 Fifth Component: Self and Us in Relation ........................................................................ 54 Theorizing: Nindinawemaganidog .................................................................................... 55 Four-Post Stand ................................................................................................................. 58 Drummers and Drumsticks ............................................................................................... 59 Reverberations and Drum Song ........................................................................................ 59 Chapter Five: Method ................................................................................................................ 61 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 61 Sample and Recruitment ........................................................................................................... 62 Preparations Protocols .............................................................................................................. 64 Informed Consent and Withdrawal ........................................................................................... 65 viii Transcript Review and Approval .............................................................................................. 67 Honouring Participants ............................................................................................................. 68 Approach to Analysis: Thematic Bundling ............................................................................... 68 Phases of Analysis: Thematic Bundling ................................................................................... 69 Chapter Six: Findings ................................................................................................................. 72 Overview of the Thematic Bundles .......................................................................................... 72 Thematic Bundle #1: Terminology and Meanings ........................................................... 72 Thematic Bundle #2: General Distinctions ....................................................................... 73 Thematic Bundle #3: Conceptual Frameworks ................................................................. 76 Thematic Bundle #4: Mentor Archetypes ......................................................................... 78 Thematic Bundle #5: The Five Râs ................................................................................... 81 Thematic Bundle #6: Applied Practice Approaches ......................................................... 85 Thematic Bundle #7: Barriers and Obstacles .................................................................... 96 Thematic Bundle #8: Role of Non-Indigenous Faculty Allies ....................................... 102 Thematic Bundle #9: Online Technologies .................................................................... 105 Reflection, Acknowledgements, and Gratitude ...................................................................... 107 Chapter Seven: Discussion ....................................................................................................... 109 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 109 Discussing Language and Meaning Making ........................................................................... 110 Discussing a Definition ........................................................................................................... 111 Discussing Historical Kinships ............................................................................................... 113 Discussing âSacred Firesâ as a Framework and âFire-Keepingâ as an Archetype .................. 115 Discussing âIndigenous Scholarâ Archetype ........................................................................... 117 Discussing the âIndigenistâ Archetype .................................................................................... 118 Discussing the Role and Presence of Indigenous Spirituality ................................................ 120 Discussing the Applied Practice Approaches ......................................................................... 122 Discussing the Online/Distant Mentorship ............................................................................. 123 Chapter Eight: Recommendations .......................................................................................... 125 Recommendations for the Preparation Phase ......................................................................... 125 Recommendations for the Formation/Development Phase ..................................................... 127 ix Recommendations for the Implementation Phase ................................................................... 129 Recommendations for the Evaluation Phase ........................................................................... 131 Recommendations for Supporting Indigenous Faculty Mentors ............................................ 132 Recommendations for Succession Planning ........................................................................... 133 Recommendations for Involving Allies .................................................................................. 134 Recommendations for Reforms to Foster Longevity .............................................................. 135 Chapter Nine: Closing the Circle ............................................................................................ 138 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 138 Limitations of this Study ......................................................................................................... 138 Areas for Future Research ...................................................................................................... 140 Concluding Thoughts and Reflecting on the Journey ............................................................. 142 References .................................................................................................................................. 144 Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 167 Appendix A: Glossary ............................................................................................................. 167 Appendix B: Letter of Invitation ............................................................................................. 169 Appendix C: Participant Consent Form .................................................................................. 170 Appendix D: Conversation Prompts ....................................................................................... 173 x List of Tables Table 1: Eight Differences Between Western and Indigenous Worldviews ................................. 15 Table 2: Sample Locations and Recruitment Outcomes ............................................................... 64 xi List of Figures Figure 1: Powwow Big Drum as a Research Methodological Framework ................................. 47 xii Acknowledgements Chiâmiigwetch (a heartfelt thank you) to xÊ·mÉÎ¸kÊ·ÉyÌÉm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lÅ, SÉlÌílwÉtaÊ, Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Sylix (Okanagan), Snuneymuxw, Songhees, xÊ·sepsÉm, and WÌ±SÃNEÄ nations and peoples on whose traditional, sacred, and unceded territories this study was conducted. In addition, words cannot truly express the depths and breadth of my gratitude and appreciation to my amazing family - especially my partner - for her generousity, love, and patience through all of the ups and downs along my/our doctoral journey. There is no question that I would not have completed this dissertation without their support, patience, and encouragement all along this journey. Moreover, thank you to my esteemed supervisory committee, Dr. Margaret Kovach, Dr. Jan Hare, and Dr Dustin Louie, each for whom I carry the highest respect. Chiâmiigwetch for their wisdom, expertise, for believing in me and for helping me overcome my many struggles and challenges along the way. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the following people for their respective direct and indirect contributions this dissertation; Elders Arrole Lawrence, Billie-Jean McBride, Esstin Niganabe Mcleod, Howard Archibald, Joe Harold, Joe Lattie, Pete Keshane, Tony Elliott, Stella Johnson; Drs. Amanda LaVallee, Dorothy Christian, Gwendolyn Gosek, Harpell âMontyâ Montgomery, Jacquie Kundoqk Green, Jeannine Carrière, Jo-Ann Qâum Qâum Xiiem Archibald, Mark Edwards, Michelle Pidgeon, Richard Vedan, Rob Handcock, Sweeney Windchief, Sharron Ha-Youly Hobenshield, Shawn Wilson, Todd Ormiston; Darry Grey, Jackie Borosa, Lisa White, and (Elder) Loren Sahara. xiii Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to all past, present, and future generations of Indigenous students and faculty, and especially those who were, are, or will be in graduate level programs. 1 Chapter One: Opening the Circle Territorial Acknowledgements We begin by acknowledging xÊ·mÉÎ¸kÊ·ÉyÌÉm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lÅ, SÉlÌílwÉtaÊ, Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Sylix (Okanagan), Snuneymuxw, LÉkÌÊ·ÉÅÉn and WÌ±SÃNEÄ peoples and nations on whose sacred, traditional, and unceded territories the following dissertation research was collectively conducted. In the spirit of reciprocity, I sincerely hope and pray that the findings and outcomes of this study will have a direct and long-lasting positive effect on the wholistic wellness and prosperity of all past, present, and future generations of all peoples on and of these territories, and beyond. Chiâmiigwetch. Self-Locating Prologue Statement According to Dr. Margaret Kovach (2021), a self-locating prologue statement âsituates the researcher in relation to the Indigenous community, and functions as knowledge dissemination protocols for sharing research to a wider audienceâ (p. 144). To achieve this, the researcher introduces themselves at the beginning of a study so that readers can also better understand how, why, and by whom the associated research was conducted. Moreover, readers become better informed about the context and âmultiple-truthsâ within which a study was rooted, and later from whence the subsequent findings (âadditional/new truthsâ) also emerged. A self-location prologue also helps foster a state of relationality between readers and the researcher; given that relationality is a key feature of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, doing so is especially congruent to this research. Dr. Shawn Wilson (2009) describes this relationality as follows: [A]s the researcher I form a respectful relationship with the ideas that I am studying. In order for you [the reader] to also be able to see this relationship and how it was formed, you need to form your 2 own relationship with me as a researcher. You need to understand some of the factors that go into my side of things: how and why I decided to research this topic, where it fits into my life and some of the factors that have influenced my point of view. (p. 22) In turn, the readers will also have the opportunity to determine for themselves which aspects of the research (i.e., the researcher, the methodology, the analysis, the findings, or the recommendations) they accept as credible, worthy, valid, trustworthy, useful and/or otherwise helpful to them, based on their own self-location or positionality as they see fit. In this study, my self-location prologue statements comprise three components â my introduction protocol, followed by a description of my connection to the topic, and then a discussion on my understanding of and relationship with an Indigeneity â as follows. Introduction Protocol The following introduction protocol is specifically rooted within the scope of my dissertation research on âculturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship.â I am also sharing these aspects of my whole-self with you, but not so that you will see where and how you and I are different â this is not a competition â but rather to help foster a sense of interrelational connection and commonality between you and me and in the spirit of âall my relations.â Kwey aanii boozhoo nindinawemaganidog. Anishinaabe-wiinzowin migiziins inini. Robert Mahikwa nindizhinikaaz. Maâiingan doodem. Hello and greetings to all my relations. My name is Robert Mahikwa. I am of mixed settler and Indigenous ancestry; namely, Algonquin (Anishinaabe) with ties to the WÃ wà ckeciriniwak First Nation on my motherâs maternal side, and Onondaga (Haudenosaunee) on my motherâs paternal side. In my introduction, I shared with you my Anishinaabe spirit/traditional name, which was revealed and gifted to me by Elder Pete Keshane (Saulteaux; Keeseekose First Nation), but which was a process that began with Elder 3 Howard (Cree, Taykwa Tagamou Nation) many year prior. I also shared that my clan is Wolf, which was identified by Elder Niganabe Esstin McLeod (Anishinaabe; Mississaugi First Nation). As an Educator, I have taught in Indigenous post-secondary related studies collectively since 2016 at the University of Victoria, Vancouver Island University, and Camosun College. I hold a Bachelorâs of Social Work from the University of Victoria, where I also completed my Master of Social Work in the Indigenous Social Work specialization. Currently, I am completing a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia; which is fulfilled in part of by completing the following dissertation research. Connections to the Topic I connect to the topic of âculturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorshipâ in many ways. For example, I have had first-hand experience being mentored by several Indigenous scholars as a graduate student and in culturally attuned ways. My mentors include Dr. Billie Allan (Anishinaabe); Dr. Jeannine Carrière (Métis); and later, Dr. Jan Hare (Anishinaabe), Dr. Margaret Kovach (Nêhiyaw/Saulteaux), Dr. Dustin Louie (Nee Tahi Buhn/Nadleh Whutâen), and Dr. Robina Thomas (Lyackson). To all of the above, I owe my sincerest chi-miigwetch for helping me become who I am today. Of course, there have been several other culturally attuned mentors in my life outside of graduate studies, many of whom will be acknowledged throughout this dissertation. Moreover, for me, this topic was inspired by and built upon the findings of my thesis work, which centred an Indigenous research methodology to explore culturally attuned support for Indigenous youth who are aging out/transitioning away from Ministry care (Mahikwa, 2018/2025). One of the findings from my thesis identified the significant need for a culturally attuned life-skills training to help mentor Indigenous children and youth to understand, navigate, and be successful within western society, namely, as a person who also carries/embodies an Indigeneity. 4 In addition, I was also gifted an opportunity to mentor an Indigenous graduate student as one of their thesis committee members over the duration of their graduate studies. Fulfilling such a service-oriented role was both informative and inspirational. I have since laid my tobacco and offer prayer to Creator, ancestors, and all my relation, in gratitude, in reciprocity, and in hope that I will someday be gifted an opportunity to a part of future opportunities such this I have also been working professionally within Indigenous post-secondary mentorship collectively since 2013 as well as doing so under the supervision and mentorship of several Indigenous scholars and leaders. For example, I was employed as a college-based coordinator for the Sahkitcheway Indigenous Re-Engagement and Pathways pilot program, where I supported and mentored Indigenous college-level students who were interested in returning to academia to complete their diplomas, as well as alumni seeking career development field placements. Moreover, relatively soon after this, I was employed as an Indigenous Education Navigator under the supervision of Dr. Sharon Hobenshield (Gitxsan), where I focused on supporting Indigenous undergraduate level students from âapplicationâ to âgraduateâ; more recently, I had the honour and privilege to fulfill a longtime dream of becoming a Coordinator for SAGE [Supporting Aboriginal Gradate Engagement] at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. Margaret Kovach (Nêhiyaw/Saulteaux). This all being said, I want to humbly acknowledge that although my connection to this topic is relatively substantial, such connections to culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship would not have ever manifested if not for the incredible mentorship offered to me by so many generous Indigenous mentors, including Indigenous scholars, educators, Aunties and Elders, the several communities all throughout my journey. 5 Indigeneity: Understanding and Relationality It is important to note that there is no unifying definition for the term âIndigeneity.â It means different things to different people and for different reasons. This is due in large part to the cultural diversity among Indigenous people and groups both locally and worldview (Atleo Jr., 2012, pp. 43, 49). What I appreciate about such a lack of âuniformityâ is that this allows for all Indigenous people, families, communities, groups, organizations, and nations to determine their own definition of Indigeneity as they see fit. However, a lack of uniformity also means that âIndigeneityâ must always be defined within a particular context. Doing so helps to ensure that the readers understand how âIndigeneityâ is applied in the context of my dissertation research. On that note, within the context of this study, the term âIndigeneityâ is defined as that which is comprised of a set of Indigenous worldview(s), knowledge(s), traditions, protocols, language(s), values, ancestry, community/communities, and experiences. Where this applies to me in this study as the researcher is that I carry an understanding of, and a relationship with, what I would refer to as âan Anishinaabe-rooted Indigeneity.â I am proud of, and I take very seriously, my Indigeneity because it is not an understanding and relationship that occurred overnight. Rather, it has, and continues to, emerge and evolve ever since my cultural (re-)connection journey by way ancestry research, Elder/Auntie guidance, cultural activities and ceremonies, and community engagement for more than half my life. For example, Elder Niganabe Esstin McLeod (Anishinaabe; Mississaugi First Nation), who facilitated multiple ceremonies with and for me in Chapleau-Cree, supporting me who connect with my Algonquin ancestors, and who was the first to teach me about Anishinaabe spirituality and the Medicine Wheel from an Anishinaabe perspective. Elder Niganbe also directed me to learn how to embody these sacred knowledges and traditions so that I can teach and apply them to myself 6 and others in a good way. I am grateful to them for their major contribution to how I now connect with, and carry humbly, an Indigeneity that is rooted within Anishinaabe ways of knowing and being, again, thanks in large part to them. Another example is Elder Howard Archibald (Cree, Taykwa Tagamou Nation), who taught me how to construct a traditional Sweat Lodge using traditional/natural materials (e.g., willow, sinew, sweetgrass, hide, grandfather rocks) at his home in Taquahtagama. Howard was also the first Elder among several thereafter who mentored me into how to be a Sweat Lodge Fire-keeper. In addition, Elder Howard also taught me many eagle feather teachings and was the first person to prepare me to receive my Anishinaabe name, which was later revealed to me in ceremony by Elder Pete Keshane (Saulteaux; Keeseekose First Nation) five or six years thereafter. Loren Sahara (NÅeÊkepm) was, and continues to be, another incredible Indigenous cultural mentor in my life since 2017, who has guided me in how to utilize oral traditions, traditional storytelling, and dreamwork in my practice as an educator and also in my personal life. Loren is someone whom I have come to view as an Elder, at least he is to me. I also want to acknowledge Elder Joe Lattie (Gitxsan; Gitanmaxx First Nation), who taught me how to smudge and gifted me the same abalone shell and an eagle feather that I have continued to use for smudging myself and others since 2005. Upon gifting me these sacred items, Elder Joe told me that I needed to continue doing this work (smudging) as a way of being of good service to others. In many ways, Elder Joe was my first ever culturally attuned Indigenous mentor. Finally, and certainly not least, is Elder Billie-Jean McBride (Oji-Cree), who has been my longest-standing mentor and closest Elder relation since 2011. One of the greatest teachings Elder Billie-Jean has ever instilled in me has been the unlearning and re-learning of how to embrace and embody Anishinaabe spiritually in all aspects of my life, as well as teaching me how to do this 7 both humbly and unapologetically. Alongside my dissertation supervisory committee, Elder Billie-Jean McBride has played a major role in the construction, implementation, and defence of my dissertation review, and has consistently helped to ensure that I and this research are congruent with and informed by an Anishinaabe-rooted Indigeneity. My understanding of and relationship with my Indigeneity emerged both individually and collectively through culturally attuned mentorship that occurred in ceremony, face-to-face and online, as well as on the land, in rural First Nation communities, and in Indigenous urban organizations, and of course in post-secondary institutions. Along my journey, I have been gifted by Creator many cultural mentors, guides, and role models who have helped me develop my understanding of and relationship with my Indigeneity because without all of them, I would not be where I am today, nor how I am today, nor the way I identify, and so on. Chi-miigwetch to each and every one. I hope and pray that I have lived up to their mentorship and that, in turn, my dissertation is of good service to each and every one of them. Summary and Conclusion It was culturally attuned Indigenous mentorship that has brought me here today as someone who knows they are culturally, and thus helped me to navigate the complexities of life and more specifically, the academic system in a good way so that I can share this learning with others. As such, to conduct this research, I utilized the worldviews, knowledges, traditions, protocols, languages, and experiences that have informed my understanding of, and relationship with, an Anishinaabe-rooted; I am very proud of and grateful for this journey, and for everyone who has been a part of it, so that I can be in these moments with you. And so with all of this being said, I am eager to share the following research with you in greater detail. 8 Chapter Two: Research Scope Building upon my introductory protocol statements, this chapter offers an in-depth overview of the research scope. This includes discussing the aim of this research, defining each aspect of the core topic area, presenting the research question and sub-questions, offering a rationale for the research scope, and outlining each chapter of this dissertation. Aim of this Research The aim of this research is to explore ways in which Indigenous faculty can mentor, or are mentoring, Indigenous graduate students in culturally attuned ways as their thesis or dissertation supervisor: more specifically, to explore and discuss some of the theories and practices that can, do, or should inform this work. In addition, this research also examines ways non-Indigenous faculty supervisors/mentors can support and contribute positively and effectively to this work. The rationale for these aims is as follows. First, post-secondary institutions are colonially rooted spaces, and culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is identified as countering and transforming intergenerational trauma into intergenerational healing and prosperity. Second, due to the limited availability of Indigenous faculty, many Indigenous graduate students are supervised/mentored by non-Indigenous faculty, many of whom need guidance on how they can support or conduct their work in alignment with culturally attuned peoples, theories, and approaches. Finally, raising awareness of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is necessary because, despite the significant benefits of this work, there are simply not enough publications on the topic available in the current literature. Moreover, much of the current literature is not specific to British Columbia or Canada, nor is it specific to Indigenous faculty as mentors/supervisors to/with Indigenous graduate students; and among those that do discuss this topic, most do not incorporate or centre Indigenous methodology to examine these topics in depth. 9 To achieve these aims, I interviewed 13 Indigenous faculty who have mentored Indigenous graduate students as their thesis or dissertation supervisors at a publicly funded and accredited university in British Columbia. The intended audience for this research is current and future Indigenous graduate students and Indigenous faculty supervisors as well non-Indigenous Ally faculty who are or will be supervising Indigenous graduate students. Culturally Attuned Indigenous Graduate Mentorship Given that the central question for this study is âwhat is culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorshipâ, the following interim definition for âculturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorshipâ is â mentorship at the graduate level that is rooted within and/or informed by an Indigeneity, which within the context of this study, is defined as that which is comprised of a set of Indigenous worldview(s), knowledge(s), traditions, protocols, language(s), values, ancestry, community/communities, and experiences, as discussed in Chapter One. However, a more âofficialâ definition for culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship will be provided in Chapter Seven in relation to the findings as a result of this study. But in the meantime, I discuss each of the terms individually: culturally attuned, Indigenous, graduate, mentorship. Defining âCulturally Attunedâ I first encountered the term culturally attuned within publications by Dr. Sweeny Windchief and colleagues, whose work focuses on the exploration and development of âculturally attunedâ Indigenous graduate mentorship in STEMs (Arouca, 2018; Brown & Komlos, 2019; Downs & Windchief, 2015; Windchief & Brown 2017; Windchief et al., 2018). Unfortunately, I found it difficult to find a specific âdefinitionâ for âculturally attunedâ or âattunedâ within these publications. However, Merriam-Webster (n.d.) defines âattunedâ as being âaware of and attentive or responsive to something.â Prior to encountering this term, I would have utilized others such as culturally-led, 10 culturally-rooted, culturally-informed, or culturally-centred. But there was something about the word âattunedâ that really spoke to me; or rather, âsangâ to me like the reverberation of a drum song. On that note, within this study the term âculturally attunedâ refers to âthat which aligns harmoniously with, and is responsive to, a set of cultural ways of knowing, being, and doingâ: namely, an Indigeneity or Indigenisms, given the scope of this research study. It is therefore also a term that aligns harmoniously with my methodology, discussed in Chapters Four and Five. Defining âIndigenousâ Indigenousâ is typically one of the more contentious and thus difficult terms to define within given the vast diversity therein (Sarivaara et al., 2013). For example, here in Canada, the federal government defines Indigenous as âa collective name for the original [First Nations, Inuit, and Métis] peoples of North America and their descendantsâ (Government of Canada, n.d.). However, within this collective, there are approximately 93 distinct Indigenous cultural groups in Canada alone (Parrott, 2023). For Jeff Corntassel (2003), Indigenous is a form of peoplehood comprised of âfour interlocking concepts of sacred history, ceremonial cycles, language, and ancestral homelandsâ (p. 91). In addition, for Ojibwe Elder Gus Hill (2021), the term Indigenous âimplies a way of life that serves the teachings, values, ceremonial practices, medicines, Earth Mother, Creator, and spirits of the ancestorsâ (p. 5). Elsewhere, for example, such as in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Graham Hingangaroa Smith et al., (2023) define Indigenous as by four conditions that predate the arrival of settler populations with their imposing societal norms: (1) historical and genealogical connections; (2) strong cultural links to territories and surrounding natural resources; (3) distinctive social, economic, and/or political systems; and (4) distinct language, culture, values, and beliefs (p. xix). 11 As such, within the context of this study (located within Canada), the term âIndigenousâ will refer to a person who has (1) at least one, ideally identifiable and confirmable, First Nation, Métis, or Inuit ancestor; (2) an identifiable knowledge of and connection with Indigenisms and an Indigeneity they proactively embody; and (3) an identifiable connection to and relationship with an Indigenous, First Nation, Métis, or Inuit community. Defining âMentorshipâ As with âIndigenous,â defining âmentorshipâ is difficult because there is a plethora of definitions for mentorship within the current literature (Bozeman & Feeney, 2007). This is because the legacy of mentorship in the literature is thousands of years in the making (Ford, 2006; Hanley, 2020; Robert, 1999). As such, like the term Indigenous, the definition of mentorship can depend on who you ask. For example, for Savage et al. (2004), mentorship is âa process in which one person, usually of superior rank and outstanding achievement, guides the development of an entry-level individualâ (p. 21), whereas for renowned mentorship scholars Megginson and Clutterbuck (1995), mentorship is âoff-line help by one person or another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinkingâ (p. 13). Anderson and Shannon (1988) further define mentorship as comprising five key attributes: (1) the process of nurturing; (2) role-modelling; (3) five sub-mentoring functions (teaching, sponsoring, encouraging, counselling, and befriending); (4) a focus on professional and/or personal development; and (5) an ongoing caring relationship (p. 40). These are valid and excellent examples of how âmentorshipâ has been defined in the literature. Building on the above, the term âmentorshipâ â within the context of this study â is defined as any form of teaching and learning that (1) fosters the personal, professional, cultural or other forms of development of a mentee; and (2) does so in the same or similar manner as the mentorâs own related experiences. 12 Defining âGraduateâ Fortunately, this term is much easier to define. Within the context of this study, âgraduateâ refers to any masterâs or doctoral degree programs within a publicly funded and accredited university, particularly within British Columbia, given the scope of this research Research Inquiry For this study, the overarching research question is â What is culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship? â followed by the subsequent questions: What theories and practices inform this work? How is it, or how could it be, practised by Indigenous supervisors? How (if at all) is it unique from non-Indigenous graduate mentorship? What (if any) is or could be the role of Ally supervisors? Why (if at all) is it so effective among Indigenous graduate students? Rationale for the Research Scope Although Indigenous mentorship can occur at any level of academia, the rationale for focusing on âgraduate levelâ is that mentorship is inherently at the pedagogical core of graduate studies occurring between a faculty supervisor and a graduate student. Moreover, during the first of two Indigenous graduate mentorship and writing retreats I co-developed and co-led, I witnessed significant hardships among Indigenous graduate students when they discussed their experiences as Indigenous peoples in graduate studies: namely, those associated with trying to conduct Indigeneity-rooted research within a predominately colonially based post-secondary academic institutional context; and not having enough Indigenous faculty within their respective programs to provide culturally attuned graduate mentorship along the way. Upon witnessing these challenges and hearing these stories throughout the entirety of my whole-being, I immediately felt âcalledâ to do what I could to help solve and resolve these significant issues. 13 Moreover, as will be discussed in Chapter Three, there are simply not enough publications on culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship available in the current literature, and even fewer based in British Columbia or Canada specifically. As such, this also means that there are not enough faculty getting Indigenous-literature-informed training or preparation on how to mentor Indigenous graduate students in culturally attuned ways. A risk of this is that graduate studies could, in turn, be consciously or unconsciously further contributing to a long history of pursuing the assimilation or cultural genocide of Indigenous populations within the Indian Residential School system, from which todayâs Canadian educational system emerged. Finally, I chose British Columbia as the geographical location for this research given the following;: (1) much of the province is widely considered unceded Indigenous/First Nation territory; (2) many universities within the province foster close relational ties with local Indigenous/First Nation communities, organizations, and partnerships; (3) British Columbia was the first province to formally adopt the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; and (3) the SAGE [Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Engagement] peer-to-peer Indigenous graduate mentorship initiative began at the University of British Columbia. Organization of this Study In Chapter One, I opened our circle together by introducing myself to help establish or foster an understanding of and a relationship with me as the researcher of the following study. In Chapter Two, I introduce and discuss each aspect of the research scope, and in Chapter Three, I present my review of the current literature. Following this, in Chapters Four and Five, I provide an overview of my Indigenous methodology and methods for conducting this research. In Chapter Six, I present this studyâs findings, and in Chapter Seven, I present my analysis, discussions, and recommendations associated with this study. Finally, in Chapter Eight, I discuss the limitations of this study and identify areas for further research opportunities. 14 Chapter Three: Literature Review Introduction In this chapter, we review a wide range of perspectives on culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, beginning with the origins of western-based mentorship and Indigenous-based mentorship. We then delve into the literature on contemporary forms of Indigenous and western mentorship, followed by a discussion on how the two paradigms complement and/or clash with each other. We then explore several publications about the emergence of culturally attuned Indigenous mentorship in graduate studies, particularly within Canada. This is followed by a review of the literature, which discusses various tenets, conceptual frameworks, and practice models associated with culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. Given the scope of my dissertation research, the literature reviewed in this chapter prioritizes Canadian and North American-based publications. However, at times, international publications are also highlighted from Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand because both are regions wherein leadership surrounding Indigenous graduate mentorship is uniquely established. Moreover, as a result of the limited availability of publications about culturally attuned Indigenous mentorship, especially at the graduate level, publications at other post-secondary levels have been included. It is anticipated that information and findings therein will be transferable to graduate-level studies, per this studyâs findings. âWestern-based âand âIndigenous-basedâ Worldviews A key difference between western-based mentorship and Indigenous-based mentorship is that each are rooted within their respective western and Indigenous worldviews and ways of being. For Leroy Little Bear (2000), a personâs âworldviewâ is inextricably linked to oneâs âcultureâ, which he defined as comprised of a âphilosophy about the nature of reality, the values that flow 15 from this philosophy, and the social customs that embody these valuesâ (p.77). From this perspective, a worldview can be understood as the âlens through which reality, the world, and everything and everyone therein is bilaterally filtered.â Moreover, what seems to have been occurring since time immemorial is the comparison between western worldviews and Indigenous worldviews. According to the Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. (2016) and Indigenous scholar Bob Joseph, there are eight unique differences between Western and Indigenous worldviews, as demonstrated in Table 1. Table 1: Eight Differences Between Western and Indigenous Worldviews Western Worldviews Indigenous Worldviews 1 Scientific, skeptical. Spiritually orientated society. System based on belief and spiritual world. 2 There is only one truth, based on science. There can be many truths; truths are dependent upon individual experiences. 3 Compartmentalized society. Society operates in a state of relatedness. Everything and everyone is related. There is a real belief that people, objects and the environment are all connected. 4 The land and its resources should be available for development and extraction for the benefit of humans. The land is sacred and usually given by a creator or supreme being. 5 Time is linearly structured and future-orientated. Time is non-linear and cyclical in nature [â¦] seasons are central to this cyclical concept. 6 Feeling comfortable is related to how successful you feel you have been in achieving your goals. Feeling comfortable is measured by the quality of your relationships with people. 7 Human beings are the most important in the world. Human beings are not the most important in the world. 8 Amassing wealth is for personal gain. Amassing wealth is important for the good of the community. 16 Upon reviewing the above comparisons, I have decided that within the context of this study, the term âwesternismâ will refer to worldviews and ways of thinking typically characterized as, or associated with, positivism, extractivism, linearity, competition, status, materialism, and capitalism. Thus, âwestern-based mentorshipâ will be defined within this study, as a theoretical and practical approach to mentorship that is enmeshed within westernisms. So in turn, the term âIndigenismsâ within this study will refer to worldviews and ways of thinking typically characterized as, or associated with, multiple-truths, stewardship, non-linearity, collectivism, and relationality. Clearly, just as there is a wide range of cultural diversity within the term âIndigenous,â so too there is a wide range of cultural diversity within the term âwestern.â Moreover, in relation to mentorship, Sinclair and Pooyak (2007) explain, âthe qualitative differences between Euro-Canadian worldviews and [Indigenous] worldviews help to articulate how social constructs such as mentoring can be differentâ (p. 6). Western-based mentorship has many amazing gifts and strengths that could benefit Indigenous graduate students. This is to say that it is not my intention to portray western mentorship as inherently or ubiquitously problematic whenever it is applied to mentoring all Indigenous graduate students; rather, it is typically culturally incongruent to do so and that culturally attuned mentorship approaches would likely lead to even greater benefits. However, Leroy Little Bear (2000) also posits that âno one has a pure worldview that is 100 percent Indigenous or Eurocentric; rather, everyone has an integrated mind, a fluxing and ambidextrous consciousness, a pre-colonized consciousness that flows into a colonized consciousness and back againâ (p. 85). Although there are differences between western-based mentorship and Indigenous-based mentorship, the commonality they share most is âmentorshipâ âor do they? Is âmentorshipâ the same between Indigenous worldviews and western worldviews? 17 To answer these questions, we need to begin at the beginning by asking â Where did western-based mentorship and Indigenous-based mentorship originally emerge? Origins of Western-Based Mentorship Within the context of this study, the term âwesternâ refers to a set of non-Indigenous ways of thinking and being typically associated with individualism, competition, hierarchy, status, and top-down education, for example. As such, âwestern-based mentorshipâ is typically understood and practised according to these ways of thinking, as evident in the upcoming example. Sinclair and Pooyak (2007) write, âthe qualitative differences between Euro-Canadian worldviews and [Indigenous] worldviews help to articulate how social constructs such as mentoring can be differentâ (p. 6). Western-based mentorship has many amazing gifts and strengths that could benefit Indigenous graduate students. This is to say that it is not my intention to portray western mentorship as inherently or ubiquitously problematic whenever it is applied to mentoring all Indigenous graduate students; rather, it is typically culturally incongruent to do so, and that culturally attuned mentorship approaches would likely lead to even greater benefits. The earliest known publication to conceptualize what we refer to today as âmentoringâ occurred in Homerâs 8th-century epic poem, The Odyssey (Anderson & Shannon, 1988; Bisanz, et al., 2003; Clutterbuck & Lane, 2004; Ford, 2006; Robert, 1999). Within this story, a man named Mentor accepts King Odysseusâ invitation to watch over and advise his son, Prince Telemachus whilst the king is away fighting the Trojan wars. However, under Mentorâs tutorship, the princeâs leadership was stunted, and the kingdom fell into chaos. Fortunately, watching from the heavens, Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, intervenes by disguising herself as Mentor, and in turn, the kingdom and the princeâs leadership are both restored and strengthened. Curiously, although mentorship in our more recent workplaces has been criticized as being male-dominated and male- 18 centric (Durbin et al., 2020; Jones, 2017), the reality is that even though the first Mentor in western literature was a man, the first successful mentor within this same literature was, in fact, a woman. Nearly two thousand years later, the French writer François Fénelon, the archbishop of Cambrai who was enamoured with Homerâs work, published his own version of The Odyssey in 1699. He titled his adaptation Les Aventures de Télémaque, fils dâUlysse. (Hanley, 2020; Hudson, 2024; Roberts, 1999). Fénelonâs revisions were imbued by his own values, beliefs, and inclinations toward selflessness, love, and democracy, as described by Hanley (2020): Human beings, Fénelon thinks, are constantly pulled in two directions by two different types of love. â¦ Self-love, or amour-propre, is what prompts our obsessive concerns with the sorts of goods valued by our world: money, attention, status. [and] Pure love, or amour pur, is a love free of all self-love, one that seeks not the goods that our world values, but a good that is truly and absolutely good, possession of which can alone provide us a true and lasting happiness. (para. 7) Unfortunately, as described by Hudson (2024), such values and beliefs were treasonous during this era because they were in stark contrast to the then King Louis XIVâs pro-war, pro-luxury, pro-self-indulgent hedonisms. For this reason, Fénelon first published his adaptation anonymously. Moreover, during the time of publication, Fénelon was the official tutor/mentor to King Louis XIVâs grandson, the Duke of Burgundy, which the King is said to have eventually figured out: In an age of political absolutism: [Fénelon] asserted that kings exist to serve their citizens [which was] seen as a direct challenge to the monarchy. Louis XIV, taking this as a personal affront, dismissed Fénelon from his position as the tutor to his grandson. (para. 5) 19 Roberts (1999) writes that Fénelon âendow[ed] his character Mentor with qualities that are analogous with the current use of the termâ (p. 6). According to Katz (2024), Homer is âa/the father of western civilization,â which includes our current western academic systems. As such, it cannot be overstated that the contributions of Homer and Fénelon, and their influence on western-based mentorship as we know and practise it, are significant. In turn, given that the term âmentorshipâ is embedded within the âIndigenous mentorshipâ namesake, these same contributions and influences have also influenced how we know and practise the latter. Pre-Colonial Indigenous Mentorship Bisanz et al. (2003) write that âthe term mentoring is uncommon in [Indigenous] communities, but the core concept [of] adults providing friendship, guidance, and support for children and youth outside of their own immediate families - is culturally ingrainedâ (pp. 27â28). So although the term âmentorshipâ was introduced to Indigenous peoples, some form of mentorship has been practised amongst Indigenous communities since time immemorial. This reminds me of a fairly recent conversation I had with Miâkmaq Elder Albert Marshall at an Indigenous Education conference; whom is regarded as having help coin the term âEtuaptmumk,â/Two Eyed Seeing (Bartlett et al., 2012). Upon sharing my research topic with Elder Marshall, his response emphasized that the role of Elders-in-Residences universities is meant to be akin to how things were done pre-colonially. Namely, wherein Elders in the community would tap into a âspiritual intuitionâ to identify the unique gifts of young people, who are then paired with âKnowledge Navigatorsâ within the community, who would then mentor these young people accordingly (Elder A. Marshall, personal communication, August 21, 2024). This perspective is consistent with the current literature in that, although the education of young people was considered the collective and shared responsibility of the family and community 20 pre-colonially, it was in fact the Elders who played the most central role as âeducatorsâ of Indigenous children and youth (Anonson et al., 2014). This is because âElder knowledge is highly valued, particularly language instruction and spiritual guidanceâ (Martin & Thunder, 2013, p. 43). Moreover, âstories told by Elders, shamans and other âauthoritiesâ have been documented as our main form of cultural transmissionâ (Graveline, 1998, p. 168). This is a perspective that also relates to the Medicine Wheel and what Cree/Métis scholar Kim Anderson (2011) refers to as the Sacred Life Stages. Namely, in the east (waabanog) and the south (zhaawanog) is where the children and youth are being trained by the family and community in the west (ningaabiiâanong), and observed/guided by the Elders in the north (giiwedin). As for the methods of educating/mentoring young people, Anishinaabe scholar Jan Hare (2004) explains that âprior to the arrival of the Europeans, Aboriginal peoples taught their young a wide range of skills and knowledge, through a variety of instructional techniques and with a wide range of multigenerational teachersâ (p. 17). To the best of our knowledge, these âinstructional techniquesâ centred cultural practices such as oral traditions and storytelling (Anonson et al., 2014; Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022; Bell, 2013, p. 91; Langlais, 2020) observational learning (Bell, 2013, p. 91; Bisanz, et al., 2003, pp.14â15) traditional languages (Weenie, 2020) traditional knowledges (Hill, 2021, pp. 5â6) ancestral knowledges (Minthorn 2022, p. 181) and being on, and connecting with the land (Atleo, 2012; Minthorn, 2022; Weenie, 2020). Furthermore, according to the literature, spirituality played a significant role in Indigenous traditional education/mentorship. Bell (2013) posits that âregardless of the method of teaching, spirituality was embedded in each strand of the learning processâ (p. 92). For renowned Indigenous scholar Eber Hampton (1988), âthe first standard of Indian education is spirituality; at its center is a respect for the spiritual relationships that exist between all thingsâ (p. 283). 21 The reasons Indians have persevered, that we have not vanished and that there continues to be hope for such a thing as Indian education, are rooted in the spiritual values and traditions that make us who we are. These traditions stretch back into the dawn of our existence as Indian peoples, and it is the morning star of the East that reminds us of what is Indian, the origins of our existence. (Hampton, 1988, p. 286) Although there is limited literature about pre-colonial traditional Indigenous mentorship specifically, many publications discuss decolonizing academia and the education system. Curiously, the conversations look very similar to those presented in this section. This suggests the decolonization of academia is also about returning to Indigenous traditional mentorship. Contemporary Indigenous Mentorship in Graduate Studies McKimm et al. (2007) explain that defining mentorship âis very complex. It varies from one situation to another. It is interpreted in different ways by different people. [As such,] Stakeholders, particularly mentor[s] and mentee[s], should debate what mentoring is to be in their particular contextâ (p. 1). For Cree scholars Raven Sinclair and Sherri Pooyak (2007), Indigenous mentorship âemphasizes the value of culture, kinship and spirituality and is a complex relationship involving the individual and the communityâ (p. 7), and for Sechelt author YaâTaUwhet [Anna Latimer] (2006), it âunderscores the preservation of a way of life that is based on spirituality, sacredness, reciprocity, education, and social responsibilityâ (as cited in Weinberger, 2006, p. 2). Within a context of Indigenous youth, mentorship is about âthe passing on of skills and knowledge to prepare the next generationâ (Pidgeon et al., 2019, p. 29) by âproviding opportunities to grow on [Indigenous] terms rather than telling us what to doâ (p. 21). 22 In this study specifically, mentorship occurs within the context of graduate-level studies and supporting/mentoring Indigenous thesis/dissertation-streamed graduate students. For Métis scholars Jeannine Carrière and Kathy Richardson (2025), mentorship is also about creating that special sauce that encourages students to study topics that excite them within methodological approaches that resonate culturally while they also evolve and grow as a relative and role model to others [because] lifting up graduate students is truly the essence of how we use terminology such as âall my relationsâ in the work we do as graduate student supervisors/mentors. (p. 4) Moreover, in British Columbia, a study conducted by Pidgeon et al. (2014) shows that peer-to-peer Indigenous graduate mentorship provides supportive inter-generational relationships and a sense of belonging in academe; it creates and sustains self-accountability to oneâs studies; and it provides a social, academic, and cultural network of graduate students who care deeply about working to improve Indigenous peoples and communitiesâ well-being. (p. 15) Finally, as explained by Burke and MacDonald (2020), Métis graduate supervisor and Métis graduate student respectively, also located in BC, historically post-secondary institutions havenât been a good fit for Indigenous students â theyâve been interwoven with racism, oppression, and a foundational assumption that a Western worldview is superior to other perspectives. â¦ You and I making the time and space to discuss realities like that [as part of our mentorship process] is one concrete way for us to contribute to their disruption. (p. 8) 23 From this perspective, the implementation of Indigenous mentorship in graduate studies can also serve as a subversive way to disrupt what Carr-Stewart et al. (2013) present as long-standing assimilatory agendas and racist Eurocentrism within Canadaâs academic system. According to settler supervisor Kathy Bishop and Indigenous graduate student Christine Webster (Bishop & Webster, 2021), one of the ways in which Indigenous graduate mentorship could help achieve such aims would be to foster greater allyships between non-Indigenous faculty and Indigenous graduate students. âAs a graduate student, Christine looked to Kathy for mentorship in academic processes, particularly researchâ (p. 110). As well, âChristineâs sharing of [Indigenous] knowledge with Kathy contributed to the reciprocal nature of their relationship processes (p. 111) â¦ [and they] discovered many shared values between them (p. 117). This means Indigenous graduate mentorship is like a two-sided drum. One side focuses on mentoring Indigenous graduate students to understand and navigate western academic research processes, and the other side is about cultural mentorship, which focuses on âmaintaining and interweaving oneâs own cultural knowledge, traditions, values, and principles within a westernized academic contextâ (Mahikwa, 2025, p. 38). Finally, in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Pihama et al. (2019) emphasize that Indigenous mentorship in graduate studies is about âprovid[ing] safe space for MÄori and Indigenous scholars to speak to their research in line with their positioning without having to argue for or defend the cultural frameworks, theories and methodologies they are applying in their workâ (p. 58). And in the United States, esteemed Indigenous scholar Sweeney Windchief and colleague Blakely Brown (2017) urge academic institutions to âcreate Indigenous mentorship programs to provide access to education â¦ so that Indigenous researchers have an opportunity to contribute to the body of 24 research in a responsible way with their Indigenous identities intact or even strengthenedâ (p. 331). The significance of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship cannot be overstated. Issues and Struggles Among Indigenous Graduate Students As discussed in Chapter Two, my rationale for scoping this research within graduate-level studies is that mentorship and graduate studies are inherently and inextricably linked; so too are the terms and notions associated with âscholarsâ and âscholarshipâ linked to graduate-level studies. According to Andreas Tolk (2012), the term âscholarâ refers to someone who âhas a sharp focus that delimits the areas of inquiry win which he (or she) worksâ (p.55) and whom embodies the following characteristics include (but not limited to), a deposition marked by skepticism about knowledge claims, immersion within their area of knowledge, and ethics (p.55-56). Whereas the term âscholarship,â as defined by Mitchell (1999), is âa formal, ongoing process of developing and shaping works with peers who evaluate the merits of their contributionâ (p. 267). Within this study, the term âscholarâ will be defined as a person who has extensive knowledge of and experience with a topic area about which they have conducted original research and published literature; and the term âscholarshipâ will refer to a peer-reviewed, rigorous process wherein knowledge is researched (e.g., gathered, understood, analyzed, interpretated) and/or discussed in writing for the purpose of publication and/or any other related activities. Moreover, as is discussed throughout my dissertation, it appears that a key propagative of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is to mentor Indigenous graduate students into âIndigenous scholarsâ which, as discussed in Chapter Seven, is an Indigenous person who has experience and expertise in integrating Indigenisms and/or an Indigeneity within their scholarly research, publications, and/or related practices, particularly within post-secondary education. 25 However, the notion and measure of what it means to be or become a âscholarâ and âwhat counts as scholarshipâ is heavily rooted within and dictated by long-standing westernisms within predominantly western-centric academic institutions and spaces. As a result, according to the literature, Indigenous post-secondary students struggle with anxiety, depression, excessive partying, drug and alcohol misuse or abuse, addiction, suicide ideation and attempts, and other self-harming behaviours in western academia and at disproportionally higher rates than among their non-Indigenous peers (Hop Wo et al., 2020). Often this is caused by Indigenous post-secondary students feeling a debilitating sense of isolation, homesickness, invisibility, distrust, and relational disconnectedness (Bordeaux, 2021, pp. 664â665) from their Indigenous identity, community, kinships, and supports (Arvidson et al., 2020), and being forced to tackle the tensions of enacting oneâs Indigeneity within Eurocentric scholarly contexts (Pidgeon et al., 2014, p. 12). All of this also negatively impacts the recruitment and retention of Indigenous post-secondary students (Arvidson et al., 2020; Pidgeon, 2008/2016). Among most Indigenous students, the common factors that link many â if not nearly all â of their struggles in post-secondary education are the historical and contemporary agendas and impacts associated with colonization: namely, the colonization of Indigenous education, given the context and scope of this study. For example, within the institutional realm is a western educational system comprised of Eurocentric, imperialistic, and racist curricula and pedagogies toward or against Indigenous cultures or Indigenous peoples (Battise, 2013; Brayboy, 2005; Rigney, 1999; Smith, 2021). For Two-Spirit Métis scholar Graveline (1998) Eurocentrism is a set of âbeliefs, covert and expressed, that propose and/or reinforce past or present superiority of Europeans over non-Europeansâ (p. 23) which aims âto construe the colonized as a population of degenerate types on the basis of racial origin, in order to justify conquestâ (Bhabha 1994, p. 70). Eurocentrism in 26 western education is, for example, what leads Indigenous graduate studentsâ Indigenous methodologies to be viewed and overtly declared by non-Indigenous faculty as not valid approaches to âscholarlyâ research (Burke & MacDonald, 2020, p. 2; Lavallée, 2009, p.36), and thus by extension, saying that Indigenous graduate students as Indigenous peoples are âinadequate,â âunintelligent,â and âdo not belongâ in western academia. Moreover, another overarching factor leading to many of the issues and struggles faced by Indigenous students in Canada is its involvement in the Indian Residential School system, whose primary objective was to assimilate Indigenous children into Canadian culture by any means necessary, including abuse and murder. Rigney (1999) describes westernized education as being âbuilt on the graves of Indigenous [peoples]â (p. 112). Namely, as of 2022, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliationâs Memorial Register identified 4,130 confirmed names of Indigenous children and youth who died or were killed at these institutions (as cited in Supernant, 2022). Some believe the number is closer to 6,000 (Howard, 2022), whereas Justice Murray Sinclair, who led the Truth and Reconciliation Commissionâs (2015) 94 Calls to Action, believes the number is more likely closer to 10,000 (Austen, 2021). The lingering intergenerational effects are felt today in what Brasfield (2001) refers to as residential school syndrome or as Cree scholar Ahenakew (2019) calls soul wounds. As such, it is really no surprise that Indigenous students would feel distrust and distress in post-secondary graduate studies. According to the literature, even further specific manifestations within graduate studies include being expected to implement culturally incongruent research methodologies (Pidgeon et al., 2014; Windchief & Brown, 2017); wanting to be supervised or mentored by Indigenous faculty but having only a few Indigenous supervisors available (Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Pidgeon et al., 2014); experiencing a lack of culturally centred training among non-Indigenous faculty 27 supervisors (Windchief et al., 2018); carrying unfair prejudice and immediate mistrust toward non-Indigenous faculty before getting to know them (Bishop & Webster, 2021, p. 114); and being confronted with external attempts by non-Indigenous faculty to downplay, demean, or delegitimize Indigenous graduate studentsâ methodologies and research (Burke & MacDonald, 2020, p. 2; Lavallée, 2009, p.36). Other specific examples in the literature also include the untangling of internalized struggles wherein the more âscholarlyâ one becomes, the more like an impostor one feels, even within their own traditional territories (Brown & Komlos, 2019, p. 69; Carrière & Richardson, 2025; Windchief & Brown, 2017); shouldering the pressures from family and community to complete a graduate degree and enter leadership positions to reform Indigenous socially related policies (Windchief & Brown, 2017, p. 330)âand all while having to complete their graduate degree programs within a typically impossible 4-year target (Waterman, 2007) and doing so, in the end, with their âIndigenous identities intact or even strengthenedâ (Windchief & Brown, 2017, p. 330). And more recently, having to tackle all of the above whilst also enduring the distress associated with the increasing political and social pressures discourse surrounding who can and who cannot claim an Indigenous identity, particularly within post-secondary academia/research. As such, Pidgeon et al. (2014) offer a clear warning to post-secondary institutions: A lack of strategic institutional commitment and action to remedy these higher education disparities by key university leadership and faculty will continue to convey the message to Aboriginal students that the academy is not interested or concerned about their involvement, educational needs, Indigenous knowledges, philosophies, and cultural integrities. (p. 3). Similarly, Bishop and Webster (2021) warn that the âmisunderstanding of Indigenous students within the academy, and Indigenous people in general, will continue if there are no change 28 initiatives by academic institutionsâ (p. 118). According to Burke and MacDonald (2020), the revitalization and reclaiming of Indigenous mentorship can help Indigenous peoples reconnect with the cultural traditions and identities held by their ancestors prior to the devastating impacts of colonization (p. 3). Moreover, âprior to the arrival of the Europeans â¦ teaching and learning were aimed at sustaining the community, clan, or family, always with an eye to ensuring that they thrived, physically and culturally, through the seasonsâ (Hare, 2004, p. 17). As such, if institutions do not heed these warnings, then we will continue to see increasingly low rates of recruitment, retention, and degree completion among Indigenous graduate students (Pidgeon et al., 2014). This also means that there will be even fewer Indigenous scholars with the necessary credentials to be eligible hires as Indigenous faculty, leadership positions that âcreate a unique opportunity to make systemic change through role-modeling and mentoring other[s] in living Indigenous values and principles of governance in practiceâ (Pidgeon, 2016, p. 82). Overall, the literature shows that the issues and barriers faced by Indigenous graduate students are not only a personal struggle but also a political struggle at the levels of the institution, the family, the community, and the nation â all of which carry huge intergenerational impacts. It seems the need for Indigenous graduate success continues to be of paramount concern to so many Indigenous populations at present, the ancestors therein, and future generations still to come. Indigenous Graduate Student Success According to Weingarten et al. (2019), in Canada, âa primary goal of most publicly funded higher education systems, particularly in the West, is to ensure that students have broad and equitable access to a high quality education that teaches them what they need to succeed in their personal and professional livesâ (p. 6). 29 For Holmes (2021), the metric of success in graduate studies in Canada more specifically includes persistence (e.g., attrition rates), academic achievement (e.g., grade point averages), attainment of educational objectives (e.g., program completion), student/alumni satisfaction (e.g., during their studies and upon completion), the value of the degree (e.g., in society), and employment outcomes upon graduation; as well as studentsâ level of desired knowledge, skills, and competencies acquisition. Whereas for others, success occurs when graduate students demonstrate the embodiment of being a âscholarâ (Tolk, 2012) with an aptitude for engaging in âscholarshipâ by way of conducting critical research (Mitchell, 1999), both of which are key features of the oral defence examination and evaluation process. According to the literature, these same metrics of success are shared among and toward Indigenous graduate student populations, but with a number of additional, more âculturally attunedâ metrics added to the mix. This is because the metrics of success for Indigenous graduate students are determined by western academic institutions and Indigenous communities and nations. Indigenous scholar Eber Hampton (1995) explains: We want you to know everything that the non- First Nations university has to teach you, and we want you to be top notch at this. We also want you to know what you need to know to be a First Nations person of your nation and of your people. One language is not good enough for First Nations people; we have to know at least two (p. 48). As such, Indigenous graduate students are forced to be held to an even greater level of success metric standards (and often unfairly so). They are expected to do âdouble the workloadâ or âwork twice as hardâ to become what Battiste (2014) calls epistemologically ambidextrous, and what Atleo and Fitznor (2008) refer to as culturally bilingual, and thus successful in a western world and an Indigenous world simultaneously. They are expected to achieve, if not excel, in all 30 of the above metrics while also maintaining and/or strengthening their Indigenous identities (as previously discussed), despite the added pressures of doing so within a westernized academic system that is too often rife with Eurocentrism and colonial racism. As such, the emergence of the culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship discourse is intended to help enable and empower Indigenous graduate students to achieve all of these metrics of success and many others that will be discussed throughout the remainder of this study. Incorporating mentorship that is culturally attuned is not the sole objective. Emergence of Indigenous Mentorship in Graduate Studies In 1876, Daniel Coit Gilman, the first president of Johns Hopkins University, also established the first graduate education program in North America, which he adapted from the German and British models of academia at that time. Jensen (2022) explains: Gilman recognized the German model of emphasis on primary research, and then the British emphasis on the seminar method, with full-time faculty serving in so many ways as mentors. And then he had the idea of melding the two, which had never ever been tried before. (para.10) In doing so, Gilman also became the first to enshrine mentorship between faculty supervisors and graduate research students as a central tenet of graduate studies in the region. It is a legacy that has continued across these regions ever since. According to the literature, it appears it was not until the late 1990s that culturally attuned Indigenous mentorship began emerging in graduate studies, albeit outside of North America (Pihama et al., 2019; RÄtana, 2023). This occurred at the University of Auckland in Aotearoa/New Zealand, where renowned MÄori scholars Graham Hingangaroa Smith and Linda Tuhiwai Smith 31 started offering MÄori- and Indigenous culturally grounded mentorship with, by, and for MÄori and Indigenous graduate students. Soon after, in 2002, they helped establish the NgÄ Pae o te MÄramatanga [NPM] Centre of Research Excellence, wherein Tuhiwai Smith helped facilitate the development of Te Kupenga o MÄori and Indigenous [MAI], which supports the mentorship of MAI graduate students (Pihama et al., 2019), a program that still exists as of the publication of this dissertation. The term Te Kupenga translates in English as âa net or fishing netâ (Te Aka MÄori Dictionary, n. d.), as in a net to gather MAI graduate students together to gain and offer peer-to-peer mentorship to other MAI. This work was led by, with, and for the benefit of MAI peoples. As described by journalist Liam RÄtana (2023), âMAI is more than just a support network â itâs a movementâ (para. 1), a movement that has since spawned the MAI Journal of Indigenous Scholarship in New Zealand as well as AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples. Here in Canada, around the same time, culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship was also gaining traction. As discussed in Pidgeon et al. (2014), MÄori scholar Hingangaroa Smith teamed up with Sto:lo scholar Jo-Ann Qâum Qâum Xiiem Archibald at UBC in 2005 to create Canadaâs first-ever culturally attuned peer mentorship program for Indigenous graduate students. They called it Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement, or SAGE as it is most widely known today, which is also based on a Peer+ approach wherein Indigenous graduate students and Indigenous faculty embody a peer-to-peer mentorship relationship in lieu of the usual hierarchical approach in most western mentorship frameworks (Kovach et al., forthcoming), as previously discussed in Chapter One. Pidgeon et al (2014) further explain that the goal of SAGE and the MAI program has been to develop a critical mass of Indigenous masterâs and doctoral credentialed 32 people who through their research and practice will begin to transform multiple aspects of Indigenous education [â¦] the two programs grew out of the need for support of Indigenous peoples within graduate programs (p. 8) Thus far, as of this studyâs completion, SAGE continues to operate at UBC and has since expanded its presence across multiple universities in the province and across Canada. Moreover, during my tenure as a SAGE coordinator in 2021â2022, I helped translate our mentorship initiatives into online spaces to promote greater access among Indigenous students during the global COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Tenets of Indigenous Mentorship in Graduate Studies As demonstrated by Murry et al. (2022), there are clear differences between the tenets of western mentorship and those of Indigenous mentorship. Regarding the latter, these tenets include utilizing a mentee-centered approach (e.g., selfless mentoring that is led by, with, and for the benefit of Indigenous mentee); encouraging self-advocacy (e.g., empowering Indigenous mentees); criticality (e.g., role-modelling and encouraging critical thinking at all times); abiding by Indigenous ethics (e.g., centring Indigenous cultural protocols); relationalism (e.g., meaningful comradery, reciprocal exchanges, and trusting interactions with Indigenous mentees as equals); fostering Indigenous identity development (e.g., understanding Indigenous menteesâ identity and connecting Indigenous mentees with Indigenous communities and resources); and advocacy (e.g., teaching and upholding anti-racism among non-Indigenous colleagues). Although this is an impressive and invaluable list of Indigenous mentorship tenets, they were primarily identified in relation to Indigenous mentorship at the undergraduate level; thus, not all of them necessarily translate to the graduate level. However, anecdotally speaking, I would argue that these tenets are very likely transferable to graduate levels of study as well. Nevertheless, 33 upon conducting my own review of the current literature, I have identified the following nine key tenets of Indigenous mentorship at the graduate level specifically: Accountability: the tenet of accountability refers to mentoring Indigenous graduate students to be accountable to their program supervisory committee, family, community, and kinships, while simultaneously accountable to their cultural responsibilities, cultural community, and cultural development (Bordeaux, 2021; Pidgeon et al., 2014, p. 12). Anti-assimilation/Pro-decolonization: this is about mentoring Indigenous graduate students in a manner that is decolonized and non-assimilatory and, in turn, helps foster decolonized and non- assimilatory outcomes by way of (for example) proactively incorporating and promoting Indigenous epistemologies, traditions, protocols, and research paradigms throughout all aspects of the mentorship process (Arouca, 2018; Bordeaux, 2021, p. 666; Windchief & Brown 2017, p. 339; Windchief et al., 2018, pp. 512â513). Collectivism: this refers to a viewpoint and practice wherein the mentorship of Indigenous graduate students is a shared responsibility of all peoples on-/off-campus across the academic spectrum â including, for example, Indigenous and non-Indigenous peer-students, staff, and faculty as well as those outside of the supervisory committee (Arouca, 2018; Bishop & Webster, 2021; Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Pidgeon et al., 2014). Nor is mentorship necessarily limited to human-mentors in that the land, water, and spirits could also be mentors (Bordeaux, 2021). Identity: Indigenous graduate mentorship acknowledges Indigenous identity as existing along a continuum and supporting Indigenous graduate students with [re-]establishing, maintaining, and strengthening their knowledge of, connection to, and engagement with their sense of Indigeneity (Arouca, 2018, p. 7; Carrière & Richardson, 2025; Windchief and Brown 2017, p. 34 337), especially Métis-identifying graduate students (Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Carrière & Richardson, 2025). Language: Indigenous graduate mentorship recognizes and integrates Indigenous cultural language(s), alongside the âlanguageâ of western academia, as integral to the relational development between supervisors and Indigenous graduate students as well as to Indigenous graduate studentsâ academic success within western academia (Bishop & Webster, 2021). Reciprocity: Indigenous graduate mentorship emphasizes the importance of fostering, nurturing, and upholding Indigenous graduate studentsâ sense of responsibility to âgive backâ to oneâs community, family, kinships, Ancestors, nations, and friends (Bishop & Webster, 2021; Bordeaux, 2021, p. 665). Relationality/Relationships: these are very prominent tenets among the current literature on Indigenous graduate mentorship (Arouca, 2018; Bishop & Webster, 2021; Bordeaux, 2021; Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Pidgeon et al., 2024; Windchief & Brown, 2017; Windchief et al., 2018). Often, these two tenets appear to be used interchangeably within the literature. Both will be discussed shortly after this list. Two-Worlds: the tenet of two-worlds in Indigenous graduate mentorship helps Indigenous graduate students to understand and be able to navigate the western world of academic research and the Indigenous world of cultural perspectives, knowledges, traditions, and protocols (Bishop & Webster, 2021, p. 112; Burke & MacDonald, 2020, p .8). Wholism: In Indigenous graduate mentorship, the tenet of wholism considers the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual skillsets and well-being of Indigenous graduate students as relevant to the mentorship process. This is because there is more to being an Indigenous graduate student than academics alone (Arouca, 2018; Bishop & Webster, 2021; Bordeaux, 2021; Brown 35 & Komlos, 2019; Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Carrière & Richardson, 2025; Pidgeon et al., 2014; Windchief & Brown 2017; Windchief et al., 2018). Relationality and Relationships Relationality and relationships are two more prominent tenets in the current literature on culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. In many ways, the two terms go hand-in-hand, are they are often used interchangeably in the current literature. Beginning with relationships, Windchief and Brown (2017) emphasize that âin order to ensure a high-quality mentoring experience, researchers suggest that the creation of a mentoring relationship be taken seriouslyâ (p. 336). In a study conducted by Windchief et al. (2018), the three factors contributing to a high-quality Indigenous mentorship relationship include ensuring that the formulation of relationships is organic rather than forced; that expectations between all parties are clear; and that mutual benefits are identified and nurtured (pp. 510â512). Where this is unique to Indigenous graduate mentorship is that these relationships can and arguably must extend beyond the faculty supervisor alone to include all Indigenous and Ally faculty members, advisors, student support people, administrators, leaders, staff, and peer groups (Arouca, 2018; Bishop & Webster, 2021; Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Pidgeon et al., 2014) We all play a relational role in the collective pursuits to decolonize and [re-]Indigenize academia and Indigenous mentorship. When it comes to relationality, Onondaga scholar Stephaine Waterman (2023) defines this as âreferring to the relationship Indigenous people have with people, ideas, the cosmos, and the landâ (p.439). For Windchief et al. (2018), relationality is a key tenet that positions Indigenous mentorship as uniquely culturally attuned to Indigenous worldviews, knowledge, traditions, and protocols. For Indigenous graduate student Clementine Bordeaux (2021), their mentors âbecame 36 my aunties, cousins, and sisters that I needed to navigate the universityâ (p. 664). Their connection with the mentors had bloomed into a kinship, although they were not genetically related. Moreover, for Métis graduate student Nadine MacDonald (Burke & MacDonald, 2020), relationality also includes connecting with oneâs supervisor as someone from the same cultural group. For instance, MacDonald explains that âalmost all of my formal education was delivered from a Western perspective. It was really helpful to have someone to offer a Métis perspective [as a supervisor]â (p. 7) to which MacDonald could relate as an emerging Métis scholar. Additionally, Pidgeon et al. (2024) posit that this type of relationality can also foster a sense of belonging among Indigenous graduate students, which, incidentally, can in turn improve the rates of recruitment, retention, and completion among Indigenous graduate students. Arguably, this is a win-win scenario for everyone involved. The literature is also clear that relationships and relationality cannot be forced. Like gardening, plants need the correct balance of time and attention to sprout, root, and flourish. Windchief et al. (2018) explain that âstudents identified the need to interact with other people who have gone through similar experiences, even emphasizing on the resource of his/her university that has a place where other American Indian students congregateâ (p. 509). Burke and MacDonald (2020) add that âas a corollary, Indigenous students have identified social support, such as Indigenous student centers, monthly meetings, and social outings, as important to them being able to succeed in post-secondary institutionsâ (p. 3) to build up and maintain their sense of relationship and relationality, and by extent, a sense of belonging in western academia. Additionally, Bordeaux (2021) posits that relationality within Indigenous graduate mentorship is not necessarily limited to human-to-human kinships because relationality also 37 âexists between other-than-human kin like that of lands and waterâ (p. 665). Indigenous scholars Sinclair and Pooyak (2007) agree but add spirit-entities as a possibility as well. Frameworks for Indigenous Mentorship in Graduate Studies There is an abundance of frameworks for western mentorship, given its long-standing history in western literature. These include cloning mentorship, wherein mentees are modeled into a âcloneâ of the mentor (Blackburn et al, 1981); reciprocal mentorship, in which mentors and mentees freely assume each otherâs roles (Palincsar & Brown, 1984); peer mentorship, or mentorship among two or more people from a common group (Kram & Isabella, 1985); situational mentorship, meaning mentorship that is contextual and situated within a specific time and space (Lave & Wenger, 1991); transformational mentorship, which is mentorship that transforms behaviours and situations (Hay, 1997); friendship mentorship, wherein mentors are perceived and treated as friends (Gardiner, 1998/2008); reverse mentorship, in which mentors permit mentees to mentor the mentor (Welch, 1999, as cited in Wingard, 2018); nurturing mentorship, wherein mentors are akin to parents tending to the development of their offspring mentees (Buell, 2004); humanistic mentorship, referring to a person-centred relationship wherein the mentee, rather than the mentor alone, is an expert over their developmental needs (Varney, 2009); and mosaic mentorship, which is mentorship that incorporates any of the above frameworks as a mixed-modality approach (Sasine, 2016). These are the most common frameworks in the literature. Windchief and Colleagues This section focuses on three seminal works by Sweeny Windchief and colleagues with regard to developing the following frameworks for Indigenous graduate mentorship. The first of these works, written by Downs and Windchief (2015), identified three frameworks for Indigenous graduate-level mentorship. First is the Hawaiian mentorship model, wherein mentorship takes an 38 intergenerational approach between the Youth (the mentee), the Elder (the mentor), and the Doer (a go-between for the Youth and the Elder to aid in the mentorship process as necessary). The second is the Indigenous Art Studio model, akin to a creative space overseen by an expert artist, wherein multiple artists living together work collaboratively to support the newest artist(s) recently accepted into their âfictiveâ family structure. Finally, they offer the Reservation Community model, which represents the stage when a young person demonstrates their readiness, willingness, and trustworthiness, thereby in turn being awarded specific community knowledges and traditions to aid them in their socialization within the community (pp. 41â42). Moreover, Downs and Windchief posit that Indigenous graduate mentorship frameworks typically land within at least one of the three following categories: (1) problematic (e.g., those emphasizing disciple, critic, and clone mindsets); (2) successful (e.g., those emphasizing mentee, protégé, and peer mindsets); and (3) culturally attuned (e.g., those that centre and incorporate Indigenous knowledges and traditions). The latter of these is considered the most beneficial for Indigenous graduate students. These three framework models â Hawaiian, Indigenous Art Studio, and Reservation Community â received only a brief description from Downs and Windchief (2015), which unfortunately makes it very difficult for Indigenous faculty/mentors and others to know how to implement any of these three modules in pragmatic ways within graduate studies. However, Windchief and Brown (2017) moved forward and developed a framework model for Indigenous graduate students in STEM field programs. This was a compromise among the following five key components: Place-Based (e.g., ensuring that mentorship is culturally congruent with the location in which it is being offered, such as on the land or within an Indigenous organization); Mentor Interest/Past Success (e.g., ensuring Indigenous menteesâ present-day interests are centred rather than the mentorâs past successes/experiences); Indigenous Identity 39 Continuum (e.g., recognizing impacts of colonization on Indigenous identity, which is pre-colonially diverse and fluid); Indigenous Values/Worldview (e.g., ensuring Indigenous values and worldview guide the mentorship process); and Indigenous Family Structure (e.g., ensuring a sense of relational-kinship structurally) (pp. 332â340). Though Windchief and Brown offer a more extensive description for each component of the framework, the model is primarily theoretical and thus lacking a clear road map for how this could be applied pragmatically. Nevertheless, their invaluable work went on to inspire Windchief et al. (2018) and Arouca (2018) to develop an effective Indigenous mentorship program guidebook to help universities train mostly non-Indigenous faculty who are, or will be, mentoring Indigenous graduate students. Cross-Cultural Reciprocal Mentorship Royal Roads University faculty supervisor Kathy Bishop (non-Indigenous) and Nuu-chah-nulth graduate student Christine Webster (Bishop & Webster, 2021) utilize Palincsar and Brownâs (1984) reciprocal mentorship to co-develop a graduate-level mentorship approach they refer to as cross-cultural reciprocal mentorship, wherein Webster mentors Bishop on Indigenous cultural knowledges and traditions and Bishop mentors Webster on graduate-level academic skillsets and procedures. Together, they found that the benefits of this approach resulted in the ability to navigate between the two worlds (western and Indigenous), develop a common language (i.e., western academia and Wakashan/Nuu-chah-nulth), and foster shared values. This study is an example of how Indigenous and western approaches to mentorship can function in integrated ways, and so too can Indigenous graduate students and non-Indigenous faculty supervisors. Indigenous Two-Way Mentorship Indigenous scholar Kathryn Coff and Australian scholar Jo Lampert (Coff & Lampert, 2019) co-developed Indigenous two-way mentoring, an approach comprised of three culturally 40 based frameworks: (1) Harrisâ (1990) Aboriginal two-way learning, which honours Indigenous ways of teaching and learning; (2) Bessarab [Bard-Yjindjarbandi] and Ngâanduâs (2010) yarning, a form of culturally attuned conversational interviews as a research method; and (3) Ungunmerr-Baumann et al.âs (1988, 2022) Dadirri (i.e., âdeep listeningâ) or what Archibald (2008) refers to as listening with three ears, âtwo on the sides of our heard and one in our heartâ (p. 76). For Coff and Lampert (2019), two-way mentoring occurs when trust, respect, and a mutual sense of responsibility are established between the Indigenous graduate student and the faculty supervisor. Unfortunately, a limitation of this study in relation to my dissertation research is that it involved two faculty members rather than a supervisor and an Indigenous graduate student. Nevertheless, it is still a noteworthy example. MÄori Mentorship In Aotearoa/New Zealand, MÄori scholars Shirley Barnett and Ina Te Wiata (Barnett & Te Wiata, 2020) present an entirely MÄori-based mentorship framework comprised of Durieâs (2009) âbest outcomes for MÄori studentsâ; Smithâs (2003) âsix principles of Kaupapa praxisâ; Pihamaâs (2001) Te Tiriti o Waitangi [affirming MÄori rights]; and Pohatuâs (2013) Äta [respectful relationship]. Although this framework was developed to support online/distant MÄori students, the framework is unique in that it is one of the few in the literature that is entirely Indigenous- developed and implemented, and the only one thus far to be online/distant situated. Family Education Model In this final example, HeavyRunner and DeCelles (2002) discuss the Family Education Model, which emerged in 1997 from collaborations among American-based Indigenous educators, social workers, and five post-secondary institutions. The Family Education Model aims âto improve educational access for students and to effectively support students' persistence toward 41 degree completion [by] creat[ing] an environment that honors and includes the extended family and nurtures appropriate partnershipsâ (p. 30). Although the model is not a mentorship framework specifically, nor was it intended for graduate studies, it is in fact culturally informed and focuses on supporting Indigenous college/university students and their respective Indigenous communities and families. However, given the significance of applying familial approaches to supporting Indigenous post-secondary students in general (Bordeaux (2021; Waterman, 2012) and given the prominence of relationality as a tenet of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, the Family Educational Model may be an emerging framework for the not-so-distant future. Gaps Analysis, Opportunities, and Next Steps Although various culturally attuned forms of Indigenous mentorship have existed among Indigenous communities since time immemorial, its presence within the current literature is relatively new and emerging, especially when compared to the legacy of western mentorship within this same literature pool. Moreover, compared with publications on Indigenous mentorship at all levels of academia, those on Indigenous graduate mentorship are currently sparse. This is a shortfall in the literature that my study aims to address by inspiring new/current scholars to consider researching this topic further, which is certainly my own anticipated trajectory hereafter. Another gap in the literature is articulated by Burke and MacDonald (2020): âAlthough there is a significant amount of literature written on the topic of mentorship, very little of it describes how educators can actually conceptualize the idea of providing mentorship to [Indigenous graduate] studentsâ (p. 1). Among the relatively few publications on this topic, most do not focus on pragmatic ways to implement culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship; those provided are typically based within western mentorship paradigms. 42 From one perspective, these gaps highlight key areas in the current literature wherein Indigenous worldviews, knowledges, traditions, and protocols are not being represented. This also means that Indigenous voices on these topics are not getting enough attention, nor do they appear to be heard or listened to by the leadership within Canadian graduate studies departments. However, from another perspective, these gaps present a wealth of opportunities for this study to help jumpstart greater new/emerging publications and applied practice in British Columbia and potentially across the country, or even beyond these borders. In doing so, this study offers the opportunity to help raise awareness of the significance of Indigenous graduate mentorship, particularly among Indigenous graduate students and their faculty supervisors. Moreover, raising this awareness could potentially increase the motivations of faculty, staff, and the boards of governors at these institutions to take seriously the benefits of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship among Indigenous graduate students. In doing so, one can presume that more Indigenous graduate students will be able to engage in such culturally attuned services and, in turn, become even more likely to complete their degrees and become faculty supervisors/mentors for future generations of Indigenous graduate students. Taking all the above into consideration, over time I formulated the core research questions for this study as discussed in Chapter Two: namely, What is culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship?, followed by the subsequent questions â What theories and practices inform this work? How is it, or how could it be, practiced by Indigenous supervisors? How (if at all) is it unique from non-Indigenous graduate mentorship? What (if any) is or could be the role of Ally supervisors? Why (if at all) is it so effective among Indigenous graduate students? To help answer these questions, I developed the following culturally attuned methodology as discussed in the next chapter of our journey together. 43 Chapter Four: Methodological Design Introduction In this chapter, I will be presenting an overview of my Indigenous research methodological design, followed by a discussion of the Indigenous research paradigm and each of its components in greater detail. I will also discuss the role of culturally rooted metaphors in relation to my Indigenous research design, followed by presenting my own original Indigenous metaphoric framework for this specific study and for understanding Indigenous methodology in general. Overview of Indigenous Research Methodologies Understanding what Indigenous research methodologies are depends on who you ask. For StóêlÅ scholar Jo-Ann Qâum Qâum Xiiem Archibald (2008), it as a story-process that âenable[s] people to sit together and talk meaningfully about how their Indigenous knowledge could be effectively used for education and for living a good life and to think about possibilities for overcoming problems experienced in their communitiesâ (p. 81). For others, such as Tsinnajinnie et al. (2019), it is âan international decolonization process that we engage in as Indigenous individuals with many shared values linking our spaces together, inserting Native epistemologies, and honoring the reclamation of how and why we seek knowledgeâ (p. 36). Other examples include Shaneé Washington (2023), for whom Indigenous methodologies (or âIndigenist methodologiesâ as they refer to it) comprise the following three key elements: Indigenous paradigms (i.e., all knowledge is relational, shared, and stewarded); Indigenous methods (i.e., collaborative and accountable approaches to research and analysis, being known by the community, conversational and storytelling methods, sharing results in accessible and community approved ways); and Indigenous protocols (i.e., accountability explaining relationships via self-location, respectfully entering and earning permissions, responsibility 44 maintaining honesty and transparency, and reciprocally sharing knowledge) (p. 1212). Whereas for Métis-Cree scholar Weber-Pillwax (1999), Indigenous methodologies are comprised of the following seven principles: 1. Interconnectedness of all living things. 2. Impacts of motivations and intentions on persons and community. 3. Foundation of research as lived indigenous experience. 4. Groundedness of theories in indigenous epistemology. 5. Transformative nature of research. 6. Sacredness and responsibility of maintaining personal and community integrity. 7. Recognition of languages and cultures as living processes (pp. 31â32). There are many reasons why a researcher might choose to implement Indigenous research methodologies rather than western approaches. For Tuhwai Smith (2021), it is about confronting and countering a collective memory of imperialism [that] has been perpetuated through the ways in which knowledge about Indigenous peoples was collected, classified and then represented various ways back to the West, and then, through the eyes of the West, back to those who have been colonized. (p. 1) For others such as Mirrabopa (2003), Indigenous research methodologies are about the âongoing quest to re-search and re-present our worldviews as the basis from which we live, learn and surviveâ (p. 205); whereas for Kovach (2021), it is about transforming the problematized assimilatory assumptions and agendas in scholarly research by raising peoplesâ awareness of, and respect for, Indigenous knowledges. This is because âpresuming that Western research paradigms (qualitative or otherwise) can claim Indigenous methodologies is to discount the epistemological foundation of Indigenous methodologiesâ (p. 29), to which Wilson (2001) adds that â[Indigenous] knowledge cannot be advanced from a mainstream paradigm. That would simply be mainstream knowledge about Indigenous peoples or topicsâ (p. 194). 45 Overall, Indigenous methodologies are distinct from western methodologies, and I would argue that if a study is intending to produce culturally rooted findings, then its methodology must itself be culturally rooted and congruent with Indigenous social and cultural realities. Nurungga scholar Lester-Irabinna Rigney (1999) adds that Indigenous Peoples must look to new anticolonial epistemologies and methodologies to construct, rediscover, and/or reaffirm their knowledges and cultures. Such epistemologies must represent the aspirations of Indigenous [peoples] and carry within them the potential to strengthen the struggle for emancipation and liberation from oppression. If we understand this, we understand the need to seek other examples of liberatory epistemologies. (p. 144) Moreover, Indigenous methodologies are inextricably linked with a researcherâs Indigeneity (Hart, 2007; Rheault, 1999; Rigney, 1999; Wilson, 2001/2013). This is why, for myself and many Indigenous scholars, we cannot fathom approaching research in any other way because it is our Indigeneity that, in turn, informs our Indigenous research paradigm. Culturally Rooted Metaphors within Indigenous Methodologies It is not uncommon for Indigenous methodologies to be constructed within a culturally rooted metaphor. This is because, as Navajo scholar Amanda Tachine (2018) explains, âmetaphors evoke imagination and ancient wisdom [that are] a natural part of my thinking and writing as metaphors provided a space to visualize and connect difficult thought processes and assert the Navajo way of lifeâ (p. 66). Moreover, for Kovach (2021), cultural metaphors in research are a figurative language [that] compares one thing to another to communicate an idea beyond a literal meaning. Metaphor is rich and expands insights. Metaphor is forceful when communicating concepts within and across cultures. Even though the choice of 46 images and comparatives arises from personal experiences, and cultural context, the figurative language of metaphor is a servant of universal connection. (p. 229) Given these descriptions, I think the term âmetaphorâ can be misleading if it is viewed outside of a cultural context. For example, Merriam-Webster (n.d.) defines metaphor as âa figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.â But I would add that within a spirituality-based theorizing perspective, if everything in life is alive, interconnected, interrelated, and imbued with spirit (Binder, 2016; Graveline, 1998; Hill, 2021; Surprenant, 2021), then so too are metaphors in research if they are culturally rooted. There are many examples of culturally rooted metaphors in research both locally and internationally. These include Nehinuw Braiding Sweetgrass (Victor et al., 2016), Secwepemc Hand Drum (Martin & Williams, 2019), and Anishinaabe Turtle Shaker (Debassige, 2013) in Canada; Diné Butterfly (Tsinnajinnie et al., 2019); Diné Hoghann/Hozhoogo (Davidson, 2018); Navajo Story Rug (Tachine, 2018) in the United States; Wurundjeri Lilyology (Blair, 2019) in Australia; and MÄori PÅ«rÄkau (Lee-Morgan, 2019) in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Cultural metaphors in research can foster meaningful relational connections among researchers, participants, and readers that transcend seemingly cultural or ethnic differences (Wilson, 2008). Research is also a meaning-making process, and cultural metaphors can help us express ourselves in meaningful ways. This is because researchers tend to be represented within their selected cultural metaphors, whether knowingly or unknowingly (Davidson, 2019). Taking all these perspectives into consideration, it seems that integrating cultural metaphor within this studyâs Indigenous research methodologies is a natural fit, particularly given each 47 element of my paradigm is embedded therein. This is a huge relief because I tend to express myself utilizing metaphors in my everyday life, and this study is no different. Research Methodological Framework Early in my doctoral studies, I laid my tobacco and asked Creator for guidance on identifying a culturally rooted metaphor befitting the spirit of this study. Soon after, I took out a pencil and paper and began mapping a vision of a Powwow Big Drum as a methodological framework, which I will now present in greater detail. Figure 1: Powwow Big Drum as a Research Methodological Framework The above image is intended to depict a birds-eye-view looking downward onto the surface of a Powwow Big Drum, which on its surface has an enhanced Medicine Wheel painted, along with four blocks are each âcornerâ of the model representing a four-point stand upon which the Powwow Big Drum is hoisted, and in between these posts are four drumsticks representing the sacred drummers whose playing of the Big Drum reverberates outward its medicinal properties. Nindinawemaganidog TheorizingWholismOral Traditions& StorytellingConversationalMethodRelationalAccountabilitySelf-/Us-in-RelationsResearch Question(s)AncestorsCommunity FamilyEldersLead Stick (Researcher)Storyteller Stick (Participants)Mentor Stick(Supervisory Committee)Carrier Stick (Readership)TB1: Terminology/MeaningsTB2: General DistinctionsTB3: Conceptual FrameworksTB4: Mentor ArchetypesTB5: Five RâsTB6: Applied PracticeApproachesTB7: Barriers/ObstaclesTB8: Role. Non-Indig. Faculty AlliesTB9: Online TechnologiesThematic Bundles 48 For me, the emergence of this framework was both spiritual and intellectual. Spiritually, I have always felt very connected to drums. As a child, I had a small collection of infant drums of all shapes and sizes. As a teenager, I played a Pearl drum kit in the bedroom above my parentâs garage. By the time I reached my mid-to-late twenties, I was playing Brazilian Surdos, Japanese Taiko, African Djembes, and, of course, Indigenous traditional hand drums. I have since made and gifted several traditional hand drums. I have also had the honour of playing multiple Powwow Big Drums as well as the honour of being a Drum-Keeper many years ago. I have always felt relationality connected to/with Drum, and it seems inevitable that I would feel inclined to utilize this as a culturally rooted metaphor for conceptualizing and designing a methodological paradigm. Powwow Big Drum According to Oxendine (2011), the term Powwow comes from the Narragansett language and translates in English as âmeeting.â Although the exact origins of powwow gatherings is undecided (Simpson & Filice, 2016), several publications position Plain Cree peoples and nations across Turtle Island/North America as playing a significant role (Hoefnagels & Filice, 2016; Simpson & Filice, 2016). Powwow gatherings continue to occur and thrive across Canada to this very day, bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples from all walks of life to gather and celebrate Indigenous cultural traditions, arts, crafts, foods, and all our relations. Moreover, Big Drums also continue to play a major role at Powwows. Hoefnagels (2006) discusses the different types of Big Drum songs typically played during a Powwow, each of which serves a cultural purpose. Moreover, although the Big Drums are typically played by men only (for cultural reasons), many contemporary Powwows now host men only, women-only, and mixed sex Big Drum groups. Finally, in the spirit of fostering friendships, kinships, allyships, and reconciliation between all peoples, typically all are welcome. I see many of these same characteristics in 49 culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, as discussed in Chapter Three, and so too my research is intended to feel and foster the spirit of these same good values and commitments. Medicine Wheel Surface of the Drum Along the surface of the Powwow Big Drum framework is an image of an adapted Anishinaabe-informed Medicine Wheel whose iconography is circular and comprised of four equal quadrants representing wholistic balance, harmony, and wellness; this is also consistent with the current literature (Coyhis, 2009; Graveline, 1998; Hill, 2021; Lane et al., 2012; Surprenant, 2021). As discussed in Chapter One, Elder Niganabe Esstin McLeod (Anishinaabe; Mississaugi First Nation) was the first to instill in me cultural knowledges and traditions of an Anishinaabe Medicine Wheel while collaborating at Chapleau-Cree Frist Nation, Ontario. Elder Nigandabe directed me to learn these ways of knowing and being so that I could apply them in a manner that can be helpful to others. It is for this reason I felt called to apply it here in this research. Culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is meant to be helpful to others. Painted Research Paradigm Those of us who are familiar with Medicine Wheel iconography will clearly see that the one painted on the surface of the above Powwow Big Drum framework is an adapted version that comprises a research paradigm overlay. This is because the model is a research framework. Shawn Wilson (2001) defines a research paradigm as comprising âa set of beliefs about the world and about gaining knowledge that go together to guide people's actions as to how they are going to go about doing their researchâ (p. 175). The components of an Indigenous-informed research paradigm include an Indigenous ontology rooted within Indigenous worldviews; an Indigenous epistemology rooted within Indigenous knowledges; an Indigenous methodology rooted within Indigenous cultural actions, behaviours, or traditions; and an Indigenous axiology 50 rooted within a set of Indigenous codes of ethics and cultural protocols. Each of these is clearly represented in the above Powwow Big Drum conceptual research framework. My rationale for depicting the paradigm as a Medicine Wheel was to demonstrate that each aspect of this studyâs research methodology is akin to each aspect of the Medicine Wheel, each of which I will now discuss in greater detail as it relates to this studyâs methodology. Ontology: Wholism The ontology for this study centres on an Anishinaabe holistic worldview. Within this view, everything in life is viewed and understood as interconnected, interrelated, interdependent, and intercyclical. Newhouse (2008) describes a wholistic worldview as âa sense that we live in a sea of energy that animates everythingâ (p. 190). For Anishinaabe Elder Waase Gaaboo [Hill] (2021), wholism can be defined as âthe inherent interconnection with the earth and all the spirits of Creation â¦ each with its set of responsibilities toward the wholeâ (p. 8), and for Graveline (1998), wholism fosters a circular worldview that âthrive[s] when there is a web of interconnectedness between the individual and the community and between the community and natureâ (p. 55). An ontology rooted within wholism is a good fit for this study, given that wholism is a tenet of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate-level mentorship, according to the literature reviewed in Chapter Three. Epistemology: Oral Traditions and Storytelling Whereas an ontology is about the nature of truth and reality based on a particular worldview, an epistemology is about the nature of knowledge. For example, within Indigenous worldviews, knowledge can exist within, and emerge from, dreams or visions (Archibald, 2008, Little Bear, 2009, p. 7); imagination (Sheridan & Longboat, 2006); relationships with people and ânon-peopleâ entities (Wilson & Restoule, 2010, p. 33); animals or totems (John, 2019), pain or 51 discomfort (Ahenakew, 2019), the lands and waters (Ahenakew, 2019; John, 2019, pp. 55â56; Muñoz, 2019; Sheridan & Longboat, 2006; Ormiston, 2019; Simpson, 2014; Styres, 2019), and oral traditions and storytelling practices (Archibald 2008; Archibald et al., 2019; Thomas, 2015). Oral traditions and storytelling as an epistemology is common among Indigenous research paradigms because, in many ways, research itself is a storytelling/re-storytelling process. As Kovach (2019) further explains, âstory is a relational process that is accompanied by a particular protocol consistent with tribal knowledge identified as guiding the researchâ (p. 127). The same is true for this studyâs Indigenous-rooted research paradigm. Probably the most prominent, comprehensive, and widely cited publication on Indigenous research methodologies and the epistemological role of oral traditions and storytelling practice therein is Jo-Ann Qâum Qâum Xiiem Archibaldâs (2008) seminal book Storywork as Methodology. In this text, Archibald also presents the seven principles of Storywork (i.e., respect, responsibilities, reverence, reciprocity, holism, interrelatedness), which were inspired by the equally seminal works by Indigenous scholars Verna Kirkness and Ray Banhart (1991), offering the four Râs of Indigenous post-secondary education. As an epistemology for this study, I believe oral traditions and storytelling is ideal, given that one of the âinstructional techniquesâ utilized in pre-colonial forms of Indigenous traditional education and mentorship was oral traditions and storytelling (Anonson et al., 2014; Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022; Bell, 2013, p. 91; Hare, 2004; Langlais, 2020) as discussed in Chapter Two. Moreover, as demonstrated by Robina Thomas (2015), Indigenous stories are imbued with the spirit of those who shared them with us, which, as previously discussed in this chapter, is a perspective that inherently aligns with my spirituality-based theorizing. As such, in this study, the 52 term âdataâ is referred to as âStory,â âresearch participantsâ are âStory-Sharers,â and I as the âresearcherâ am a âStory-Gathererâ (as adapted from Mahikwa, 2025). Method: Conversational The terms methodology and methods are often used interchangeably in the literature. But in this study, the term methodology refers to a collection of theories and approaches for how research is constructed and implemented, whereas the term methods refers to the specific approach(es) to gathering data (i.e., Story). Examples of Indigenous-informed methods include sharing circles (Lavallee, 2009; Tachine et al., 2016; Waterman, 2019), talking circles (Kovach et al., 2013), cultural symbology (Lavallee, 2009), and film arts (Christian, 2019), to name a few. For this specific study, I utilized a conversational method commonly referred to as conversational interviews, to be discussed in greater detail in Chapter Five. Axiology: Relational Accountability Axiology refers to the ethical ways in which data (Story) is gathered from the research participants (Story-Sharers), and particularly in alignment with Indigenous cultural protocols. I take research ethics very seriously; all research should be conducted ethically, including this, of course. The axiology for this study is rooted within what Shawn Wilson (2008) refers to as relational accountability; the success of this is measured based on how well the relationships between everyone involved in the study, either directly or indirectly, have been (re-)established, maintained, and sustained at each stage of the research process. One of the main ways in which relational accountability can be achieved is to instill confidence, trust, and transparency among and between everyone involved and ensure that each typically benefits from undergoing various forms of an ethical review process. 53 Examples of Indigenous axiological protocols for Indigenous research include, but are not limited to, Ojibway/Anishinaabeâs seven sacred teachings â bravery/courage, respect, love, honesty, humility, wisdom, and truth (Bouchard & Martin, 2009); Hawaiâiâs mo-olelo, or âbeing mindful of words that hold mana power to heal or destroyâ (MÄkua et al., 2019); Anishinaabeâs mino-bimaadiziwin â âliving a life in harmony with all of creationâ (Debassige, 2010; Langlais, 2020; Rheault, 1999); and/or the Haudenosaunee Seven-Generation Principle wherein we act today in a manner that will benefit the next seven generations and beyond (Williams, 2018). Knowing that these are not part of the university review process, I did my best to interweave all the protocols throughout this studyâs research process. On that note, this study was approved by University of British Columbiaâs Behavioural Research Ethics Board, which assessed this study in relation to Chapter 9 of the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS 2, 2022): âResearch Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada.â However, some scholars argue that the ethics review of Indigenous research should be self-determined with, by, and for Indigenous peoples and not by universities, nor based on the federal governmentâs understanding of research ethics (Castellano, 2004; Stiegman & Castleden, 2015; Whetung & Wakefield, 2019). This being said, Indigenous scholar Willie Ermine (2007) recommends we foster neutral ethical spaces wherein Indigenous and western peoples work collaboratively and respectfully to determine the ethics of an Indigenous research study. In addition to all of the above, my entire dissertation was also reviewed and approved by Elder Billie-Jean McBride to ensure this study was conducted and written in accordance with cultural protocols and integrity, and in relation to how I have been mentored culturally and expected to carry myself and the Anishinaabee worldviews, knowledges, languages, and traditions. 54 From an ontology rooted in wholism, we want to conduct research that nurtures these relations. Within an epistemology rooted in oral traditions and storytelling, and given that the method of this study centres conversational interviews, then as a Story-Gatherer (âresearcherâ), I am relationally accountable to all of the Stories (âdataâ) shared by the Story-Sharers as research participants. We must care for these Stories just as much as we care for the Story-Sharers. Fifth Component: Self and Us in Relation Unlike a typical Anishinaabe Medicine Wheel, the adapted one represented in the above Powwow Big Drum methodological framework clearly has a fifth component within the research paradigm. This fifth âhoopâ is titled self-/us in relation. Self-in-relation is described by Kovach (2021) as referring to when researchers acknowledge the many ways in which they are relationally interconnected with their research topic and its associated research paradigm and methodology. Self-in-relation is typically presented to readers in the form of a self-locating prologue statement at the beginning of a study (see Chapter One). Interestingly, the term self-in-relation is believed to have been first published by Surrey (1985) and was later defined by Jordan et al. (1991) as âan important shift in emphasis from separation to relationship as the basis for self-experience and developmentâ (p. 53). Kovachâs (2021) inclusion of self-in-relation also makes sense because, as Wilson (2013) explains, âIndigenous People are not in relationships; they are relationshipsâ (p. 311). For Graveline (1998), self-in-relation is also embedded within the cultural phrasing âAll My Relations,â which, according to Kovach et al. (2013, pp. 487â489), includes the researcherâs relationship to/with their research topic area and methodology. This section of the model also includes us-in-relation, which is essentially the same as self-in-relation, but the latter acknowledges that everyone in addition to the researcher has or will have 55 developed a relationship to each component of the research paradigm and study. This is because I, as the researcher, did not solely complete this study on my own but rather it was completed as a collective âweâ, and so too we co-created the findings. Similarly, for Shawn Wilson (2008), these relationships extended beyond the page to include the reader; and thus, the studyâs methodological research paradigm is depicted as self- and us-in-relation. Theorizing: Nindinawemaganidog Nindinawemaganidog, despite its various spellings, is an Anishinaabe term for âall my relations,â which is a spiritual worldview in which all of life is imbued with spirits that are interrelated and interconnected (Debassige, 2010; Graveline, 1998; Hill, 2021; Langlais, 2020; Rheault, 1999). Nindinawemaganidog is also a term often associated with Anishinaabe artist Rebecca Belmore (n.d.). It is a cultural concept that lives in the core of my being and spirituality and as such has informed the spirituality-based theorizing at the core of this studyâs methodology. This is also because, for me, âspiritualityâ and ârelationalityâ are often interchangeable, and given that ârelationalityâ is a key feature of âculturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorshipâ as discussed in Chapter Three thus far, nindinawemaganidog is an ideal fit for this research. An important aspect of any Drum is its circular frame, around which an animal hide is wrapped and held together by tied strips from the same animal hide. Without the circular frame, the components of the Drum would not function. As such, nindinawemaganidog theorizing is represented as a circular frame holding together all aspects of the above depicted Powwow Big Drum methodological framework. According to Kovach (2021, pp. 186â187), Indigenous research theorizing is akin to culturally rooted ways of thinking that carry at least one of four qualities: 1. Indigenous epistemologies (cultural beliefs about knowledge) 2. Community collectivist social mores (cultural protocols/ethics) 56 3. Colonial history (colonial impact) 4. Experiential Knowledge from self-in-relation (cultural notions of interconnectivity between self and all of connection). Furthermore, according to Washington (2023, p. 1212), Indigenous theorizing is informed by Indigenous knowledge systems that share the following common set of beliefs: 1. Knowledge is relational and shared with all creation. 2. Researchers are stewards and co-interpreters, not owners, of knowledge. 3. Indigenous research designs have a clear decolonizing aim. 4. Research should be conducted in respectful and ethical ways. 5. Indigenous perspectives, priorities, protocols, and processes should inform and be infused in all aspects of research, including dissemination. Examples of Indigenous theorizing can also include Etuaptmumk/two-eyed seeing (Bartlett et al., 2015), mino-bimaadiziwin (Debassige, 2010; Langlais, 2020; Rheault, 1999); the seven consciousness of Hawaiâi ways of knowing (Meyer, 2014); Coast Salishâs nutsamaat uyâskwuluwun, or âworking together as one, with a good heart and good mindâ (Jones, 2022); and the six principles of MÄori kaupapa/being (Smith, 2003), to name a few. Kovach (2021) further posits that Indigenous theorizing carries at least one of three emphases: [1] a beliefs, values, and practices emphasis [2]; a decolonizing, anti-colonial emphasis that centers the colonial power dynamics between Indigeneity and Eurocentrism; and [3] a shared space-liminal space emphasis whereby differing worldviews, peoples, and culture may coexist (pp. 188â191). Each emphasis is equally invaluable. The incorporation of Indigenous spirituality in research continues to be a growing area of interest in the current literature (Lucchesi; 2019; McIvor, 2010; Restoule et al., 2010; Struthers, 2001). For Annita HetoevÄhotohke'e Lucchesi (2019), spirit-based research is defined as âwork 57 that is rooted in the researcherâs spiritual practices and beliefs, the spirits impacted by and involved in the work, and the researcherâs spirit itselfâ (p. 2); for Struthers (2001), sacred-based research is non-linear and âinstinctively natural, fluid, sacred, holistic, [and] circularâ (p. 132). For Leroy Littlebear (2009), Indigenous spirituality emerges from a constant state of energetic motion and flux, whereas for Métis scholar Fyre Jean Graveline (1998), Indigenous spirituality âis experienced as an ongoing process, allowing the individual to move towards experiencing connection â to family, community, society and Mother Earthâ (p. 55). Other descriptions of spirituality with which I resonate include Eber Hamptonâs (1988), for whom spirituality âis a respect for the spiritual relationships that exist between all thingsâ (p. 283). For Baskin (2022), spirituality âencompass[es] an individualâs values, relationships with others, and a perception of the sacredâ (p. 145). Similarly, for Sheridan and Longboat (2006), Indigenous spirituality can be described as âspiritual interrelationships.â Clearly, spirituality is many things, but from an Anishinaabe cultural perspective, many ascribe to Bimaadiziwin/mino-pimatisiwin, (Bouvier, 2024; Debassige, 2010; Langlais, 2020; Rheault, 1999). Moreover, according to Graveline (1998) Indigenous spirituality is, or can be, associated with at least one of four human capacities: (a) the capacity to have and to respond to non-materialistic realities; (b) the capacity to accept these realities as reflections of the unknown and unrealized potential; (c) the capacity to express these realities using symbolisms; and (d) the capacity to utilize symbolic expression to guide future actions (p. 8). Of these, I would say that my spirituality-based theorizing adheres to the first three capacities on Gravelineâs list. Furthermore, in relation to Kovachâs (2021) four qualities and three emphases of Indigenous theorizing, I would say this studyâs theorizing aligns most harmoniously with the qualities of Indigenous epistemologies and experiential Knowledge from self-in-relation, and the 58 emphases on axiological-cultural and shared space-liminal space. This is because when it comes to a spirituality that is Anishinaabe-rooted, all aspects of life are viewed, understood, and treated as interconnected, interrelated, interdependent, and intercyclical: wherein all of life is sacred because everything has a spirit, which gives it life, and thus all of life is a living sacred being. Anishinaabe scholar Nicole Bell (2013) further explains, According to Elders, Anishinaabe world view and values are what Anishinaabe people call âAnishinaabe Bimaadiziwinâ and this involves a recognition of themselves as spiritual beings that have a unique and respectful relationship to the land and all of creation. (p. 93) Finally, Lucchesi (2019) adds that spirituality-based approaches and perspectives can be âdifficult to concretely define or explain, particularly in a language recognizable by mainstream academiaâ (p. 2). As such, metaphors can be a good way to express oneâs notion and relationship with a spirituality (Davidson, 2019; Kovach, 2021; Tachine, 2018; Wilson, 2008); hence, in this study I utilized the metaphor of a Powwow Big Drum for this studyâs methodological design. Four-Post Stand Next, as depicted in the above methodological design, are four âwooden blocksâ which represent the four-post wooden stand upon which a Powwow Big Drum would be hoisted or mounted to keep it off the ground so that when played by the Drummers, the rhythmic vibrations can then reverberate outwards so that others can receive its medicinal traditional songs. Similarly, in relation to my dissertation research, these four posts in the above image represent the four significant groups of people (i.e., families, communities/members, Elders, and Ancestors) who help lift up this work throughout each stage of this studyâs research process. Chi-miigwetch to each and every person and entity within each of these four groups. I humbly and gratefully acknowledge that this study would not exist without them and their blessings along the way. 59 Drummers and Drumsticks Speaking of the Drummers, if the medicines stem from the reverberations emitted from the Powwow Big Drum when played by the Drummers, then the latter are also required to play the Drum using Drumsticks to activate the songs that carry the medicines to the peoples and entities that need it. In this study, each of the four Drumsticks located around the Powwow Big Drum, in the above image, represents an integral member of the core team of people whose contribution to this study helped breathe life and spirit into this research. The Lead Stick in the East where the sun rises represents the lead researcher of this study, a position held in this study with the utmost gratitude, humility, and respect. Next is the Mentor Stick, which represents my esteemed supervisor and committee members: namely, Dr. Margaret Kovach, Dr. Jan Hare, and Dr. Dustin Louie, to whom I am also forever grateful for their guidance, patience, âtough love,â and overall mentorship. Next is the Storyteller Stick, which represents the thirteen (13) Story-Sharers and research participants whose insights and perspectives were invaluable and were so very generously gifted to this study. Finally, we have the Carrier Stick, which represents the readership of this study, including yourself, to whom I am also grateful, because without you, none of the medicines in this study would be able to go forth to help you and/or others hereafter. Chiâmiigwetch. Reverberations and Drum Song Finally, Powwow Big Drums carry traditional and sacred medicines in the form of Drum songs that emerge when Drummers play the Drum, and the reverberating sounds move outwards and carry these medicinal vibrations and tunes with them to those who need it. Similarly, so too are the findings of a study intended to move outward and away from the research from whence they emerged so that these findings can help support and benefit, in this case, Indigenous graduate 60 students and the faculty supervisors who mentor them. As such, the location of the outermost circular ring in the image of a Powwow Big Drum (Fig. 1 above) as a methodological research design is intended to represent the findings of this study in Chapter Six. 61 Chapter Five: Method Introduction I utilized the conversational method, which is a research approach based on a Noongar method referred to as yarning (Bessarab & Ngâandu, 2010), wherein semi-structured interview dialogues mimic an âinformal conversationâ that is led and influenced predominately by the research participantâs individual flow of storytelling about a particular research topic. Although the conversational interview questions or prompts are often provided to the research participants in advance, it is the research participant as the âStory-Sharerâ (discussed in Chapter Four) who guides the flow and general direction of the conversations based on what I believe is their spirit guiding this flow. The role of the researcher as the âStory-Gathererâ (discussed in Chapter Four) is to allow this flow to occur, albeit while guiding the conversation at times back to the core topics or themes if or where necessary. Moreover, according to Kovach (2019), âthe conversational method aligns with an Indigenous worldview that honours orality as a means of transmitting knowledge and upholds the relational, which is necessary to maintain a collectivist traditionâ (p. 127). In addition, I believe the flow of these conversations occurs based on a combination of âCreator influenceâ and an interplay of spirits (e.g., the spirits and ancestors of the researcher and participants, the spirit of the room and the animate objects therein, and others) who are guiding these conversations toward a co-created outcome. These are conversations that involve multiple seen and unseen entities, and it is the role of the researcher to listen to and gather up all of these perspectives as a Story-Gatherer. The conversational method is an ideal approach for this research study, given that it is rooted within a Storytelling epistemology (Archibald 2008; Archibald et al., 2019; Thomas, 2015). It also aligns well with its wholistic ontology (Graveline, 1998; Hill, 2021; Newhouse, 2008), 62 wherein even if a participantâs response appears to deviate from the provided conversational questions or prompts, everything stated is seen as interconnected and interrelated in one way or another wholistically. Moreover, for me, this also aligns well with an Anishinaabe spirituality and theorizing, wherein all forms of life and creation are viewed as interconnected and interrelational (Debassige, 2010; Graveline, 1998; Hill, 2021; Langlais, 2020; Rheault, 1999). Sample and Recruitment The sample population for this study comprised Indigenous educators who completed a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or EDD (Doctor of Education) and have mentored Indigenous graduate students as their thesis or dissertation research supervisor in a publicly funded and accredited university in British Columbia. My rationale for choosing this population was that they hold a dual perspective, as both Indigenous educators who mentor Indigenous graduate students and former Indigenous graduate students who were mentored in graduate studies. Given the above sample criteria, the pool of potential participants would therefore be derived from what Kovach (2021) describes as an Indigenous community of interest group, âwhose boundaries and leadership may be fluid and less well-definedâ (p. 109). That is, the potential participants were not individuals from one particular Indigenous community under one common governance structure, but rather are individuals whose cultural commonalities would be âIndigenous,â albeit likely from differing and culturally diverse Indigenous groups, and whose common interests would be education, academia, and supervising Indigenous graduate students. Indigenous faculty are underrepresented in universities across Canada (Burke & McDonald, 2020, p. 5). As such, the pool of potential participants who met the sample criteria was expected to be relatively small, and thus would be comprised of Indigenous scholars who are well-known to each other and well-known in British Columbia, and likely nationally and/or internationally. 63 Thus, my sample was considered purposive/deliberate, which Tongco (2007) defines as âa type of non-probability sampling that is most effective when one needs to study [a] certain cultural domain with knowledgeable experts withinâ (p. 147). As such, my recruitment strategy began with searching through each British Columbia-based university's website to identify each Indigenous faculty member who would be potentially eligible for this study, based on their publicly available profiles on these university websites. Thirty (30) potential participants from seven universities spanning five regions across British Columbia were identified as likely eligible candidates for this study. Among these potential participants, 13 were identified from Vancouver Island-based university websites; 11 were identified on the websites of universities located along the southern mainland regions; 4 were identified as working at universities in the interior regions of the province; and 2 were identified on university websites located in the northern regions of the province. I therefore invited each potential participant to consider participating in this study via email (see Appendix B), sent to their publicly available contact information on the university websites. As represented in Table 2 below, among the potential participants who were contacted, 10 did not respond to my initial message; 1 self-identified as not yet eligible because they had not yet mentored an Indigenous graduate student in their research; and 6 expressed an interest in the study. But among those, 4 had scheduling conflicts and 2 had agreed to participate in the study, though unfortunately far too late into the research process. However, I am grateful that the remaining 13 did agree to participate in this study. I then conducted an additional internet search for each of these participants to determine whether there were any indications that their eligibility could be called into question. Given that no such concerns appeared to be present, these participants were then officially recruited. 64 Table 2: Sample Locations and Recruitment Outcomes Regions Island Southern Interior Northern TOTALS Contacted 13 11 4 2 30 No response 3 5 -- 2 10 Late response 2 -- -- -- 2 Not yet eligible -- -- 1 -- 1 Schedule conflicts 2 -- -- -- 2 Recruited 5 7 1 0 13 Furthermore, among the 13 recruited participants, two (2) are emeritus, seven (7) were professors, one (1) was an associate professor, one (1) was an assistant professor, and two (2) were former directors of an Indigenous educational departments. Moreover, albeit mindful of protecting confidentiality, the cultural composition and First Nation affiliation among these participants include but not limited to, Dakelh, Haisla, Secwepemc, Stó:lÅ, Gitksan, Métis, Cree, Anishinaabe, and Miâkmaq. All participants have also published countless Indigenous scholarly materials, and nearly all of the participants are nationally and/or internationally well-regarded Indigenous scholars. All but one participant had a direct or indirect connection to/with the SAGE (Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement) initiative discussed in Chapter Three. Preparations Protocols According to Shawn Wilson (2008), research is ceremony. As such, researchers are expected to prepare themselves to conduct Indigenous research just as one would fulfill the preparation protocols prior to engaging in a sacred cultural ceremony (Hill, 2021, p. 52; Johnston, 1987, pp. 41â55; Marsh et al., 2018, p. 7). Ahenakew (2019) provides an excellent example of such preparation protocols: I remember the Elders asking me as I arrived at the Sun Dance grounds on my first year, âHave you been preparing?â I replied, âHave I prepared for what?â The preparation they were referring to 65 was not conceptual. I only understood many years later that this preparation involved balance, steadiness, and resilience. They were asking if I had prepared my entire being. (p. 30) As the Story-Gatherer (researcher), I too had to prepare myself to conduct the ceremony that is this study. Examples of preparation protocols for how researchers can approach Indigenous research can be found in the current literature (Kovach, 2021, p. 137; Montgomery, 2012, pp. 39â41; Smith, 2021, p. 153; Wilson, 2008). For Miâkmaq scholar Harpell Montgomery (2012), there are four approaches to preparing oneself to conduct Indigenous research. These are (1) preparing ourselves, (2) having a plan, (3) checking our material, and (4) ensuring supports are there when needed (p. 40). I feel confident in saying that I believe each of these approaches was implemented with great care and reverence prior to conducting my dissertation research. For example, as part of my preparation protocols, I met with Elder Billie-Jean McBride (Ojicree) and Elder Stella Johnson (Métis), who have contributed to my own cultural mentorship over the past many years collectively and with whom I have felt a deep relational connection. A third Elder was contacted, but his community's traditional medicine work and travel schedule made it difficult for us to meet in person. I met with each Elder and offered a sacred medicine tie (sometimes referred to as a tobacco tie [Wilson & Restoule, 2010]), comprised of homegrown sweetgrass, sage, cedar, and tobacco to their guidance on how to prepare myself to gather, carry, and care for each the Story-Sharerâs (research participants) sacred stories as a Story-Gatherer (researcher) in a good way. Their wisdom and insights were invaluable as always. Informed Consent and Withdrawal As a Story-Gatherer (researcher), I approach informed and ongoing consent very seriously and with reverence because I view and carry each of the research participantsâ data as a sacred 66 Story that is imbued with their spirit. So I always want to ensure that they are, and continue to be, comfortable with me and how I cared for their Stories all along the journey. Therefore, informed consent was sought at each stage of the research process. It began in the initial recruitment phase, during which potential participants were provided an in-depth consent form (Appendix B & C) along with an advance copy of the guiding questions and prompts (Appendix D). Furthermore, at the beginning of each conversational interview, participants were offered an additional opportunity to confirm their consent to participate in this study. Additionally, all transcripts were sent to each participant for their review, editing, and approval as they saw fit. As part of the analysis process, excerpts were also shared with each participant in relation to their respective stories for their review and comment. At any point during the study, and prior to the nomination of an external examiner, participants retained the right to withdraw from the study with or without providing an explanation, and in turn have their associated contributions from their approved transcript fully removed from this study. I am humbly grateful and honoured that none of the research participants decided to withdraw their participation or contributions to this study upon being recruited. Conducting Conversational Interviews I conducted 13 one-on-one semi-structured conversational interviewed based on a Noongar method referred to as âyarning,â as discussed at the beginning of this chapter. Upon consultations with each participant individually, 12 interviews occurred via online video conferencing software, mostly due to geographical distances and to avoid scheduling conflicts, and one interview occurred in person for the same reasons. Each conversational interview was approximately 1-1.5 hours, and each was audio and video recorded for transcript purposes â with the exception of the in-person interview, which was 67 audio-recorded only because the location of the interview was a publicly attended space in the community, as chosen by the participant. Transcript Review and Approval Among the interviews using the online video conferencing platform, an automatically generated transcript of the interview was unfortunately rarely accurate and thus unusable. As such, I manually typed each transcript verbatim; âcleanedâ any unnecessary verbiage or disfluencies for clarity; and removed, redacted, and/or edited out all confidential information or identifiers. Thereafter, in some cases, sections of participantsâ stories had to be relocated within the same transcript for greater consistency, cohesion, and comprehension, which is common for the conversational method given the serendipity that can occur during semi-structured interviews. What I appreciated most about having the audio and video recordings for transcript purposes was that they both helped foster and maintain the same sense of relationality I felt during the interview with each research participant and their shared Stories (e.g., what they said, how they said it, and how they expressed themselves while saying it) even long after the conversational interviews had concluded. This, in turn, helped to ensure greater accuracy within the transcripts. Moreover, each participant was required to review, edit, and approve their verbatim transcript as they saw fit, thereby further ensuring the accuracy of the transcripts and informed consent. Finally, for the purpose of confidentiality, participantsâ names were removed from the transcripts, and they were not included in any of the encrypted file names. Moreover, each approved official transcript was stored on an encrypted server held by the University of British Columbia, which was accessible only to me and my supervisor, Dr. Margaret Kovach. 68 Applying the guidance of my Elders (as discussed earlier in this chapter), I pursued the handling of these transcripts and the sacred Stories therein with a wholistic sense of care, responsibility, and reverence across each step of the Story-Gathering process and research journey. Honouring Participants In the spirit of reciprocity, each research participant received their own hand-made cultural medicine tie (or âTobacco Tieâ) filled with the same homegrown four sacred medicines (sweetgrass, sage, cedar, tobacco) as those offered to the Elders as part of my preparation protocols (previously discussed in this chapter). Moreover, participants and the Elders were invited to attend my dissertation oral defence examination, and to each we offered access to an electronic copy of the full dissertation and/or a summarized version as they thought best. I also offered my services to them as a consultant if they felt that I could be of good service to them or to any of the communities with whom they are affiliated or may be soon affiliated in the future. Approach to Analysis: Thematic Bundling Thematic analysis is âa method for identifying, analyzing, and interpreting patterns of meaning (âthemesâ) within qualitative dataâ (Clarke and Braun, 2017, p. 297) that âhighlight[s] the most salient constellations of meanings present in the data set. Such constellations include affective, cognitive and symbolic dimensionsâ (Joffe, 2011, p. 209). In most cases, a thematic analysis is achieved via coding the data, which âinvolves labeling passages of text according to the contentâ (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016, p. 223) in the research participantsâ official transcripts. For Indigenous research, Kovach (2021, pp. 206â210) offers the following six strategies to thematic analysis for Indigenous methodologies that are rooted within Indigenous theorizing: 1. First-level analysis (what participantsâ stories and experiences convey) 2. Relational analysis (relationships between experiences and stories) 3. Intentional interpretation (situating the analysis in Indigenous theorizing) 69 4. Arrive at themes 5. Value stories that are coded outliers 6. Integrate Indigenous frameworks throughout the analysis process. Kovach (2021) further explains that the process of âcoding dataâ for analysis and retrieval has been common among Indigenous peoples since time immemorial (p. 211). Of course, the process would not have been referred to as âcodingâ or âanalysisâ prior to western influences. Furthermore, Wilson (2008) adds that western and Indigenous approaches to coding and analysis differ significantly, in. that, western approaches are âbreaking [data] down into its smallest pieces and then looking at those small pieces [whereas] an Indigenous style of analysis has to look at all those relations as a whole instead of breaking it downâ (p. 119). All of these perspectives closely align with the Anishinaabe-informed methodology I have interwoven throughout this study, and each of which has been incorporated as part of my approach to analysis. I refer to this as Thematic Bundling, which emerged as a combination of the above-described western approaches to thematic analysis and coding, coupled with the cultural meaning-making process associated with cultural traditions and practices, including vision questing (Johnston, 1987), medicine bundles (Young et al., 2015); dreamwork (Archibald, 2008, Little Bear, 2009) and imagination (Sheridan & Longboat, 2006). In my lifetime, it is Loren Sahara (NÅeÊkepm) who has mentored me, and continues to mentor me, in how to call upon and utilize these traditional ways of knowing and being in all areas of my life, but especially in my work as an educator and now researcher. I consider Loren a sacred Elder, as discussed in Chapter One. Phases of Analysis: Thematic Bundling For Ojibwa-Anishinaabe author Basil Johnston (1987), a traditional vision quest involves several phases of an inward journey to a place of solitude, self-discovery, strength, and meaning-making (pp. 41â55). For this research, the first phase of my meaning-making process began only 70 after all transcripts were approved by each research participant respectively. No Artificial Intelligence software nor any other electronic generating analysis tools were utilized at any point during this process. Moreover, all my meaning-making components were derived from the direct quotes within each of the officially approved transcripts. In the next phase, each direct quote was colour-coded in association with the transcript within which these quotes resided. Initially, colour-coding served two purposes: one, it helped me identify and connect with the spirit of the participant who spoke these words, and two, colour-coding could be utilized for easy data retrieval and/or possible removal if any of the participants decided to withdraw from the study (as discussed earlier in this chapter). However, the colour-coding also helped identify areas of emphasis in the data by clearly demonstrating the number of participants who spoke about a particular theme and the frequency and depth of each theme, which was invaluable for me as part of the meaning-making process. The next phase of this process occurred over several weeks and multiple months. It involved entering in a fluid, spiritual-like, state of being â similar to what can occur for people within/during a sweatlodge ceremony â and akin to what Lucchesi (2019) describes as the feeling we get when we pray, sing, or dance for our people; there is a rhythm to it, a clearing of the mind, a fullness of the heart, a concentration on the task at hand, and a general feeling of the flow of our medicine radiating out around us. (p. 2) In this state, I could introduce relationally each of the direct quotes from each of the transcripts, one by one, and gradually combine, disassemble, and reassemble the relational connections between them. In doing so, it was as though I was listening for their âsong-likeâ vibrational reverberations â like medicinal traditional âDrum-songsâ one might play or hear at a Powwow. 71 Over time, these âsongsâ or âtunesâ would become grouped together based on their complementary commonalities with each other, which were then bundled into the nine themes. For the final phases of the meaning-making and interpretive process, these nine thematic bundles were then shared with each of the research participants as excerpts of my dissertation, in relation to their specific direct quotes from the transcripts. The rationale for this was to honour ongoing informed consent and participantsâ autonomous self-determination, but also to ensure the utmost confidence in the accuracy of the meaning-making process and the findings that emerged. After this opportunity to review and comment on the proposed findings, essentially no revisions or changes were necessary, and are presented in Chapter Six. 72 Chapter Six: Findings Overview of the Thematic Bundles Thanks to the invaluable and generous contributions of the 13 Story-Sharers (research participants), the following nine âthematic bundlesâ emerged as the findings for this study: namely, (1) terminology and meanings; (2) general distinctions; (3) conceptual frameworks; (4) mentor archetypes; (5) five Râs; (6) applied practice approaches; (7) barriers and obstacles; (8) role of non-Indigenous faculty allies; and (9) online technologies. Overall, the Stories (data) shared by the Story-Sharers (research participants) within each of these thematic bundles were similar and/or consistent with the current literature, or they were new and original contributions to the current literature, and/or a combination thereof. In addition, throughout this chapter, I include direct quotes (in italics for clarity) from the Story-Sharersâ approved transcripts. In some instances, where I am paraphrasing their Stories, I will again use italics but without quotation marks to honour their words as their own. Thematic Bundle #1: Terminology and Meanings In this bundle, participants discuss how the term âmentorshipâ is introduced to Indigenous populations as a result of colonial influences, and how it is a term and practice that should be deconstructed and decolonized, especially since culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is viewed by them as a decolonial pursuit. âWhen we talk about mentorship, I always want to deconstruct that term and think about these concepts from an Indigenous perspectiveâ (Story-Sharer, #03). This is because âthe mentorship of Indigenous graduate students is decolonial work. If that means you have to decolonialize the name itself, so be itâ (Story-Sharar #04). As such, some research participants suggest that we look to Indigenous languages for guidance. âWe all have an Indigenous language. Maybe there's something embedded in the 73 language around what it means to teach [or mentor]â (Story-Sharer #10). For Story-Sharer #03, they âturn to Secwepemctsin, which is the language of my people â¦ to define Indigenous mentorship. Maybe it is about sharing knowledge and experienceâ; whereas for Story-Sharer #08, they âwouldn't even call it âmentorshipâ. It's about relationships. It's about kinship ties.â Clearly, for some research participants, âmentorshipâ is just a label, and what matters most is how the mentorship is being conducted in alignment with Indigenous cultural ways, as well as considering by whom, with whom, for whom, and for what purposes. Although I agree with the above perspectives, I found that I resonated particularly closely with how Story-Sharer #12 described Indigenous mentorship in the following way: When children are with you on a path, whether it is a walk in the forest, or a walk on the beach, you don't usually get very far. They turn over every rock, every leaf, everything. They are discovering their own path that is unique from the path you have followed in this same place so many times before. So how do we do this in educational theory? We call it, âscaffoldingâ, where you provide a structure upon which graduate students build their learning. Overall, I felt this thematic bundle and the Stories within were important for answering this studyâs primary question: What is culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship? Thematic Bundle #2: General Distinctions In this bundle, participants discuss three unique distinctions between western-based and Indigenous-based graduate mentorship: namely, scope, objectives, and metrics of success. Regarding the distinctive scope, participants emphasized that western-based graduate mentorship focuses almost exclusively on the development of graduate studentsâ research skillsets and expertise, whereas culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship focuses more on how to 74 help Indigenous graduate students understand and connect with their Indigeneity and know how to integrate this into their graduate-level research in western education. For example, Story-Sharer #13 posits that not all Indigenous graduate students require culturally attuned graduate-level mentorship: âMaybe they don't necessarily need that cultural supervision because they are not going to incorporate their cultural identity as Indigenous graduate students into their graduate research. Instead, maybe they need cultural mentoring from an Elder or someone who is cultural and not necessarily an academic.â That is, only those who are incorporating an Indigeneity into their research would likely require Indigenous graduate mentorship that is uniquely and distinctly culturally attuned. Regarding distinctive objectives, participants discussed that the objective of western graduate mentorship includes helping Indigenous/non-Indigenous graduate students develop their research and other scholarly skillsets, such as proposal writing, comprehensive exam, ethics applications, recruitment, gathering and analyzing data, writing, and defending, to name a few. Story-Sharer #13 explains that culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is more than just guiding an individual through the various steps of their research process within graduate studies. It is also about helping Indigenous graduate students to understand the larger hegemonic system and how western culture flows through nearly all aspects of the academic institutions systems, knowledge production, and knowledge transmission. Participants also discussed that another distinct objective of this work is about helping Indigenous graduate students to navigate integrating their Indigeneity at each stage of their thesis or dissertation research while also confronting and overcoming colonial thinking, colonial agendas, and colonialist peoples in academia. 75 Finally, participants in this bundle also discuss culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorshipâs unique and distinctive metrics of success. For example, whereas western graduate mentorship typically measures success based on âprogram completionâ and âtransition into relevant employment upon graduation,â Indigenous mentorship tends to prioritize measuring Indigenous graduate studentsâ sense of Indigeneity and identity and whether they are intact and/or strengthened. Indigenous metrics of success also included seeing Indigenous graduate students claiming academic spaces with a firm sense of self-esteem, confidence, and belonging, and âwalking in like your ancestors sent youâ (Story-Sharer #03). In addition, the measure of success is determined collectively by Indigenous graduate students, their families, and their communities, Several participants also emphasized that even if an Indigenous graduate student leaves their graduate program early and thus does not complete their degrees, that is not necessarily a failure. Story-Sharer #13 describes these perspectives as follows: maybe they do not finish because they are really satisfied in their life for having gone as far as they wanted to in their PhD [having] learned a lot about Indigenous methodologies and have developed many skills that they can now give back to their community. Or maybe they developed a greater sense of their Indigeneity, and they were excited bring these experiences back to their family and community. So many possibilities. Moreover, âin spite of all of this crap Indigenous graduate students face, they have been successful and they will be successful in completing their graduate degrees. It might take five years or it might take ten years. But they will finish successfullyâ (Story-Sharer, #05). Overall, the findings within this bundle help to answer one of the subsequent research questions: What are the differences between Indigenous mentorship and western mentorship? Clearly, the differences are distinguished by scope, objectives, and metrics of success. 76 Thematic Bundle #3: Conceptual Frameworks In addition to those identified in the literature as discussed in Chapter Three, the participants in this bundle also discuss several components of a conceptual framework for understanding and practising Indigenous graduate mentorship in culturally attuned ways, as follows. Bi-Lateral Water Ripples âBi-lateral water ripplesâ refer to the many ripples, outward and inward, that occur after a dropped stone enters very still moving waters. For Story-Sharer #11, culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship involves multi-lateral ripples moving between the mentors and mentees, including the communities, families, and anyone else or anything involved in the mentorship process. They explain that âwe often think about our ripple effect as being outside of ourselves [but] how are we caring for our own wellness [as Indigenous graduate students and faculty] because when we are strong, it has a ripple effect on our community, which then has a ripple effect [back toward us mentors and mentee],â which clearly honours the spirit and values of reciprocity. Blanketing âBlanketingâ refers to an Indigenous ceremony wherein a traditional blanket is gifted and/or wrapped around a person as a sign of love, appreciation, support, respect, and an overall revered offering. In relation to Indigenous graduate mentorship, the mentorship process itself should be like a Blanketing ceremony. Story-Sharer #06 explains, Blankets are such an important part of our traditions. We gift Blankets and to receive one as a gift is an honor. And so how do we begin with that Blanket to honor [Indigenous graduate students] who are coming into the Academy? I think this is part of the process for Supervisors, but others too, because itâs not just Supervisors supporting and mentoring; it is everybody with whom Indigenous 77 graduate students come into contact. â¦ Then when they are finished, that Blanket become the continuation of recognition for their work and the contribution. â¦ Supervisors need to know how to Blanket their Indigenous students all the way through their journey in graduate studies. Big House/Long House Both are culturally built and culturally infused buildings and spaces wherein important matters of culture, governance, parenting, education, healing, wellness, support, and/or celebration occur. Attendance at these gatherings typically includes friends, family, community members, leaders, Elders, the Ancestors, and at times invited guests. Story-Sharer #11 further explains the relationship between Big/Long Houses and culturally attuned Indigenous graduate students: I think about the days in the Long House when we would see women who had kids would bring the kids there and they would play and run around doing their own thing while we adults did our own thing. â¦ I think about that sense of the circle of kin and supports that are needed around you to be successful in your academic journey. This applies to the mentoring of Indigenous graduate students. The way we come together to mentor each other. To do our part, like holding babies, to ensure the mentorship occurs. Pathways âPathwaysâ is a common metaphor in post-secondary education, depicting a studentâs pathway from application to graduation and beyond. It is therefore no surprise that so many research participants spoke about âpathwaysâ in relation to culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship: that is, âeach individual Indigenous graduate student is on their own path, and it is our responsibility [as mentors] to nurture them along that pathâ (Story-Sharer #03). Mentoring along pathways âmight involve helping [Indigenous graduate students] to determine which of the 78 three options would be best for them â thesis research, projects, or a practicumâ (Story-Sharer #05). Pathways can also be about âgetting into these western spaces, they are then carving a path forward for other Indigenous generations to followâ (Story-Sharer #07) because âthese pathways were shut for us, or for our Grandparents, our Aunties, our Unclesâ (Story-Sharer #10), and as a result, âso many [Indigenous communities] didnât know, and still donât know, what the Academy is and donât recognize graduate education as a pathway that can benefit our peopleâ (Story-Sharer #06). âPathwaysâ was one of the most widely discussed and presented frameworks among the research participants in this study. Thematic Bundle #4: Mentor Archetypes A âmentor archetypeâ refers to a composition of characteristics and/or traits that mentors can adopt and embody when mentoring Indigenous graduate students in culturally attuned ways. The participants within this bundle identified the following four mentor archetypes, each of which is considered a novel contribution to the current literature. Family / Relative / Friend This mentor archetype involves embodying the roles and relationality of a biological or chosen kinship family member or friend when mentoring Indigenous graduate students in culturally attuned ways. Story-Sharer #12 posits that âit's almost like a parent, but with greater focus on the Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents as mentors [and] it is like giving or receiving the kind of advice you'd get from a trusted friend. Someone who will tell you the truth, in a kind wayâ. This archetype also closely aligns with the Family educational model discussed in Chapter Three. 79 Indigenous/Indigenist scholar At a glance, people might think that an Indigenous scholar and an Indigenist scholar are one and the same, although both are interested in engaging with and upholding Indigenous graduate student success and holistic well-being and prosperity along the way. According to the participants in this bundle, an âIndigenous scholarâ as a mentor archetype refers to an Indigenous person who engages in scholarly research while simultaneously interweaving an Indigeneity throughout therein. Story-Sharer #01 explains that I think that if you are âIndigenousâ and want to be a âscholarâ, there are expectations of you when you finish your degree. You have to know how to engage in scholarly inquiry and know how to conduct a range of research approaches just like anyone else. But you also have to know, or at least have grappled with knowing how to do this with an Indigenous heart and mind, [and] finding opportunities to interact with other Indigenous scholars and Indigenous graduate students. An âIndigenist scholarâ as a mentor archetype is lesser known among most Indigenous peoples, educators, and researchers, but has existed in the literature for many years. According to Story-Sharer #13, an Indigenist is âsomeone who has incorporated all the essential Indigenous philosophies and ways of being into how they are as a scholar and how they conduct their scholarly pursuits.â From this perspective, an Indigenist can be an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person who understands and embodies an Indigeneity. As Story-Sharer #13 further explains, When someone says they are a feminist scholar or a queer theorist, they are not necessarily fulfilling these titles simply by virtue of being a woman or a queer person. They are embodying a philosophy and a way of perceiving and being in the world. Well then based on this same logic, being an Indigenist scholar isnât then exclusive to 80 Indigenous peoples, nor is it based on your genetics or ancestry alone. It is based on the embodiment of Indigenous philosophies and ways of being that one chooses to follow in the life or in their scholarly work. From this perspective, an Indigenist philosophy and positionality centre inclusivity and responsibility. However, not all Indigenous faculty are comfortable with an Indigenist archetype, especially, it seems, if the Indigenist is otherwise a non-Indigenous person. For example, I would be really suspicious if a non-Indigenous person was saying that they could do Indigenous mentorship. Whereas, I think if they indicated they were an Ally whose values or approach align with Indigenous ways, I would not be so suspicious. [...] I say this because I think everything we do is about that embodiment of Indigenous ways. It's our Indigenous Ancestors. Itâs our cultural teachings. Itâs our cultural values, principles, and protocols. Itâs everything that we bring into our Indigeneity, which is then brought into how we mentor. (Story-Sharer #07) However, Story-Sharer #13 further distinguishes âAlliesâ as not being the same as âIndigenistâ even if the Indigenist person is non-Indigenous. Rather, the focus is on the roles and responsibilities that are inherent to claiming oneâs positionality as an âAllyâ or âIndigenistâ: There is a difference between Indigenist and Allies. We all have to claim the roles and responsibilities that go along with claiming an Ally or Indigenist title. You cannot just claim the title without also claiming or embodying all of the responsibilities and the accountability that come with this role. If you are claiming that you follow Indigenous philosophy, then this includes everything you have learned about Indigenous knowledges and traditions, and with this comes a whole bunch of extra responsibilities. The more knowledge you have, the more responsibilities you carry. You are 81 responsible. You are accountable [otherwise] you best not yet claim either of these titles just yet. From this perspective, it appears that âAlliesâ and âIndigenistâ are indeed not the same archetype because, whereas the latter involves the embodiment of an Indigeneity, the former does not. Allies stand alongside Indigenous peoples, whereas Indigenist stand among them as kin. Path Navigator A âPath Navigatorâ refers to a mentor who guides Indigenous graduate students along their academic, scholarly, cultural, and/or professional pathways. This archetype complements the âpathwaysâ framework previously discussed in this chapter. In mentorship, the Path Navigator archetype is akin to helping mentees traverse a path that you, as the mentor, have traversed many times over, but also about providing a safe space for mentees to traverse their pathway in their own way, despite knowing what you know or having experienced what you have experienced. As Story-Sharer #12 reflects, Have you ever boated through Doddâs Narrows? The first time you go it seems nearly impossible. But when I went with somebody who had local knowledge about area, and it made knowing how to cross this path much clearer for me. Mentoring Indigenous graduate students is like this too. Thematic Bundle #5: The Five Râs In Chapter Three, the literature identified reciprocity, relationships, and relationality as three key tenets of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship (Arouca, 2018; Bishop & Webster, 2021; Bordeaux, 2021; Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Pidgeon et al., 2024; Windchief & Brown, 2017; Windchief et al., 2018). The same three tenets were also discussed by the research participants in this bundle. However, participants also discussed respect and responsibility as two additionally significant tenets, which, as inspired by the works of Kirkness and Banhartâs (1991) 82 Four Râs of Indigenous education, also inspire the Five Râs of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship (i.e., relationships, relationality, responsibility, respect, reciprocity). Beginning with the first R, relationships, the research participants in this study posit that in Indigenous graduate mentorship, ârelationshipsâ include the connections between graduate students and faculty members, peers, support persons, family, community, self, and their thesis/dissertation research topics. âRelationshipsâ as a key tenet is about âthis idea of âbeing in good relationsâ [and] our collective responsibilities as faculty members and Indigenous graduate students working on this research togetherâ (Story-Sharer #11). Moreover, upon graduating, those connections we made continued well into the professional world. We were able to contact each other to check in, or just talk to each other. Or if we had a question or issue coming up about our research or practice, someone in âthe crewâ might be able to help. They have become my networkâ (Story-Sharer #04). The second R, relationality, albeit similar to ârelationships,â instead occurs between two or more entities whose connections to/with each other are affiliated with someone/something else not typically affiliated with the people or entities involved. For example, in culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, the relationship between a student and faculty mentor might be experienced as (or attributed to) a more familial relationship even though neither person is genetically, ancestrally, or legally related. But research participants in this study also posit that relationality, or a relational connection, occurs much more smoothly and quickly when the faculty (or otherwise) mentor is themselves also Indigenous (Story-Sharers #02, 04). Moreover, other research participants discussed how relationality can occur between Indigenous graduate students and ânon-humanâ entities as mentors. âIndigenous mentorship does not solely have to involve peopleâ (Story-Sharer #07). However, 83 We first need to get past thinking that everything's going to come to us in physical form, or verbally spoken, and only in the English language. Lessons can come to us in ways that are nonverbal and not necessarily from humans exclusively. (Story-Sharer #13) If the tenet of ârelationshipâ is at the core of âIndigenous mentorship,â then the tenet of ârelationalityâ is at the core of what is meant by âculturally attuned,â given the interconnectedness between relationality and Indigenous spirituality as discussed in Chapters Three and Four. The third R of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is responsibility, about which several research participants in this bundle spoke at length. Story-Sharer #13, for example, stated that âIndigenous mentorship as a form of cultural responsibilityâ. Moreover, for Story-Sharer #09, there is âthe responsibility of mentorship assigned to us as by the institution, and the responsibility we take on for ourselves in these relationships [as mentors].â But for some, responsibility takes on a bigger role when it comes to mentoring Indigenous graduate students in culturally attuned ways. Namely, as described by Story-Sharar #03, It's about being responsible for all those relationships you have with the winged ones, the water beings, and the four-legged; just as it is about being responsible for all of the relationships we carry in life, including Indigenous graduate students we are mentoring. And Story-Sharer #12 adds that from a social work educator perspective and Indigenous social work educator perspective, I have responsibilities to uphold the education training, as well as the standards of the profession itself because students who graduate from these courses and programs will be engaging with vulnerable client populations as professionals. The fourth of the five Râs, respect, was frequently discussed among the research participants in this bundle: namely, in relation to respecting the cultural traditions and Indigeneity 84 of the Indigenous graduate student whom mentors are mentoring in culturally attuned ways. Story-Sharer #06 explains, âI see it as kind of spiritual and intellectual aspect to [mentoring Indigenous graduate students] and respecting their cultural traditions, and wanting to validate that work within the Academy.â Moreover, âwe certainly cannot expect Indigenous students to set aside their culture during their graduate studiesâ (Story-Sharer #04). In addition, for several research participants, the tenet of respect includes showing respect for the cultural ways and protocols of those on whose traditional territories the mentorship or being conducted. Finally, reciprocity, the fifth âRâ of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, for several research participants refers to a sense of âgifting-backâ to oneâs people, family, Ancestors, and/or community (or what some refer to as âpaying-it-forwardâ) in recognition of oneâs appreciation for what others have done for them. According to the research participants, reciprocity and respect are closely linked. For example, for Story-Sharer #11, It is this overarching sense that I have a responsibility to uphold the next generation of students, which to me speaks about that relational accountability and ethical responsibility. Similarly, for Story-Sharer #10, I think there's that, responsibility and that goes with the reciprocity. A way to give back. We've known a lot of other people have stood behind us. Have supported us. Have helped us along our ways. We wouldn't have gotten to the place where we are at today without those people and that support. The goal of this thematic bundle was to provide additional insights into the tenets that inform the development and implementation of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship as Indigenous and non-Indigenous/Allies. Moreover, this thematic bundle also helps to situate this 85 form of mentorship in relation to key Indigenous cultural values that build upon the seminal work of Kirkness and Banhart (1991), as previously acknowledged. Thematic Bundle #6: Applied Practice Approaches In the current literature, Burke and MacDonald (2020) discuss the need for more concrete and pragmatic approaches to implementing culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship in relation to the promises of its benefits (see Chapter Three). Fortunately, the research participants in this bundle discussed a range of practical approaches to culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship as follows. Acknowledge and involve the Ancestors: This includes reminding Indigenous graduate students that their Ancestors are with them at each stage of their graduate journey, facilitating opportunities for the students to experience and express these connections and to turn to their Ancestors for guidance. âI often say to Indigenous graduate students upon completing their oral defense, âyour Ancestors are proud of youââ (Story-Sharer #02). always remember who you are, where you come from, and your Ancestors who carved this path for us. That on those dreary days of graduate studies, I am like, âhey, suck it up, my Ancestors, my grandparents, my mother, had it way worseâ. So as an Indigenous graduate student, you are in this place in your life, and when things get really hard at times, you just need to persevere and know that youâre standing on the shoulders of giants (Story-Sharer #07) Adopting a non-prescriptive/non-pan-Indigenous approach: Allow for the mentorship construction and implementation to be fluid and led by the studentsâ own self-determined visions, goals, and cultural ways. âI think for me the mentorship of Indigenous graduate students is always about being present and being able to be where the students are at in a very wholistic and grounded wayâ (Story-Sharer #11). Other perspectives include the following: 86 Each person in their scholarly journey is unique. So whatever it is that person is going through, or needs support on, or needs direction in; you need to just listen, and hear what is it that is going on with them. (Story-Sharer #02) I think building that relationship starts with taking the time to get to know each other first regardless of whether this happens online or in person at the beginning. Read each otherâsâ work. Talk about things that are common between you. Have interactions. (Story-Sharer #01) We also need to be really careful when we talk about Indigenous graduate students that we aren't creating an overall panacea and like, a one-size-fits-all approach. Not all Indigenous students enter graduate studies with these same histories of trauma or systemic barriers. Supporting Indigenous grad students including trying to understand the landscape that they're coming into and situating themselves along a continuum of their journey. (Story-Sharer #11) Advocacy: Utilize oneâs powers and privileges as a tenured faculty to stand up for Indigenous graduate students when their voices or realties are not being heard or considered, and address reforms to western academic spaces, procedures, and ways of thinking in favour of Indigenous ones. Story-Sharer #05 explains, My role as a mentor involves advocacy. Like helping committees and the graduate studies departments to recognize that Indigenous students might take ten years to complete their thesis or dissertation rather than usual five to seven years.â Story-Sharer #02 adds that advocacy may also include reminding my colleagues, or could be the Director, that, âyes, I' am aware the timelines coming up, and 87 yes, it's a different methodology than what is more common in the university. But that is okayâ. I end up educating people in my department sometimes about Indigenous ways in academia. Awards and recognition: Seek opportunities for Indigenous graduate students to be recognized for successes and achievements: for example, nominating students for scholarships, grants, or other awards; being a reference for job opportunities; and/or providing networking opportunities at conferences. What comes to mind about the mentorship of Indigenous graduate students is the obligation to encourage scholarship, to encourage research awards and grants, and all the ways to support the student through their programs. I am always looking for Indigenous specific financial opportunities and recognition opportunities like promoting an Indigenous graduate student to receive the Governor General's award or something to that of that nature. It's not all about the thesis and research. It's about the recognition for the hard work - and it's very hard work. (Story-Sharer #2) Beyond one-on-one modalities: Indigenous cultural ways tend to emphasize community, collectivism, and family, whereas one-on-one approaches do not necessarily fulfil these culturally attuned preferences. Other potentially more culturally attuned approaches could include small or large group mentorship, retreats, or online gatherings or meetings. Story-Sharer #1 explains that There are different ways of doing Indigenous graduate supervision. It could be one-on-one, or it could be a small group, or could be a little larger group, or retreats, or monthly meet-ups, and these could also be hosted online through video conferencing. So there are different ways. [â¦] I was also given a budget do a writing retreat with everybody and then afterward we decided as a group to do 88 monthly meetings for peer-support, workshops, and if we had to invite someone in to present, we offered an honorarium. Like a SAGE, but for these specific students in the same program [â¦] The writing retreats were really helpful and those students were very committed and stuck with it and supported each other. Build a âCircle of Mentorsâ: In alignment with pre-colonial forms of Indigenous traditional mentorship and education, bring together a circle of mentors including family, community members, and Indigenous/non-Indigenous staff, advisors, support workers, and other graduate students, because everyone plays a role in culturally-attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. âThere is no one person in the world who can be the âperfectâ mentor that can mentor everyone in all of these titles, roles, and responsibilities. We often need multiple people in our life to do this workâ (Story-Sharer #13). Moreover, âI think Indigenous graduate students are shaped by different sets of relationships. Whereas most studentsâ primary relationship is between them Supervisor, I had opportunities to be mentored by Elders and family tooâ (Story-Sharer #06). Similarly, for Story-Sharer #08 Go to community because you need to build a network of support. Go to communities so you can get clear on who you are as an Indigenous person. Go to community to learn some of cultural ways of being, doing, and knowing. Go to community to help others as well. So that the mentee can become the Mentor for other too. Moreover, given this approach, maybe it's less about mentorship and instead more about your support circles. How do we, as Indigenous faculty members help strengthen, embody, and bring in all those support circles to wrap the student in a way that feels supportive â¦ and I think, in supporting Indigenous graduate students, we also have to 89 acknowledge the role of families and extended families and community, working alongside the institutional community, from faculty members, to peers, to admin and support services; they're all part of that circle. (Story-Sharer #11) Centre/re-centre Indigenous Elders as mentors: In alignment with long-standing pre-colonial form of traditional Indigenous mentorship and education, Elders were the original mentors in the community. Today, in relation to culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, this can include Elders-in-Residence at their respective universities. âI wasn't alive back then (laughs, Story-Sharer #04) but I am assuming that traditional Indigenous mentorship prior to colonization would have involved a young person working alongside an older or more experienced personâ, and that âin some ways, they are our traditional ways that are still being practiced today but we use updated terms. We might say intergenerational-learning or experiential learningâ (Story-Sharer #01). In addition, Story-Sharer #12 pointed out that Indigenous traditional mentorship in the region involved âbeing observed by Elders in the community, and being âcalledâ to the Big House, along with everything mentorship related that goes on inside of Big House.â Collaborate with SAGE: Connect with SAGE, and seek out opportunities to provide encouragement for Indigenous graduate students to connect with SAGE. The SAGE community is likely capable of providing ideas on how to approach graduate mentorship in culturally attuned ways; they can also connect Indigenous graduate students with helpful peer or other resources and may even be open to some form of co-mentoring alongside the supervisory committee. Programs like SAGE introduce Indigenous graduate students to Indigenous graduate peers and Indigenous faculty mentors. They meet Elders and connect cultural knowledge. They get introduced to other Indigenous graduate students and they meet community people. There are also many SAGE alumni who have gone back to 90 SAGE. And these broader set of relations become a are part of their Blanketâs design. These relationships become a part a of who you you. (Story-Sharer #11) This is what the SAGE has been about for decades. Because when you put two, three, four, or more Indigenous heads together, wonderful and beautiful things can emerge. In SAGE, you get to hear other Indigenous grad studentsâ work and get excited by what other Indigenous students are researching. And maybe they will inspire each other to think about their own work in ways they hadnât previously considered. (Story-Sharer #03) Based on the above perspectives, but also based on my own first-hand experiences, we call upon all educators and administrators to please support your local SAGE group or work with us to start a SAGE group at your university as soon as possible. Location Matters: Meeting on campus is not necessarily the most ideal location for culturally attuned mentorship to occur, unless it is within a culturally attuned space such as an Indigenous cultural building on campus. Some research participants discussed the value of meeting at home, on the land, or while travelling together as a group. We had our meetings in her kitchen, and in my kitchen. We had our meetings and got to know each other as relatives. After one meeting we picked berries in the yard in my yard. I met her partner and she got to know some of my family members too. I would say it was quite a traditional relationship actually. Relationality can be experienced in an office environment too. Just differently. (Story-Sharer #04) My supervisor would invite me to her house and we sit down at her kitchen table and have tea, and she'd make a loaf, and we'd eat together. We'd go through sections of a chapter and pick it apart, and she'd give feedback. And that was exactly what I needed. Not to 91 be in the office. Not, you know, within the confinements of the institution. This was key in terms of me finishing my PhD. (Story-Sharer #08) However, Story-Sharer #10 also warns that âif we haven't done the work to have a good sense of balance in our own selves, and in our own relationships, then that can really mess things up in profound ways for Indigenous students and faculty, emotionally and psychologically. â¦ It can be a real blind spot for people.â From this perspective, meeting off-campus, particularly at someoneâs private home, requires clear ethical, cultural, and relational boundaries. Openness to Indigenous spirituality: This is about faculty mentors facilitating safe spaces and opportunities for Indigenous graduate students to experience and express their spirituality as part of the mentorship process, as they see fit. According to the research participants, the inclusion of spirituality in culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is essential. This is because âspirituality, for most Indigenous peoples, is like fish and waterâ (Story-Sharer #12) in that âour spirituality is baked into us all [as Indigenous people]. But again, you have to be careful with these terms because people tend to incorrectly equate spirituality with religionâ (Story-Sharer #03). Story-Sharer #04 further explains that back when they were a graduate student, they lay Tobacco to ask for guidance from Creator and the Ancestors when they were struggling with and during the writing process. Moreover, Story-Sharer #12 warns that âspirituality is an unspoken element that many academics are not getting involved in. Education is so often treated as a cognitive process, whereas spirituality is viewed by academic as likely getting in the way. It's just not spoken about.â They also emphasize that there must be adequate time for Indigenous graduate students to explore and connect with their spirituality within predominately western academic spaces because âas soon as they feel safe in that space, they will be able to explore and push 92 themselves even further than they would have thought possible.â In summary, Story-Sharer #13 aptly notes that âit takes time to develop this âspiritual ability.â Clearly, the significance of incorporating Indigenous spirituality within culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is not to be underestimated. In addition, multiple research participants also emphasized that Indigenous spirituality in culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is not limited to in-person, face-to-face interactions. In other words, spirituality can be experienced even across online contexts. For example, Story-Sharer #08 explains that relationships used to be maintained through writing a letter. Today, it can be quick notes over email or social media. It could be a meme, or sending a family photo. â¦ Itâs not just the physicality of people in a room or online. Itâs about spirituality and connection. Furthermore, Story-Sharer #13 posits that Indigenous knowledge lives in that space between us, between people, such as when we are in conversation. Including right now between you and I. When that space between people is online, it just means that we have a really big physical space between us. But from an Indigenous perspective, that physical distance doesnât matter because Indigenous spirituality is not bound to any physical space. Role-modelling embodiment: This refers to role-modelling the embodiment of one of the previously discussed mentor archetypes in thematic bundle #4, and role-modelling how to engage in such embodiment as a mentor for Indigenous graduate students to learn via direct or indirect observation. Story-Sharer #09 explains that one of the greatest things that my supervisor did as a mentor for lots of us was embodying the cultural teachings of her family when she was leading and mentoring [â¦] Just getting to see someone carrying themselves in that way and carrying themselves 93 confidently, and demanding the space they have as an Indigenous scholar is so invaluable. Similarly, Story-Sharer #10 reflected on the invaluable benefits of being mentored by two Indigenous women scholars, each of whom carried themselves in their own unique way in the academy based on their respective cultural ways of being. It reminds us that the embodiment of being an Indigenous scholar can differ based on the cultural worldviews, knowledges, traditions, and protocols that inform these embodiments. Finally, in relation to Indigenist perspectives on embodiment, Story-Sharer #13 posits that a lot of people can claim to have Indigenous heritage. But to me, who cares if you have one far off great, great, great grandparent who happened to be Cree, or ten more recent grandparents, what matters to me as a Cree person myself is how much are you actually engaging in Cree culture and knowing the Cree knowledges you carry, and embody. I know people who are like 1/30th degree of Indigenous blood, but they live their Indigeneity to the fullest. [â¦] I would prefer to call that 1/30th person âIndigenousâ more so than another person who either lives, acts, and embodies colonial ways, or has no connection with, nor any desire to be connected with their own Indigenous heritage and cultural ways. Clearly, the ways in which mentors embody and role-model culturally attuned Indigenous mentor archetypes, and the role-models embodying them, can be significant and should not be taken for granted. This being said, it is also ideal if the mentor is not temporarily embodying these archetypes for the purpose of facilitating mentorship, but rather embodying these archetypes or at least most, aspects of their everyday life, personally, professionally, academically, and beyond. Non-interference and observational learning: Here, mentors offer and honour space for Indigenous graduate students to experience their graduate journey as is unfolds naturally and âas 94 it was meant to be,â what I call âCreator pedagogy.â Additionally, this is about observing Indigenous graduate studentsâ progress, wants, and needs, and whether these wants and needs align with their actions and progress in their studies. For example, Story-Sharer #03 states that âone of the really strong principles that I've learned throughout my life is about non-interference.â However, Story-Sharer #09 also warns that in academia, âthere is a huge misconception that conflates non-interference with neglect.â According to Story-Sharer #03, a cultural concept and practice of non-interference and observational learning within the context of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship can be understood in the following ways: Mentorship does not always come to you explicitly. Mentorship is always happening and sometimes you need pay attention to notice it â¦ I pay attention a lot. I mean, thatâs part of the learning. Like, watching and learning how this system of academia works. Iâve learned a lot about academia just by paying attention to all levels of engagement. Validation: This means acknowledging and instilling Indigenous graduate studentsâ sense of self-worth and belonging within western academia, research, and graduate studies. For Story-Sharer #06, validation is at the core of Indigenous mentorship. They further explain that Indigenous mentorship is the validation, the recognition, the honoring, and the nurturing, that of identity because it all goes back to Indigenous graduate studentsâ purpose and their vision of why they may be taking this on. It goes back to creating a sense of belonging in the Academy. It's about making sure Indigenous graduate students feel really good about who they are and why they are here in the institution. According to Story-Sharer #12, these efforts appear to be paying off. Namely, 95 The newest and current generations of Indigenous graduate students enter with a sense of self-worth and self-pride in that, âI have as much right as much as anyone else, but as an Indigenous person too.â I would also add that Indigenous graduate students [today] have a much stronger sense of their Indigenous identity when they enter graduate studies. Wholistic development: This refers to ensuring that the practice of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is occurring throughout all, or at least most or many, realms of an Indigenous graduate studentâs wholistic being and identity (e.g., mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, culturally, academically, socially, professionally, and so on). For example, Story-Sharer #06 states that âthe mentorship of Indigenous graduate students is much more than academics alone â¦ it's that braiding of mind, body, and spirit that makes us strong.â It is about mentoring the whole person (i.e., the sum of all other elements â personally, professionally, culturally, and academically). This is a cultural way rooted in wholism. Moreover, in relation to a Medicine Wheel-informed wholistic wellness perspective (as discussed in Chapter Three), not all Indigenous graduate students arrive in graduate studies feeling âwhole.â For example, Story-Sharer #10 explains that a lot of Indigenous students are coming to universities expecting to fill in some missing pieces of themselves, and hoping to find something there that they may not have gotten through their own lived experience thus far. For example, Indigenous students who have lived in urban areas for their whole lives really divorced from their culture and looking to re-connect in the way that they've been trained to do by going to university. 96 As such, culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship can also be about supporting those Indigenous graduate students whose wholistic well-being may be less than whole at any point before, during, or even after in their graduate journey. Thematic Bundle #7: Barriers and Obstacles Thus far, we have essentially discussed the many benefits of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship and a number of theoretical and practical ways these benefits can be realized and achieved. However, if everything about this work and its benefits is so clear and obvious, then why has it not been implemented at every university in the country? In this bundle, the research participants discuss several barriers and obstacles that can (or do) impede culturally attuned Indigenous mentorship and its full implementation in graduate studies. Many of these barriers included systemic racism, culturally incongruent western pedagogies, cultural disconnectedness, intergenerational colonial traumas, low recruitment, and retention rates, all of which are commonly discussed in Indigenous-related literature. However, in this bundle, research participants provide additional factors that are often less published. Not enough Indigenous faculty supervisors/mentors Most Indigenous graduate students want or need an Indigenous faculty supervisor who can mentor them in culturally attuned ways; however, in most departments and institutions, not enough Indigenous faculty are available or hired to supervise/mentor Indigenous graduate students, and/or do not have enough Indigenous faculty who can mentor in culturally attuned ways. âThe reality is that there is a very limited number of us Indigenous faculty who have both the cultural experience and the research experienceâ (Story-Sharer #13). According to the research participants in this study, at least five key factors contribute to the lack of available Indigenous supervisors/mentors. 97 The first factor, albeit in no particular order, is inequitably heavy workloads that are disproportionately carried by Indigenous faculty. In their own words, âthere's a lot of uniquely hard work that goes into supervising Indigenous graduate studentsâ (Story-Sharer #02). For example, âit's not just a professional type of relationship. It is like a full-on relationship. Which is why being a mentor at a supervisor level takes a lot of energy out to meâ (Story-Sharer #13). Similarly, as Story-Sharer #03 explains, mentoring Indigenous graduate students costs a lot in emotional labor â¦ Indigenous graduate students and faculty so often have to do double the work. We're looking at our own systems of knowledge as Indigenous peoples, but we are also having to know and understand and be fluent in the Euro-Western institutional ways of knowing and being. It honestly is really exhausting. Moreover, âon top of mentoring Indigenous graduate students, Iâm also mentoring a couple of new junior faculty members so that they can achieve full tenureâ (Story-Sharer #13) because âwhether you're supervising 6 or 26 graduate students. The time you have available, or donât, is the sameâ (Story-Sharer #12). Furthermore, Story-Sharer #01 offers a compelling glimpse into the future if these concerns are not promptly addressed at present: Too often there are cases where you have so few Indigenous faculty and they end up taking on a huge supervision load. And as an Indigenous faculty member, you do it because you are committed. Or you do it because there are times when nobody else would take on that Indigenous student, Or the Indigenous student had somebody else but it didn't work out between them anymore. You take on that Indigenous student even though their research is way out of your topic area. 98 A second factor is inequitable hiring practices, which occurs when departments want to hire Indigenous pre-tenured faculty but review these applications using western-based criteria that do not take into consideration Indigenous realities and cultural context. âI think about Indigenous graduate students who are trying to get into tenured faculty positions, who are up and coming, but when these positions are posted and no one applies, or when someone does, and they are told that they are not far enough in their doctorate to be accepted into the position â whereâs the mentorship in that?â (Story-Sharer #07). In addition, Story-Sharer #01 shares, âI think it really is the department's responsibility to manage this because if the department takes on an Indigenous graduate student, the department needs to make sure it has enough Indigenous or Ally supervisors available for that student too.â For example, hiring committees disregard non-academic cultural and/or community involvement among Indigenous scholars, which, for many, is held in as high regard as any long list of academic publications or scholarly accolades. But if no one in the room calls out or corrects the committeeâs western bias, the Indigenous candidateâs application is not likely to make the short-list; thus, few Indigenous faculty are likely to be hired The third factor involves inequitable tenure promotional requirements, referring to situations wherein Indigenous faculty are not able to meet their promotional criteria because either their workload is too high as a supervisor, and/or they are overly busy attending to the universityâs cultural events as a cultural speaker or otherwise. Neither of these contributes to the fulfilment of their tenure promotional requirements, which impedes their ability to become culturally attuned mentors for Indigenous graduate students. I think that faculty, as an academic unit, has to take into consideration their decisions and actions as they relate to what will and what will not be recognized for promotion, tenure, and merit [because] Indigenous faculty members take on heavier supervision 99 loads when it comes to Indigenous graduate students, and their other responsibilities on top of this needs to be taken into consideration. (Story-Sharer #01) Indigenous graduate students and Indigenous faculty tend to get asked to lead cultural activities for the university that non-Indigenous students would not have to do. Are these drumming and ceremonial opening of events going to get them tenure as a faculty member? Will the university value these activities in the way that Indigenous peoples value them? (Story-Sharer, #11) Typically, the answer would be âno,â which in turn impedes their ability to achieve the necessary professional status to become a culturally attuned mentor for Indigenous graduate students. A fourth factor leading to not having enough Indigenous supervisors/mentor available for Indigenous graduate students is un(der) culturally qualified faculty. The research participants had a lot to say about this factor (in their own words as follows). However, Story-Sharer #12 warns: Indigenous mentorship is a wholistic relationship. But also one that is very delicate. Delicate if someone is not well trained as a mentor, which for most faculty members, their universities are not offering training on how to mentor Indigenous graduate students. This can put faculty and students at high risk, especially given faculty membersâ power and privileged positions. Thus, cultural training is essential, which can be beneficial for Indigenous and non-Indigenous faculty if tailored respectively and where appropriate. We cannot have the assumption that just because you are an Indigenous supervisor that you are going to know how to supervise an Indigenous graduate student. There are people who are just automatically great supervisors. But there are people who need to 100 be mentored into that role, and who need the time to develop that expertise. (Story-Sharer #06) Indigenous tenured faculty, âwe have never really had any official training in supervision or mentorship. We just kind of learn from the mentoring we received when we were Masters and Doctoral studentsâ (Story-Sharer #13). The trouble with this is that supervision skillset would be largely dependent on what was that individual's experience was as a graduate student themselves, and what they learned from their area of study. I know I have never been required to attend workshops on how to mentor students, let alone, how to mentor Indigenous graduate students. (Story-Sharer #12) Moreover, âthey may have been adopted out, or they were raised away from the culture, so how good of a supervisor would that person be when mentoring an Indigenous graduate student in terms of being an âIndigenous scholarâ that's going to be a support and a mentor the cultural side of things?â (Story-Sharer #03). Similarly, âthe institutional system would say you've met the standards to become a Supervisor who mentors grad students. But that doesn't mean you've also earned that same opportunity based on any Indigenous cultural kind of training systemâ (Story-Sharer #10). âWe certainly don't get training in how to a supervisor or mentor, let alone, training on how to do this with Indigenous graduate studentsâ (Story-Sharer #02). However, Story-Sharer #04 warns against calling it âtrainingâ because âtraining makes me think of those âtick-boxâ workshops you can take as faculty.â Perhaps instead what is needed is culturally attuned readiness training for Indigenous faculty who are, or want to be, mentors of/for Indigenous graduate students. Finally, the fifth factor, according to the research participants, includes the underfunding of SAGE and any other Indigenous mentorship-related resources, initiatives, or supports. Despite 101 all of the known multigenerational benefits of SAGE for Indigenous graduate students and faculty, and despite most universities in this country self-claiming their commitment to uphold truth and reconciliation, honour Indigenous ways, and decolonize academia, there remains a significant lack of sustainable core funding for SAGE. This leaves Indigenous graduate students questioning the integrity and hypocrisy of western academic institutions while also leaving them less able to access culturally attuned mentorship. Story-Sharer #01 offers the following invaluable wake-up call to universities: The university, the departments, the programs, or faculty unit should consider their commitments to the ideas of Indigenous mentorship, supports such as SAGE, Indigenous writing retreats, Indigenous methodology, and Indigenous pedagogy, TRC calls to action, and so on, because they really do have to think of what will help retain these Indigenous students and also what will help them to succeed given the high incompletion rates among Indigenous post-secondary students at all levels. In addition, âuniversit[ies] should be offering core funding that is also long-term and sustainable for SAGE, or at least be proactively committed to finding grant funds and other forms of support for the ongoing operational requirements of SAGE but outside of funding, the university could also commit to recognizing the values and purpose of SAGE, as well as ensuring that the purpose of SAGE, and its leadership is not taken over by perspectives that are not Indigenous. SAGEâs leadership and the way it operates, is Indigenous. Clearly, we cannot do this work alone. Nor should we. We need everyone at the table to support the mentorship of Indigenous graduate students in culturally attuned ways, including the institution itself and the Indigenous and non-Indigenous/Allies therein. 102 Thematic Bundle #8: Role of Non-Indigenous Faculty Allies As stated by Story-Sharer #13, âwe must ensure that there is space for non-Indigenous Allies to supervise [and mentor] Indigenous graduate student[s].â This is because everyone can play a significant role in the mentorship of Indigenous graduate students, including non-Indigenous/Ally faculty, staff, leadership, and peer students, to name a few examples. As such, I felt it would be important to highlight in this thematic bundle some of the ways in which Allies can be involved in the mentorship of Indigenous graduate students, including in culturally attuned ways, according to the research participants in this study. The first involves completing a formal culturally attuned faculty training program that is not perhaps not so different from the one presented above in thematic bundle #7. In their own words: âI think it's also good if [non-Indigenous] people have a chance to sit and maybe talk with an Elder, or talk with Indigenous peoples who've gone through some of this stuff before in their own graduate studies, and really to listen with their ears open â¦ and to become humble about going in and asking, and finding out, what they can to learn to avoid falling into some of the traps that we know exist in western academia, like imperialistic thinkingâ (Story-Sharer #10). Second, non-Indigenous/Ally faculty can proactively engage in the necessary steps to educate themselves about Indigenous peoples and Canadaâs history of colonization. According to the research participants in this study, this can be achieved by way of meeting with Elders, attending Indigenous cultural events, attending cultural ceremonies, connecting with Indigenous communities and being present therein, for example. Non-Indigenous/Ally faculty can also read Indigenous-authored literature on Indigenous scholarly topics or creative storytelling as well as connect with on-campus Indigenous cultural services, departments, and events, etc. It is not necessarily [Indigenous peoplesâ] job to teach non-Indigenous peoples or Allies these things. They might need to 103 educate themselves too. They might need to go talk to other culturally informed people about how they might support Indigenous graduate students. (Story-Sharer #10) Additionally, Rather than expecting [Indigenous peoples] to teach them, there is a number of people writing about this. [Allies can] seek out these readings first so that theyâre coming in with some sort of a foundation on the topic before having a dialogue so that you're saying to them, âhere are some of the things that I've read, what else am I missing, and what else should I know to supervise Indigenous graduate students. (Story-Sharer #09) A third way in which non-Indigenous/Ally faculty can become involved in the mentorship of Indigenous graduate students in culturally attuned ways is to humble oneself to being taught or mentored at times by Indigenous graduate students, Elders, and other Indigenous support staff or Indigenous faculty. What I often hear from non-Indigenous faculty members is how afraid they are to work with Indigenous graduate students. Which to me is just a cop-out because it means that they have to humble themselves and put themselves into a position of learning. (Story-Sharer #03) This requires a humility potentially not common among some western disciplines. The fourth recommendation for non-Indigenous/Ally faculty, as identified by research participants in this study, is for them to have an in-depth understanding of colonialism as well as its ways of thinking and its discourse, especially in relation to their own positionality. Story-Sharer #01 explains, 104 We had non-Indigenous, Settler, scholars working with Indigenous graduate students. Those who knew about colonial history, who had an understanding of the impacts of colonization, and who recognized the specific impacts this has had on Indigenous peoples were the most effective. They had that awareness, and they were very receptive to learning more about this if they didnât have that awareness. They were the ones with whom Indigenous graduate student felt really comfortable. So I think preparing non-Indigenous or Settler faculty is about developing their interest in, and awareness of, the role of truth and reconciliation. Especially if they do not know much knowledge about or experience with this work, or if they are not sure about how to engage with this work. Furthermore, Story-Sharer #03 adds, We had a panel of non-Indigenous faculty members who had been on committees for Indigenous graduate students. They were identified as non-Indigenous faculty who had the humility and bravery to realize that they could be learning from Indigenous graduate student too, and seeing the mentoring Indigenous graduate students is a two-way process. Finally, the last recommendation by research participants to non-Indigenous/Ally faculty is to work in collaboration with Indigenous faculty supervisors/mentors by taking the lead on mentoring Indigenous graduate students on western research academic skillsets. Indigenous faculty mentors can focus on nurturing Indigenous graduate studentsâ abilities to interweave an Indigeneity throughout their research process. As posited by Story-Sharer #13, I think this is a really good place for non-Indigenous Allies to help out. They may not know about Indigenous culture, but they tend to know a lot about the elements of conducting western research. They can help mentor Indigenous graduate students on getting them 105 through their literature review, comprehensive exams, proposal writing, statistics and analysis, and the rest of it, as long as they are not imposing any sort of western epistemological or ontological lens onto the [Indigenous graduate students]. They still have to follow the lead of the Indigenous students who are wanting to integrate their culture and identity Overall, it is clear that we cannot talk about needing everyone to be involved in the mentorship of Indigenous graduate mentorship and then not discuss the role of non-Indigenous Allies. In my experience, Allies want to be a part of this work, but they do not necessarily know how or where to begin; and not all Indigenous faculty or students know how to guide them, or do not want to be that person for them. As such, the rationale for highlighting this thematic bundle is to address these dynamics in support of the current and future Allies out there, many of whom bring a wealth of knowledge and experiences in western graduate education. Thematic Bundle #9: Online Technologies The decolonization and Indigenization of online learning environments continue to be an area of growing interest within Canadian-based universities (Kovach & Montgomery, 2010; Montgomery, 2012; Restoule, 2019; Tessaro et al., 2018). It therefore came as no surprise that the utilization and influence of online software, video conferencing, social media, and Artificial Intelligence on Indigenous graduate mentorship were raised by some research participants. Online Video Conferencing Software and Social Media The first of these areas explores the role of online video conferencing and social media in relation to mentoring Indigenous graduate students in culturally informed ways. Most research participants in this study were in favour of this approach or have come to favour its potential benefits. This is because âin the modern day, whether we like it or not, we know that online video conferencing is a reality, and it has been utilized in graduate studies, including supervisionâ 106 (Story-Sharer #12). Furthermore, Story-Sharer #11 comments that âSAGE can now be both in person and hybrid so that regardless of where you're at, you can participate in a SAGE meetingâ. Perhaps this is because online does not necessarily diminish a sense of Indigenous relationality. We can engage in relationships in any format we want. Thatâs what online video conferencing is all about. So, let's remove âmentorshipâ and letâs talk about ârelationshipsâ. I can continue a relationship with somebody by messaging them on social media. Relationship isn't just one platform It's many platforms. (Story-Sharer #08) Some participants were less in favour of utilizing online approaches but were at least open to considering it. Moreover, some research participants also noted that online approaches work best if the student and mentor(s) had previously met in person, or that they incorporate in-person meetings from time to time throughout the research and mentorship process. Research participants also noted that the benefits of online approaches in culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship include fostering a sense of safety and trust prior to meeting in person, and the ability to support maintaining relationships between mentors and Indigenous graduate students who are conducting distance field research and/or live in rural/remote areas This all being said, some research participants also acknowledged that certain in-person visceral experiences foster a sense of relationality that simply cannot be replicated using online video conferencing software: such as engaging in cultural ceremony, meeting in each otherâs kitchens, being on the land picking berries, and having ad-hoc conversations together. Generative Artificial Intelligence The second area explores the role of Artificial Intelligence [AI]. Given the rapidly spreading influence of AI across every industry in the world, one cannot help but wonder what role AI will play in culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. Story-Sharers #13 reflects, 107 Where will we be years from now if we continue to allow for the incorporation of AI in everything we do in post-secondary education? â¦ Thinking about the future of Indigenous mentorship in this way can help us figure it out what is at the heart of our present day wants, needs, and successes to prepare for future generations. The rationale for this thematic bundle is that AI is a very recent phenomenon, and most faculty and academic institutions have not yet been able to keep up with these rapidly changing trends and dynamics. This study asks, âWhat is culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship today?â whereas this thematic bundle is asking, âWhat will it be tomorrow and for generations still to come?â What can we do today to prepare for, or influence, this future? Reflection, Acknowledgements, and Gratitude Indigenous transforming work can be lonely and it can also be dangerous for oneâs career, as criticism of the âstatus quoâ is not always well received. This is the reason why Indigenous scholars who are engaged with transforming work need to be acknowledged, supported, and heard (Smith & Webber, 2018. p. 821). I believe this quote applies to everyone who has participated in this research, including those whose voices we heard/read throughout this chapter. As such, I want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank each of the research participants in this study for gifting their invaluable and transformative insights and wisdom to this study. I trust that the reader will agree when I say that the significance of these contributions is difficult to express in words alone. Nevertheless, I raise my hands, heart, and spirit with sincerity and unwavering gratitude and appreciation to each of the Story-Sharers (research participants) for their wisdom and generosity. I have no doubt that the positive effect of these contributions will be far-reaching for those with us today and for future generations who have yet to enter this world. 108 I also want to acknowledge that not all of the findings above will necessarily be applicable to every Indigenous cultural group, locally and globally. Again, there can be vast cultural diversity among Indigenous peoples, as has been discussed throughout this study. That being said, I am hopeful and optimistic that at least some Indigenous cultural peoples will find something in the above findings to which, or with which, they can relate. Moreover, although I did not interview Indigenous graduate students, I am also hopeful and optimistic that the above findings will align with them, given that the research participants have closely mentored Indigenous graduate students and were themselves Indigenous graduate students not long ago. 109 Chapter Seven: Discussion Introduction If plotted along a spectrum wherein one side is labelled âoffers new or novel contribution to the literatureâ and the other side labelled âconfirms or reinforces what is already in the literature,â I would say the findings from this study would land either close to either of these pillars or somewhere in between. For example, I believe thematic bundles #4 (mentor archetypes), #9 (Online Technologies), and #3 (conceptual frameworks) would likely land closer to the former side of the spectrum, given that these are either not discussed at all in the literature, whereas thematic bundles #1 (terminology and meanings), #2 (general distinctions), and #5 (the five Râs) are more likely closer to the latter end of the spectrum, given that they closely align with the current literature. Thematic bundle #6 (applied practices), #7 (barriers and obstacles), and #8 (role of non-Indigenous faculty allies) in many ways offer new perspectives on topics in the literature related to Indigenous graduate-level mentorship, or at times have confirmed what is already in the literature but not previously discussed at the graduate level specifically. But to you, the reader, I must also emphasize the importance of reviewing Chapter Six wherein the Stories (data) shared by the Story-Sharers (research participants) in their own words are stated. One reason for doing so is that their wisdom and insight are incredibly invaluable, and without them, this study would not exist. The second reason is that we live in a world comprised of multiple-truths that are contextualized and shaped by a researcherâs self-identity, social location, and connection to the topic (Kovach et al., 2013), and as such, readers are welcome to conduct their own analysis of the stories/data shared throughout the previous six chapters. 110 Discussing Language and Meaning Making Most people agree that we can learn a lot about any culture in the world just by learning its respective language(s), especially traditional ones. Moreover, as someone who can speak multiple languages, I have found that there can be a significant loss in the meaning or spirit of a word or phrase when translating into English. Traditional language revitalization is a major pursuit in Canada today. The loss and separation of Indigenous peoples from their traditional languages due to the residential school system has had devastating multigenerational impacts on our sense of identity, esteem, and belonging (Fontaine, 2017; Meighan, 2023). As discussed in Chapter Three, most Indigenous graduate students struggle with having no choice but to learn and understand western academic ways of speaking, being, and thinking, often in lieu of oneâs own cultural ways (Bishop & Webster, 2021; Martin & Thunder, 2013; Weenie, 2020). This is also consistent with the stories (data) shared by the research participants in Chapter Six. Clearly, if an objective of Indigenous graduate mentorship is to help ensure Indigenous graduate students complete their programs with an intact or improved sense of identity, esteem, and belonging as Indigenous peoples, then incorporating Indigenous languages in relation to âmentorshipâ is essential. In some cases, there might not be a directly translatable word for âmentorshipâ among at least some Indigenous traditional languages. Moreover, depending on the context of the mentorship, an important ethical question might be â âWhose traditional language is centred?â Furthermore â âWho is consulted and who gets to decide such things?â Nevertheless, incorporating and utilizing traditional Indigenous languages in culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship (or at least ensuring such decisions are made in 111 collaboration between the Indigenous graduate student and faculty supervisor) is essential, even if all parties agree to using English terms and concepts for âmentorshipâ only. Discussing a Definition Defining Indigenous graduate mentorship within a culturally rooted understanding between the parties involved is also essential for ensuring everyone is on the same page academically, relationally, and culturally. As discussed in Chapter Three, many authors and scholars have provided their own unique perspectives on Indigenous mentorship and how we might âdefineâ it in various contexts (Anonson et al., 2014; Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022; Atleo, 2012; Bell, 2013; Bisanz et al., 2003; Hare, 2004; Hill, 2021; Langlais, 2020; Martin & Thunder, 2013; Minthorn 2022; Pidgeon et al., 2019; Sinclair & Pooyak, 2007; Weenie, 2020; YaâTaUwhet, as cited in Weinberger, 2006). These voices included those in British Columbia (Bishop & Webster, 2021; Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Carrière & Richardson, 2025; Mahikwa, 2025; Pidgeon et al., 2014), and internationally (Arouca, 2018; Barnett & Te Wiata, 2020; Coff & Lampert, 2019; Downs & Windchief, 2015; HeavyRunner & DeCelles, 2002; Windchief & Brown, 2017) discussing culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship specifically. In addition, every research participant in this study provided an abundance of unique perspectives on how they describe, understand, and âdefineâ culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. Essentially, all these insights either emphasized the need for decolonizing the term, the understanding, and/or the approaches to practise it. I believe a reason why there are so many varying perspectives on this topic, and why there seems to be very little agreement on a âcoreâ definition, is simply that culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is rooted within Indigenous culture (hence the name), and 112 Indigenous cultures and peoples are highly diverse across the province, across the country, and across the world. If we are looking for a more specific Indigenous graduate mentorship approach to a particular Indigenous cultural peoplehood, then we should consider more specific Indigenous graduate mentorship terms, such as âCoast Salish attuned,â âCree attuned,â âInuit attuned,â etc. The difficulty with this, perhaps, is that most western-based institutions, such as post-secondary education, tend to prefer one âunifyingâ definition for culturally attuned Indigenous supports, resources, programs, and so on, to create consistency and clarity across institutions â even despite the vast cultural diversities among Indigenous students within a given university. In addition, doing so risks perpetuating âpan-Indianistâ thinking. But if we make the definitions overly specific to certain Indigenous cultural groups, academic leadership or funders may become overwhelmed and not proceed with funding significantly needed culturally attuned Indigenous graduate student supports and services. Taking all of this into consideration, and based on everything I have gathered, heard, and experienced thus far, including findings from this study and my review of the current literature, I offer the following definition of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship as being a relationally-centered, culturally-aligned, and process-oriented form of mentorship that fosters academic success among Indigenous graduate students who are integrating an Indigeneity and/or Indigenisms into their graduate thesis/dissertation research by (1) being rooted in, informed by, and led by Indigenous cultural worldview[s], knowledge[s], tradition[s], value[s]. protocol[s], language[s]; experiences[s], land, community/ies, and/or peoples; and (2) helping Indigenous graduate students navigate and mediate institutional, policies, regulations and structures that are disproportionately western-/Eurocentric. 113 When constructing this definition, I wanted it to honour the uniqueness of culturally attuned approaches to mentoring Indigenous graduate students, which can differ from mentoring Indigenous students in a non-graduate program. Moreover, in many ways, this definition is also helpful for answering the primary question of this research study: âWhat is culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship?â I think this is noteworthy because it is important for us to consider what a shared or collective âdefinitionâ could be for culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. As previously described, we need everyone in the institution to be on board with these efforts, but will they join us if they do not understand what it is, or if they do not see how they can and must be a part of it? My above-proposed definition aims to mitigate this. However, a limitation (or possible strength) of the above proposed definition is that it does not specify whose Indigenous cultural worldviews, knowledges, traditions, and protocols will inform this process. For example, will it be those aligning with Indigenous graduate studentsâ cultural ways? Or those aligning with the primary mentor (if they are Indigenous)? Or will perhaps the cultural ways align with the peoples on whose traditional territories the mentorship is being conducted/facilitated? Or maybe a combination thereof? These are important questions that all parties involved in the mentorship and at the institution, respectively, will have to negotiate. Discussing Historical Kinships A subsequent question in this studyâs inquiry is â âHow is Indigenous mentorship different from western mentorship in graduate studies?â As demonstrated by McKimm et al. (2007), Indigenous mentorship and western mentorship are clearly different and unique. And yet both have mutually incorporated the term âmentorshipâ into their names/titles â which leaves me wondering why this is the case, and what it is about mentorship that makes it relatable to both worlds. 114 Among the variety of perspectives and descriptions emerging from the current literature, along with the findings from this study, several have emphasized a widely believed theory that some form of mentorship has existed among Indigenous populations since time immemorial (Anonson et al., 2014; Anthony-Stevens et al., 2022; Atleo, 2012; Bell, 2013; Bisanz et al., 2003; Hare, 2004; Hill, 2021; Langlais, 2020; Martin & Thunder, 2013; Minthorn 2022; Weenie, 2020). It seems, therefore, that perhaps the best way to understand culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship today is to first understand its origins and history, referred to as âpre-colonial traditional mentorship and educationâ as discussed in Chapter Three, and especially in relation to western mentorshipâs origins and histories to under why âmentorshipâ is a mutually shared term. Anecdotal as that might be, I believe there are two possible reasons for this. The first is that many Indigenous cultural nations would have felt a sense of kinship with western mentorshipâs origins. This is because many Indigenous cultural groups at the time of early colonization were (and many still are) matriarchal or matrilineal societies that honour Indigenous women for their wisdom, strengths, and leadership (Anderson, 2011; Connors et al., 1986; Kermoal & Altamirano-Jiménez, 2016; Suzack, et al., 2011; Tuck, 1971; Tucker, 1999; Waterman & Lindley, 2013). Moreover, many Indigenous creation stories involve significant shapeshifters and supernatural beings, such as Nanaboozhoo in Anishinaabe cultural stories (Borrows, 2016) and awâsis, who is a nêhiyawêwin gender-fluid and non-binary spiritual being (Halfe, 2021); as well as Tricksters who tend to offer mentor-like behaviours that foster growth and development (Halfe, 2021), cultural longevity (Reder & Moora, 2010), Two-Spirit representation (Whitehead, 2017) the protection of Indigenous laws (Borrows, 2016), Indigenous Knowledges in research (Parent, 2018) and the pursuits of academic reforms (Moore, 2017), to name a few. 115 Second, when compared to western mentorshipâs origins as discussed in Chapter Three, I propose that Indigenous nations and peoples, then and now, might resonate with the fact that the first successful mentor in western history was a shape-shifting goddess of wisdom and war. Furthermore, given the many centuries of resisting oppressive colonial governments in this country, I posit that Indigenous nations and peoples then and now are also likely to resonate with François Fénelonâs civil disobedient acts of treason and protest against the then-King Louis XIV, as well as with Fénelonâs mentorship philosophies, given their close alignment with several Indigenous values including humbleness, justice, courage, anti-imperialism, and others. As a result, one might be wondering whether any of these factors have anything to do with why Indigenous mentorship has not yet replaced or âdecolonizedâ itself from the western term âmentorship.â Perhaps yes, or perhaps not. There appears to be no way of knowing for certain. But upon conducting this study, my sense is that there might be at least the possibility of a shared kinship between western and Indigenous mentorshipâs origins and histories. Overall, what I appreciate about these ideas (again, anecdotal as they might be) is that they demonstrate a path in which Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples could at least potentially work collaboratively, as kin, on the mentorship of Indigenous graduate students. This also aligns with answering this studyâs subsequent question about the role of non-Indigenous/Allies. Discussing âSacred Firesâ as a Framework and âFire-Keepingâ as an Archetype As discussed in Chapter Three, the current literature presents several emerging culturally attuned frameworks for Indigenous graduate mentorship (Barnett & Te Wiata, 2020; Bishop & Webster, 2021; Coff & Lampert, 2019; Downs & Windchief, 2015; HeavyRunner & DeCelles; 2002; Windchief & Brown, 2017; Windchief et al., 2018). In Chapter Six of this study, research participants offer their own original examples of culturally attuned frameworks for Indigenous 116 graduate mentorship as well as identify several mentor archetypes for Indigenous and (in some cases) non-Indigenous faculty supervisors to adopt while mentoring Indigenous graduate students. This inspired me to consider what my own original contributions might be in theory and in practice. Over time, what came to mind was what I will refer to as the Sacred Fire conceptual framework for culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship and the Fire-Keeper as a mentor archetype for faculty supervisors to adopts therein. In many ways, the two go hand-in-hand. As discussed in Chapter One, I have participated in many Sweat Lodge ceremonies as a participant and a Fire-Keeper/Door-Keeper. Moreover, it was Elder Howard Archibald (Cree, Taykwa Tagamou Nation) who taught me how to construct a traditional Sweat Lodge using traditional/natural materials (e.g., willow, sinew, sweetgrass, hide, grandfather rocks) at his home in Taquahtagama, and was the first to mentor me into a Fire-keeper positionality with the inherent roles and responsibilities therewith. These knowledges and experiences inspired me to adopt Sacred Fires as a framework and Fire-Keeper as an archetype. When I think about âculturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship,â the image that comes to mind is a sacred fire â in that a sacred fire is sacred because it is imbued with the spirit of Creator, the ancestors, all our relations, and/or ourselves. We show respect and gratitude to a sacred fire, and we honour it with reverence and reciprocity by gifting it medicines and other items to nourish the spirit(s) of the sacred fire. So too, I believe, culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is often, and ought to continue to be, viewed and treated in kind. Moreover, the element of fire comes to mind because fires â like mentorship â can be at times warm, inviting, soothing, and empowering; at other times, though, it can feel and become destructive, unsafe, off-putting, or dangerous â as mentorship can also be or seem at times. A key factor in whether a fire or mentorship becomes out of control or remains in harmony has a lot to 117 do with the mentor. This, I believe, is akin to how they have (or have not) fully embodied the roles, responsibilities, skillsets, knowledges, values, traditions, and ways of being as a traditional Fire-Keeper, such as those called to be present at a Sweat Lodge ceremony. I would love to share more of my ideas on this, but we will have to wait for another time. Discussing âIndigenous Scholarâ Archetype The positionality, roles, and responsibilities associated with an âIndigenous scholarâ as both a mentor archetype and intended outcome of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship was widely and frequently discussed by the participants in Chapter Six of this study. Per this studyâs findings, an âIndigenous scholarâ is an Indigenous person who has experience and expertise in integrating an Indigeneity and/or Indigenisms within scholarly research, publications, or educational practices in predominately Eurocentric or westernized spaces or contexts. As such, they have also been identified by research participants as the most ideal person for mentoring Indigenous graduate students, who are themselves learning how to incorporate Indigeneity throughout their thesis or dissertation research. However, this is not to say that only Indigenous scholars can or should mentor Indigenous graduate students. The findings of this study in Chapter Six also identify non-Indigenous Ally faculty as potentially good and effective faculty supervisors, particularly if they work collaboratively with Indigenous scholars and embody aspects of the mentor archetypes, if/when/where appropriate â one of which, for example, is the Indigenist archetype. Moreover, the findings from this study also indicate that not all Indigenous graduate students require a mentor who is an Indigenous scholar nor a mentor who is culturally attuned. As such, it is not the intention of this study to dictate who can or should, and who cannot or should not, be mentoring Indigenous graduate students in or not in culturally attuned ways, but 118 rather to open our perspectives on how Indigenous graduate students may want to choose to be mentored, and by whom, and to their own self-determined outcome in the end. Discussing the âIndigenistâ Archetype According to the finding in Chapter Six, an Indigenist is someone who understands and embodies an Indigeneity. This could be a person who identifies as, and is identified by others as, Indigenous or non-Indigenous and is someone who fully understands and accepts the roles and responsibilities associated with claiming and adhering to an Indigenist positionality. An Indigenist does not automatically mean that the person is or is not an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person. Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who are Indigenist each have their own unique sets of roles and responsibilities, which would be self- and other-determined. Upon further exploration into the literature, it seems that an âIndigenistâ archetype does not appear to have ever been mentioned in any publications associated with Indigenous mentorship in all its forms prior to this study. However, the âIndigenistâ positionality has, and continues to be, increasingly common within literature associated with research methodologies (Hart, 2007; Hart et al., 2016; Kite & Davy, 2015; MacDonald, 2017; Mirraboopa, 2003; Rheault; 1999; Rigney, 1999; Simpson, 2004; Washington, 2023/2025; Wilson, 2007/2013). Regarding a definition of âIndigenistâ in the literature, one can be found in Anishinaabe scholar DâArcy Ishpeming'enzaabid Rheaultâs (1999) seminal work, which emerged during a conversation he had with Paul Bourgeois (Ojibwe) and Dan Longboat (Kanienkehaka), as being an Indigenous person (although not exclusively) who combines the abstract and theoretical thinking involved in the creation and transmission of Indigenous knowledge. However, the conceptual and sometimes ethereal qualities of Indigenous thought for the Indigenist does not remain in the mind, but is lived on a daily basis. 119 The Indigenist is clearly a thinker and practitioner of Indigenous knowledge. (p. 38) In relation to research and methodology, Narugngga scholar Lester-Irabinna Rigney (1999) identifies three fundamental and interrelated principles of Indigenist research as (1) resistance as the emancipatory imperative in Indigenist research; (2) political integrity in Indigenous research; and (3) privileging Indigenous voices in Indigenist research (p.116). Rigney also attributes a feminist positionality as an inspiration that motivated and helped inform the emergence of an Indigenist positionality and methodology (pp. 115â116), which is also a shared perspective identified in this studyâs research findings, as discussed in Chapter Six. Similarly, Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (2004) posits that âIndigenistâ and âIndigenousâ are not synonymous in that, whereas an Indigenist scholar would choose and would want to choose to apply a decolonial theoretical framework, an Indigenous scholar would have the autonomy to make such a decision (p. 373, 382). This perspective aligns with Rigneyâs aforementioned Indigenist research principles, and in many ways with the perspectives in the findings wherein âAlliesâ and âIndigenistâ are not the same archetype, as identified in Chapter Six. However, according to Cree scholar Shawn Wilson (2007), We need to articulate what we mean by an Indigenist paradigm without comparing it with other paradigms. To do so would mean falling into a mainstream, positivist trap by creating a binary. Although additional paradigms may be used to support our stance, any comparisons will inevitably lead to judgment and subjugation, an us and them dichotomy [and that] is the choice to follow this paradigm, philosophy, or worldview that makes research Indigenist, not the ethnic or racial identity of the researcher. (p. 194). 120 From this perspective, Wilson seems to be inviting us to consider dispensing with the commonly used âIndigenousâ and âAlly/non-Indigenousâ binary and instead move toward a more laterally inclusive Indigenist scholarly positionality in research. Other examples from the literature discussing the âIndigenistâ positionality include Shaneé Washington (2025), for whom Indigenist research is defined as âreferring to research that aligns with an Indigenous paradigm or worldview and that is inclusive of non-Indigenous researchers who have chosen to embrace and follow an Indigenous paradigm and its tenetsâ (p.441). Finally, for Noonuccal scholar Mirraboopa (2003), Indigenist research methodology âoccurs through centering Aboriginal Ways of Knowing, Ways of Being and Ways of Doing in alignment with aspects of western qualitative research frameworksâ (p. 211). This all being said, I cannot help but wonder what the implications might be of applying an Indigenist positionality and its inherent roles and responsibilities (respective to oneâs otherwise positioning as Indigenous or non-Indigenous) to the practice of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship as a mentor archetype for faculty supervisors to adopt. I would argue that such considerations are indeed intriguing and thus a significant topic for future research. Discussing the Role and Presence of Indigenous Spirituality The âFive Râs of Indigenous graduate mentorshipâ that emerged from this study are based on a combination of the Stories (data) shared by the research participants, and by Indigenous voices within the current literature (Arouca, 2018; Bishop & Webster, 2021; Bordeaux, 2021; Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Pidgeon et al., 2024; Windchief & Brown, 2017; Windchief et al., 2018). The inclusion of the Râs in Indigenous literature when referring to research or education is quite prevalent (Archibald, 2008; Kirkness & Banhart, 1991; Restoule, 2024). Likely, this is because 121 they are tried and truly effective, but also because they align so closely with Indigenous worldviews, knowledges, traditions, and protocols. But of the Râs presented in this study, the one that stands out as particularly significant is relationality. This is because, as frequently discussed in this study, I view Indigenous spirituality and relationality as essentially one and the same. As discussed in Chapter Three, Indigenous voices in the current literature have written about Indigenous spirituality at length (Baskin, 2022; Bell, 2013; Graveline, 1998; Hampton, 1988; Hill, 2021; Hochheimer et al., 2016; Littlebear, 2009; Sheridan & Longboat, 2006; Singleton, 2016), and others have written about spirit-/spirituality-based research (Lucchesi, 2019; McIvor, 2010; Restoule et al., 2010; Struthers, 2001). As such, I have arrived at the question â âIf Indigenous spirituality can exist or be incorporated into Indigenous research methodologies, why cannot this be true for culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship?â What role does spirituality play in Indigenous mentorship? For the following reasons, I see Indigenous spirituality in essentially all aspects of Indigenous graduate mentorship that is culturally attuned. I believe a distinct feature differentiating western and Indigenous culture is Indigenous spirituality. As discussed in Chapter Four, I see Indigenous spirituality as the interconnectivity between relationality and relationships in all aspects of life: for example, in my Indigenous research paradigm, such as the Powwow Big Drum methodological framework. In relation to culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, according to the current literature (Arouca, 2018; Bishop & Webster, 2021; Bordeaux, 2021; Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Pidgeon et al., 2024; Windchief & Brown, 2017; Windchief et al., 2018) and clearly based on this studyâs findings as discussed in Chapter Six, tenets of relationality and relationships play a tremendously significant 122 role in culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, which to me are synonymous with my understanding of Indigenous spirituality. This being said, I also acknowledge that not everyoneâs Indigenous spirituality is experienced or expressed in the same way. I see it as synonymous with relationality, relationships, and interconnectivity, whereas others may see Indigenous spirituality represented in some of the other tenets identified in this research study, if at all. Overall, perhaps one of the clearest examples that Indigenous spirituality is at least somewhat present in culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is evident in its name. The key distinction is the presence of one being âculturally attunedâ and the other not, which goes back to the notion that Indigenous spirituality and Indigenous culture are inextricably linked. Discussing the Applied Practice Approaches Several âpragmaticâ approaches to Indigenous graduate mentorship are discussed in the literature in Chapter Three (Arouca, 2018; Bishop & Webster, 2021; Bordeaux, 2021; Burke & MacDonald, 2020; Carrière & Richardson, 2025; Kovach et al., forthcoming; Murry et al, 2022; Pidgeon et al., 2014; Windchief & Brown 2017; Windchief et al., 2018) as well as several more identified and discussed by the research participants in Chapter Six. I am in agreement with their excellence and effectiveness in relation to/with culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. Moreover, the benefits of including and incorporating SAGE and its Peer+ model (as discussed in Chapters Three) cannot be overstated. However, although I encourage readers to become familiar with the wide range of approaches to culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, I also want to remind readers that Indigenous groups comprise a vast array of Indigenous cultural diversities. Practices that might be effective for one Indigenous graduate student might not be as effective for another, given 123 that these practices are culturally attuned to an Indigeneity that might not necessarily be congruent with the Indigeneity of the Indigenous graduate student being mentored. Similarly, I would not advise all Indigenous graduate mentors to utilize any of the culturally attuned Indigenous mentorship approaches with which they are not relationally connected or familiar. This is a perspective I carry that stems from my above discussion regarding the role of spirituality in Indigenous graduate mentorship. Namely, I view Indigenous practices as being âculturally attunedâ when there is a spiritual (i.e., relational) interconnectedness between the persons or peoples engaging with these practices. Relationships often need time and nurturing to develop, and I would argue that the same is true for people utilizing any of the practices presented in this study in relation to engaging in Indigenous graduate mentorship. In other words, do not simply select from the menu of options presented in this study; instead, develop relationships and/or draw upon the relationality one already has with their Indigeneity to identify culturally attuned (and by extension, culturally congruent) approaches to mentoring Indigenous graduate students, and do so in collaboration with the students whose own individual Indigeneity should also be considered. Discussing the Online/Distant Mentorship For the most part, I am in agreement with the current literature regarding the benefits of decolonizing and Indigenizing online/distant learning environments and opportunities (Barnett & Te Wiata 2020; Kovach & Montgomery, 2010; Montgomery, 2012; Restoule, 2019; Tessaro et al., 2018); as well, such sentiments are consistent with the findings from this study in Chapter Six. However, while I agree with the benefits of online/distance forms of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship as presented in this study, I also note that online/distant tools such as video 124 conferencing platforms are not without potential drawbacks that impede the culturally attuned aspects of Indigenous graduate mentorship. In future publications, I can speak at length about this debate because I can relate to these conversations based on firsthand experience and expertise. The majority of my bachelorâs, masterâs, and now doctoral programs took place mostly online (the latter due to the global pandemic, when essentially all forms of post-secondary education moved entirely online). Additionally, as a professional educator since 2016, I would estimate that a little over half of my courses were taught entirely online or nearly so. Yet, despite being online/distant from each other, I still felt relationally interconnected with my instructors, my courses, and the materials across all three degrees, as well as with my supervisor committees for my thesis and dissertation work. As such, I agree with the research participants in this study who talked about how relationality can be experienced even across computer screens. However, it is also important to note that the supervisor committee members with whom I developed the deepest relational connection were those with whom I had spent time in person and on the land. The same is true for me as an educator, especially for online courses that had at least some brief in-person/on-the-land interactions. So, while I agree with and support the use of online/distance tools for mentoring Indigenous graduate students, I also believe that it is important to provide opportunities for in-person interactions between faculty mentors and Indigenous graduate students â ideally, earlier rather than later. Overall, I would argue that at the core of this debate is fostering a culturally attuned relationality between Indigenous faculty and Indigenous graduate students, even while connecting online with each other as part of the mentorship process, which I can attest is definitely possible. However, some Indigenous graduate students will want or need only in-person interactions. 125 Chapter Eight: Recommendations The recommendations presented in this chapter have been grouped into eight main categories, each of which contains its own subset of recommendations. Moreover, each recommendation and sub-recommendation is informed by a combination of the literature review in Chapter Three, the findings in Chapter Six, and the discussions outlined in Chapter Seven. Furthermore, as always, given the invaluable wisdom, insight, and generosity of the research participants in this study, it is the recommendation of this author that readers read through Chapter Six before reviewing the recommendations provided below in this chapter. 1. Recommendations for the Preparation Phase The recommendations in this section are intended to help set a good foundation for culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship to become rooted and, over time, become more fully realized and achievable. Canvas Expressions of Interest. It is recommended that departments reach out to other departments across the institution that are or may be interested in incorporating culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. However, as discussed in Chapters Six and Seven, not all departments or areas of discipline might be a good fit. For example, some might not (yet) permit the students to incorporate their Indigeneity into their graduate-level research. Proceed forward with those that express an interest and revisit the other departments again over time. Develop an Advisory Group. As discussed in Chapter Three, a tenet of Indigenous graduate mentorship is collectivism. Therefore, it is recommended to gather key people to form an advisory group or multiple advisory groups. Membership should likely include Elders, Indigenous faculty, and Indigenous graduate students/candidates/alumni, as well as Indigenous and/or Ally faculty from the interested department(s). The advisory group(s) would, at a minimum, likely guide and 126 contribute to all aspects of the formation/developmental and implementation phases, including any faculty readiness training, and Indigenous graduate student retreats. Determine Terminologies and Meanings. As discussed in Chapters Six and Seven, given that the term âmentorshipâ was introduced to Indigenous populations, and given the significance and meaning-making associated with Indigenous traditional languages, it is important to establish agreed-upon terminologies for culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. It is recommended that the advisory group(s) prioritize the traditional languages of the Indigenous nation(s) on whose territories the institution is located, if possible. Moreover, a set of glossary terms and meanings should be created and be available as a reference for everyone involved. Specialized Readiness Training. As identified in Chapters Six and Seven of this study, Indigenous faculty are not necessarily adequately trained, qualified, or comfortable providing culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. It is therefore recommended that the advisory group(s) lead, or at least inform, the formation/development of specialized readiness training modules for interested Indigenous faculty. Recommended content should likely include, but not be limited to, understanding pre-colonial forms of mentorship, centring colonial-trauma-informed theories and practices, knowing the tenets and frameworks of Indigenous graduate mentorship, and becoming aware of the traditions and protocols of the territories. The modules can also help Indigenous faculty to identify and articulate their mentorship framework and mentor archetype â whether selected from those provided in this study, or their own, or a combination thereof. I would also recommend the formation/development and implementation of a brief set of re-training/brushing-up modules for Indigenous faculty who previously completed the specialized training. This would help Indigenous faculty stay up to date on the latest Indigenous-related trends and topics related to Indigenous graduate mentorship, graduate studies, community relations, 127 various levels of politics, and other important topics determined by the advisor group(s). In addition, specially trained Indigenous faculty could also become peer mentors for any new Indigenous faculty completing the specialized training for the first time. Awareness of Traditions and Protocols. Finally, in this section, it is recommended that everyone involved in advisory group(s), the specialized readiness training, or any culturally attuned graduate mentorship be aware of the local Indigenous cultural traditions and protocols of the territories where this work is being formed/developed and implemented: including, ideally, those from oneâs own Indigenous nation to which they are culturally affiliated. It is anticipated that doing so can and will play an integral role in each aspect of the formation/developmental and implementation phase below. 2. Recommendations for the Formation/Development Phase The recommendations in this section offer ideas for the formation and development phase to help culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship and any specialized faculty readiness training become increasingly fully realized and achievable. Rooted in Pre-Colonial Traditions. As discussed in Chapter Four, the term âculturally attunedâ is also associated with âdecolonized/Indigenize,â meaning the re-incorporation of Indigenous worldviews, knowledges, traditions, and protocols that pre-date colonization. As such, it is recommended that Indigenous graduate mentorship and/or any associated specialized readiness training should be rooted in pre-colonial traditional forms of Indigenous mentorship and learning. Several examples are provided in Chapters Three, Six, and Seven; however, the collective Indigeneity within the advisory group(s) will also likely influence what is meant by âculturally attuned,â pre-colonially speaking. 128 Circularity. Evident in Chapter Three especially, the âcircleâ is considered a sacred geometry across many Indigenous cultures. In relation to culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, a circularity mindset and set of approaches is recommended to help neutralize the hierarchical power dynamics between faculty and student that are typically inherent to western-based graduate mentorship theories and practices. Doing so would very likely help ensure that the graduate mentorship and training will be much more culturally attuned. Incorporate the Tenets. Many tenets of Indigenous graduate mentorship are identified in this study in Chapters Three, Six, and Seven. Among these, notable tenets include but are not limited to anti-assimilation/pro-decolonization, collectivism, identity, language, wholism, the Five Râs, and spirituality. Many are frequently discussed in the literature and the findings of this study. It is therefore recommended that these, and any other culturally attuned tenets, be incorporated throughout the formation/developmental and implemental phases led by the advisory group(s). Multimodal Approaches. In Chapter Six, some of the research participants talked about the benefits of going beyond and adding to the usual one-on-one and on-campus-only modalities. Examples include retreats, peer group/cohort mentorship, on-the-land mentorship, and online video conferencing or social media, as well as being open to non-human mentors, including the ancestors, spirits, and the land itself. Given the benefits, it is recommended that the advisory group(s) and Indigenous faculty mentors be open to incorporating these and other culturally attuned approaches, when/if/where appropriate and/or applicable. Structured but Fluid. As is evident throughout the entirety of this study, culturally attuned graduate mentorship for Indigenous graduate students is taken very seriously among Indigenous faculty. In turn, it is recommended that the formation/development and implementation of such mentorship and any specialized readiness training be conducted with a high degree of sincerity, 129 commitment, presence, and rigour. However, given the cultural diversity among Indigenous peoples and nations, it is also recommended that the mentorship and training should honour fluidity along each of the transformative stages of Indigenous graduate studentsâ research process and overall journeys. 3. Recommendations for the Implementation Phase In this section, the following recommendations emphasize several approaches considered conducive to fostering Indigenous graduate mentorship that is specifically culturally attuned. Culturally Attuned Inward/Outward. Throughout this study, there has been a clear and consistent message: ensuring that Indigenous graduate mentorship remains culturally attuned is paramount âyes, even while operating within predominantly Eurocentric academic institutions, if not also because of the currently inescapable two-world power imbalance within which we find ourselves. The recommendation is therefore that everything and everyone involved in culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship must itself/themselves always be culturally attuned in every way possible, not solely when it feels convenient within dominant western academic spaces. This recommendation is not being adversarial or ânemesizingâ toward western-dominant academia. But nor is this about capitulation; rather, this is simply a recommendation to be intentional about upholding and maintaining wholistic congruency between that which is stated and how it is later being enacted. Student-Centred. As discussed in Chapters Three, Six, and Seven, whether subtly or overtly, culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship and any related readiness training must meet the needs of the Indigenous graduate students who are being mentored. Therefore, it is recommended that Indigenous faculty mentors meet individually with Indigenous graduate students whom they are mentoring and collaborate on key cultural topics, such as cultural traditions 130 and protocols, goals and objectives, wants and needs, and motivations for pursuing graduate studies, to name a few. This recommendation is about collaboration between Indigenous faculty and Indigenous graduate students to determine what culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship will look like for a specific student and as primarily determined by that student. SAGE and Peer+. SAGE, and its Peer+ model discussed in Chapters Two, Three, Six, and Seven, have been emphasized throughout much of this study for its beneficial approaches to mentoring Indigenous graduate students. As a reminder, the âPeer+â model is based on a culturally attuned perspective wherein Indigenous faculty and Indigenous graduate students are viewed and treated by each other as mutually equal peers, scholars, learners, and experts. Doing so fosters relationality, neutrality, dignity, and respect. As such, it is recommended that the implementation of Indigenous graduate mentorship and related readiness training should incorporate or centre SAGE and a Peer+ model. Awards, Ceremony, and Celebration. Low recruitment, longer than usual completion timelines, and frequent incompletion rates among Indigenous post-secondary students are discussed in Chapters Three and Six, as well as the factors that contribute to these outcomes. These factors include but are not limited to financial difficulties, double the workload balancing two-worlds (western and Indigenous), being a first-generation student, intergenerational trauma toward the education system, and commitments to oneâs family, cultural, and community, to name a mere few. To help mitigate these challenges, it is recommended that Indigenous mentors seek out and support Indigenous graduate students in achieving awards, bursaries, and scholarships as well as opportunities to incorporate self-care and/or wellness-centred traditional ceremonies and recognition celebrations either on campus and/or in their respective communities. Doing so can 131 help foster a strong sense of belonging, worth, and esteem as well as role-model Indigenous success among younger family or community members. Indigenous Graduate Writing and Mentorship Retreats. This recommendation refers to the importance of implementing culturally attuned writing and mentorship retreats for Indigenous graduate students. Although this is only briefly discussed in this study, I can say from firsthand experience that such retreats are an excellent opportunity to put into practice most of the recommendations outlined in this chapter: namely, the tenets of Indigenous graduate mentorship, the SAGE/Peer+ model, a âcousinsâ generationally-reciprocal approach, Indigenous scholarly rigour and productivity, multimodal approaches, self-care and wellness ceremony, and recognition celebrations, among others. The frequency of such retreats would be likely determined by the advisory group(s), but at least once a year, possibly up to twice a year, is also recommended. 4. Recommendations for the Evaluation Phase The recommendations in this section focus on the importance of evaluating culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship in all its delivered forms: at the individual level (e.g., part of the mentorâs own self-review), at the mentor/mentee level (e.g., determined in consultation between the mentor and mentee), and at the departmental and institutional levels (e.g., the measurable outcomes as determined by the senior leadership teams). Decolonizing/Indigenizing Metric of Success. As discussed in Chapter Six, the metrics of success must be decolonized and Indigenized at all levels of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. There is nothing wrong with utilizing non-Indigenous/western-specific metrics (e.g., evidence-based rates of retention and graduation, or ensuring the length of stay in a graduate program does not exceed the allotted 4â6 years, etc.). However, it is recommended that these be coupled disproportionally with Indigenous prioritizes and perspectives on what âsuccessâ can and 132 should look like as well (e.g., completing their degree with their Indigeneity intact and strengthened, or perhaps measuring whether the Indigenous graduate students identifies and/or is identifiable as an âIndigenous scholarâ, and/or ensuring that Indigenous graduate students return to community upon leaving the program whether early departure or graduation, etc.). 5. Recommendations for Supporting Indigenous Faculty Mentors In this section, I emphasize three significant recommendations to help address a multitude of concerns, challenges, and barriers confronting Indigenous faculty who â as clearly identified all across this study â are integral to the formation/development and implementation of culturally attuned graduate mentorship for Indigenous graduate students. Equitable Workload Accommodations. As articulated in Chapter Six, mentoring Indigenous graduate students typically requires greater attention, time, and energy when compared to mentoring domestic and/or non-Indigenous students. The reasons for this are discussed at length in Chapters Three and Six. For example, mentoring five Indigenous graduate students might carry a workload comparable to mentoring eight to 10 domestic/non-Indigenous graduate students. Indigenous faculty in this study are calling for more equitable accommodations to their workload in relation to the ratio of Indigenous and domestic/non-Indigenous students whom they are mentoring. It is therefore recommended that, at a minimum, department leaders re-evaluate (i.e., decolonize) their notion of student ratios in relation to the unique relational attention and presence needed for each Indigenous graduate student they mentor, but especially if said mentorship needs to be culturally attuned. Decolonizing Tenure-Track Promotional Criteria. An important aspect of achieving, maintaining, and advancing along a tenure-track as Indigenous faculty involves meeting or exceeding a set of promotional criteria. As discussed in Chapter Six, Indigenous faculty are often 133 called by the institution (and others) to fulfill important cultural activities, build relational connections, and attend to cultural responsibilities. Many of these calls require specialized knowledges, focus and presence, time and energy, and a unique set of relational connections not typically carried by non-Indigenous faculty, nor are the latter expected to carry such skillsets or load. And yet these activities, even when called upon by the institution to fulfill them, are not typically counted toward Indigenous facultyâs tenure track promotional criteria, or at least not very significantly. As such, it is recommended that departments decolonize and Indigenize their tenure-track promotional criteria to better align with and acknowledge Indigenous faculty membersâ culturally attuned skillsets, connections, and responsibilities and invaluable contributions to their respective departments and the institution. Accountability and Planning. As discussed in Chapter Six, far too often there are not enough available or adequality trained/equipped Indigenous (or Ally) faculty who can mentor the Indigenous graduate students needing culturally attuned mentorship. It is thus recommended that departments ensure enough Indigenous faculty are available to mentor the number of anticipated Indigenous graduate students that departments want to accept into their programs. Departments might be excited to support Indigenous graduate applicants with an acceptance letter, and of course Indigenous graduate applicants are likely excited to get an acceptance letter from the departments. However, it can cause more harm than good if Indigenous faculty are unavailable to mentor the students upon their arrival. 6. Recommendations for Succession Planning This section focuses on recommendations that help ensure the cyclical nature of intergenerational Indigenous graduate mentorship is occurring and turning over. 134 Prioritize Building a Circle of Indigenous Scholars. This study recommends that post-secondary institutions and departments prioritize building up and nurturing the circle (or âpoolâ) of current and emerging Indigenous scholars who are interested in achieving a tenure-track faculty position. As more Indigenous faculty retire, we need to ensure there are Indigenous applicants to fill these positions, and if they are not yet ready, then the advisory group could help with this.. âCousinsâ Generational-Reciprocity. Several universities offer some form of Indigenous peer-mentorship âcousinsâ program supporting Indigenous post-secondary students. Each is structured and implemented in similar, albeit their own unique ways. Building on this, I would recommend implementing some form of âcousinsâ approach that I think of as a âgenerational-reciprocityâ approach to mentorship wherein, for example, Indigenous candidates focus on mentoring Indigenous graduate students, who mentor Indigenous undergraduate students, and so on. Moreover, ideally, an appropriately congruent traditional term in lieu of âcousinsâ could be used, likely determined by the advisory group(s). Networking and CV-Building. Many in this study have acknowledged that Indigenous scholars are expected to be successful in both the western world/scope and in an Indigenous world/scope. As such, in the spirit of succession planning, it is recommended that Indigenous faculty mentors create opportunities for Indigenous graduate students to engage in and network with many scholarly and culturally oriented events, gatherings, or conferences, as well as guest lecturing, publishing, and public speaking opportunities to help boost their CVs. 7. Recommendations for Involving Allies The recommendations in this section focus on emphasizing the inclusivity of readied Ally faculty and others within western academia, and the invaluable knowledges, gifts, skillsets, and other contributions they carry. 135 Training and Development. Backed by the many voices throughout this study, it is recommended that Ally faculty have buy-in and complete culturally attuned readiness training if they are mentoring Indigenous graduate students, particularly those involved specifically in culturally attuned mentorship. Moreover, a key to determining these outcomes includes, albeit is not limited to, modules, curriculum, length, location, and pedagogy, which would likely be determined by the advisory group(s). Several ideas are also presented in Chapters Six and Seven. Tag-Team with Indigenous Faculty. I recommend that readied Ally faculty work in a âtag-teamâ and collaborative manner with Indigenous faculty on the âco-mentorshipâ of Indigenous graduate students. The aim here is two-fold: (1) to foster friendship and inclusivity among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples; and (2) to share the workload of mentoring Indigenous graduate students. Namely, western-rooted faculty mentor Indigenous graduate students in western-oriented academic research skillsets and procedures, so that Indigenous faculty can focus on mentoring these students in culturally attuned ways, given their unique cultural knowledges, relations, connections, and lived experiences. 8. Recommendations for Reforms to Foster Longevity These final recommendations are intended to help alleviate some of the significant barriers that can impede the short- and long-term implementation of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. Some of these may be more systemically entrenched than others. Eliminating Racism, Eurocentrism, Prejudice, Discrimination. Where applicable, eliminating any overt or subtle micro-, mezzo-, and macro-level systemic racism, Eurocentrism, prejudice, or discrimination against Indigenous peoples and culture is essential to ensuring culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship can be fully realized within a particular post-secondary institution and/or department. Although this may be a longer, ongoing process for some, 136 beginning it is key if it has not already started. Recommending how these endeavours can or should be achieved will vary and should likely be determined in concert with the relevant advisory group(s). Furthermore, it is also possible that despite these barriers, implementing culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship could help reduce them over time. As such, it is not recommended to wait until such barriers have been fully eliminated, but rather that groups proceed with caution accordingly. Reform Attitudes/Perceptions/Comments Toward Indigenous Scholarship. Building upon the previous recommendation, but at a more micro scale, is the recommendation to work toward the transformation and elimination of negative, judgmental, and demeaning attitudes, perceptions, and comments toward Indigenous scholarly knowledges, publications, and methodologies. The pathways to achieve these outcomes will likely be determined by the relevant advisory group(s); however, it is also recommended that specialized readiness training for Ally/non-Indigenous faculty could be an ideal forum for this to occur. Decolonize/Indigenize Faculty Hiring Criteria. It is recommended that faculty hiring criteria and procedures should be decolonized and Indigenized, with Indigenous representation on the hiring team. It can be difficult to hire culturally attuned Indigenous faculty if the hiring criteria and process are not themselves culturally attuned. This process includes viewing Indigenous applicantsâ involvement in and connections to/with Indigenous cultures, traditions, and community relations and engagement as being equally valuable to any other sought-after western-oriented scholarly pursuits typically expected on a tenure-track applicantâs CV. Addressing these or other changes would likely be led by the appropriate advisory group(s). Decolonize/Indigenize Metrics of Success. Along the same lines as the previous recommendation and others in this chapter is the recommendation that post-secondary institutions 137 and the departments decolonize and Indigenize their metrics of success so that they reflect a more equitable acknowledgment of (for example) Indigenous perspectives, priorities, and unique two-world-oriented demands and challenges. Specifically, this recommendation focuses on reforming the metrics of success pertaining to Indigenous graduate students and Indigenous faculty/scholars. Similar to the above, these endeavours should most likely be led by the members of the appropriate advisory group(s). Committed Quota of Indigenous Faculty. In alignment with Canadaâs declared commitment to upholding and fulfilling the Truth and Reconciliation Commissionâs (2015) 94 Calls to Action, it is recommended that post-secondary institutions and departments demonstrate their compliance by setting targeted quotas for Indigenous faculty representation. This includes prioritizing hiring Indigenous faculty into vacant tenure-track positions when a previous Indigenous faculty member retires. It is anticipated that by fulfilling the above recommendations in this section, among others presented in this chapter, the institution or department will become heavily sought after by uniquely qualified and eligible culturally attuned Indigenous applicants. Unwavering Commitment to Core Funding. We cannot deny that most post-secondary institutions, and everyone and everything therein, currently live within a predominantly capitalistic and economically driven society. In other words, financial resources are needed to sustain most â if not all â of the above recommendations, albeit some more so than others. As such, if a post-secondary institution or a department is sincere about wanting to develop/formulate and implement culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship, it is recommended that they secure long-term, sustainable core funding to support such endeavours. The impact of such a commitment would represent a high-level representation of systemic leadership that, for many in this study, has not yet been adequately demonstrated in Canada. 138 Chapter Nine: Closing the Circle Introduction In this chapter, I will identify and discuss the limitations of this study as a result of how this study was constructed and implemented. I will then identify and discuss areas of future research, most of which will build upon the findings from this study. Finally, I will end this chapter and the dissertation with gratitude, concluding thoughts and remarks, and a series of personal reflection questions. Limitations of this Study All research has its limitations, and this study is no different. Some limitations are more substantive than others, but each is equally significant, as follows. Solely British Columbia. A limitation of this study is that it was conducted solely within British Columbia. Doing so inescapably excludes the many voices and perspectives from other provinces and territories throughout the country, namely Indigenous voices from universities outside of British Columbia, and everyone therein. However, as discussed in Chapter Two, I stand by my decision and rationale for situating this study within British Columbia only. All this being said, I could have applied certain measures to ensure a wider representation of Indigenous voices from provinces and territories within Canada (i.e., utilizing surveys in conjunction with conversational interviews). But it is also worth noting that although this study was conducted within one province only, the Indigeneity of each research participant was collectively diverse Indigenous supervisors/mentors only. Another limitation of my dissertation research is that I interviewed only Indigenous scholars who had mentored Indigenous graduate students as a supervisor. The rationale for this decision was also discussed in Chapter Two, but in short, this decision was made because Indigenous supervisors can have experience as both an Indigenous 139 supervisor and a former Indigenous graduate student. However, the limitations this decision creates are two-fold. The first is that not all Indigenous graduate mentors are solely supervisors. Often, Indigenous mentors are non-supervisory (e.g., peer students, committee members, university staff members, Elders/Elders-in-residence, and/or family members), to name a few roles. Moreover, the second limitation of this study is that not all supervisors/mentors are Indigenous. Many Indigenous graduate students have been mentored by non-Indigenous Ally supervisors, committee members, etc. Both limitations are consistent with the current literature and this studyâs findings, indicating that Indigenous graduate students can also be effectively mentored by Indigenous or non-Indigenous Allies, and as supervisors or otherwise. Graduate-Centred. This limitation stems from the scope of my dissertation research, which solely centred on graduate studies; however, as is evident in the current literature, Indigenous mentorship can, does, and should occur at all levels of academia. Although here again I stand by my rationale for scoping the research within graduate studies only (as discussed in Chapter Two), I also acknowledge that this decision has led to the exclusion of non-graduate level voices and perspectives (e.g., those within pre-school, elementary, high school, homeschool, college, trades, and/or undergraduate studies). However, I am mostly comfortable with this limitation given that the current literature is commonly rooted within a non-graduate studies context. Thus, significantly greater attention and publications are needed to address culturally attuned mentorship, specifically at the graduate level, because this topic area is largely un(der)represented in the literature. Overall, conducting research that includes all invested voices, at all levels of academia, and across all regions of Canada, using a culturally rooted methodology that aligns with all Indigenous cultures locally and internationally, is simply impossible. But that does not mean that we as researchers will not at least pursue such endeavours. Fortunately, now that this study has 140 concluded, we have an opportunity to repeat this same study (or at least one similar) that aims to fulfill and resolve these limitations going forward. Areas for Future Research In addition to addressing the above limitations, areas for future research on the topic of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship are as follows. Decolonizing/Indigenizing mentorship language. In response to the findings of this study, an area of future research could involve exploring how we might decolonize/Indigenize our current commonly used western terminologies for âmentorship,â âmentor,â and âmentee,â using traditional Indigenous languages. Perhaps such terminologies should align with the traditional Indigenous languages of the local First Nations wherein the mentorship is being conducted. There would likely be multiple examples of traditional terminologies depending on where the mentorship is occurring, but this remains to be determined via future research opportunities. Effectiveness of mentor archetype(s): Another area for future research could be to apply one or several mentor archetypes identified in my dissertation research. Such research could examine the effectiveness of the mentor archetypes identified in this study and others across various regions in Canada and elsewhere, as well as at different levels of academia. In addition, future research might examine whether certain mentor archetypes are better suited to Indigenous-only mentors and/or non-Indigenous/Ally-only mentors. Moreover, such future research might also inquire about whether other culturally attuned mentor archetypes can or do exist among various Indigenous groups locally or globally, and/or whether such additional mentor archetypes would or could be applicable outside of their culture of origins. Mentoring non-Indigenous/Allies: My dissertation research has centred on culturally attuned mentorship for Indigenous graduate students by Indigenous faculty supervisors. One of the 141 findings from this study called for non-Indigenous/Allies to engage in greater culturally attuned mentorship themselves to help prepare them to mentor Indigenous graduate students in culturally attuned ways as supervisors. However, this same research does not elaborate on any further specifics, such as what culturally attuned mentorship for non-Indigenous/Allies would look like in practice and who would be responsible for leading such endeavours. These and other related questions could be excellent areas for future research considerations. Such research might also want to explore what culturally attuned graduate mentorship might look like between an Indigenous supervisor and a non-Indigenous graduate student who is, or is looking to become, an Ally scholar or an Indigenist scholar. Would this studyâs findings be applicable as is? Role of gender/sex and Two-Spirit: Another area for potential future research would be to explore whether the gender or sex of the faculty mentor or the Indigenous graduate student has an impact on the success of culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. As well, I think it would be important to hear from Two-Spirit people on these topics. Use of online technologies. The use of online technologies in culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship was discussed in the findings of this study. The emergence of these conversations was likely influenced by the recent global pandemic. The findings of this study suggest a range of excitement and concern about using online technologies (e.g., video conferencing tools, social media, and generative artificial intelligence) in relation to culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship. Future research questions might ask whether and which of the current online technologies either hinder or enhance this type of mentorship. Other questions might also address the potential benefits and/or drawbacks of, for example, virtual reality or generative artificial intelligence. Furthermore, do online-based approaches work better than in-person approaches associated with the type of mentorship work? And much more. 142 My own contributions: Overall, I find culturally attuned Indigenous mentorship both fascinating and deeply significant, not only as a research topic but also as an applied practice. To me, it is more than a âpassing interestâ in my life. I feel connected to it in a way that I have difficulty ignoring; nor do I want to because I feel it connects me with my spirit. As such, for my own contribution to these and other related future research and applied endeavours, I sincerely hope to be a part of this work and these conversations going forward. I also feel a deep sense of urgency. Eurocentric academia has a history in this country of perpetuating the assimilation of Indigenous peoples/students, whereas I see culturally attuned Indigenous mentorship as a way to counter such conscious or unconscious colonial agendas. If oneâs decolonizing-guard is at rest, we risk seeing such historical or contemporary pursuits gaining further traction. Culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship is an act of resistance and social justice â let us not forget. Concluding Thoughts and Reflecting on the Journey Now that we have reached the end of this research, I cannot help but reflect back on the culturally attuned mentorship I received throughout my doctoral studies. For example, it emphasized the inclusion of Elders, ceremony, and spirituality, particularly when the journey became difficult, which would lead my supervisor to encourage/remind me to lay my tobacco and pray for guidance from Creator, the ancestors, and all my relations. I also noticed that most (if not all) of the tenets identified in the current literature (Chapter Three), and within the findings from this study (Chapters Six and Seven) were well represented throughout the culturally attuned mentorship I received. These tenets include accountability, collectivism, identity, mentee-centred, reciprocity, relationality and relationships. Moreover, the mentorship I received also frequently involved the SAGE Indigenous peer-to-peer support initiative and members therein. These experiences gave me the opportunities to meet and witness 143 several Indigenous and Indigenist scholars and mentors. And so, I feel confident in saying that my culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship has now helped me to conclude my doctoral studies with my sense of my Indigeneity both strengthened and intact. On that note, the time has come when we have reached the end of this study, which is my dissertation research. The end of dissertation research also marks the end of my doctoral program as a whole. As such, I want to raise my hands out of humble gratitude and appreciation to each and every person, including yourself as the reader, who has contributed to this journey directly and/or indirectly all along the way. I truly hope and pray that this research has been and/or at least will be of positive benefit to you, your work, and throughout your life. I wish you well. Chiâmiigwetch ne'iikaanigaana. 144 References Ahenakew, C. (2019). 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Culturally Attuned Indigenous Graduate Mentorship: per this studyâs findings, is a relationally-centered, culturally-aligned, and process-oriented form of mentorship that fosters academic success among Indigenous graduate students who are integrating an Indigeneity and/or Indigenisms into their graduate thesis/dissertation research, by (1) being rooted in, informed by, and led by Indigenous cultural worldview[s], knowledge[s], tradition[s], value[s]. protocol[s], language[s]; land, experiences[s], community/ies, and/or peoples; and (2) helping Indigenous graduate students navigate and mediate institutional, policies, regulations and structures, that are disproportionately western-/Eurocentric. Indigeneity: comprised of a set of Indigenous worldview(s), knowledge(s), traditions, protocols, language(s), values, ancestry, community, and experiences. Indigenisms: worldviews and ways of thinking typically characterized as, or associated with; multiple-truths, stewardship, non-linearity, collectivism, and relationality Indigenist: a positionality of someone Indigenous or non-Indigenous who proactively embodies an Indigeneity; a commitment to decolonial justice; and ascribes to a philosophy of inclusivity toward all peoples who are pursuing these same or related endeavours. Indigenous: a person who: (1) has at least one, ideally identifiable and confirmable, First Nation, Métis, or Inuit ancestor; (2) has an identifiable knowledge of and connection with Indigenisms and an Indigeneity that they proactively embody; and (3) has an identifiable connection to/relationship with an Indigenous, First Nation, Métis, or Inuit community. 168 Indigenous scholar: is an Indigenous person who has experience and expertise in integrating Indigenisms and/or an Indigeneity within their scholarly research, publications, and/or practices, particularly within post-secondary education. Graduate Studies: any master or doctoral program at a publicly funded and accredited post-secondary institutions. Mentorship: any form of teaching and learning that (1) fosters the personal, professional, cultural or other forms of development of a mentee; and (2) does so in the same or similar manner as the mentorâs own related experiences. Scholar: is someone who has extensive knowledge of and experience with a topic area about which they have conducted original research and published literature. Westernisms: worldviews and ways of thinking typically characterized as, or associated with; positivism, extractivism, linearity, competition, status, materialism, and capitalism. Western-Based Mentorships: a theoretical and practical approach to mentorship that is enmeshed within westernisms. Worldview: the lens through which reality, the world, and everything and everyone therein is bilaterally filtered; and which is inextricably linked to oneâs culture. Westernisms: a set of non-Indigenous ways of thinking and being typically associated with (for example) individualism, competition, hierarchy, status, and top-down education. 169 Appendix B: Letter of Invitation Dear Dr. ____________, I am Robert Mahikwa. You might remember me from _______. I am also a Vanier scholar and PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia, as well as a carrier of mixed French-Canadian, American, Algonquin, Onondaga, Mi'kmaq ancestries. I currently live on the traditional and unceded territories of Snuneymuxw peoples on Vancouver Island - to whom I raise my hands to say thank you for allowing me to be an uninvited, albeit humble, guest on these sacred lands. As you may recall, my dissertation research on Indigenous faculty/student mentorship in British Columbia graduate studies. As such, I am writing because I am wondering if you would be interested in participating in a one-on-one interview with, either in person or on zoom (your preference), as part of this research? I would be honoured to provide an opportunity to share your invaluable insights, experiences, and recommendations for the benefit of current and future generations of Indigenous graduate students and faculty here in BC, and beyond. As part of your decision-making process, I have attached a copy of my consent form and the guiding interview questions. Although I hope you will agree to be a part of my dissertation research, you do of course have the option to decline this request, or not respond to this message at all. I value and respect your decision. Your participation in this study is voluntary. Miigwetch (Thank you) in advance for considering my request. All my relations, Robert Mahikwa Vanier Scholar; PhD Candidate H24-00604 Dr. Margaret Kovach (Supervisor) Dr. Jan Hare (Committee) Dr. Dustin Louie (Committee) Indigenous Educational Studies Faculty of Education University of British Columbia rmahikwa@student.ubc.ca We acknowledge and respect xÊ·mÉÎ¸kÊ·ÉyÌÉm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lÅ and SÉlÌílwÉtaÊ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) and Sylix (Okanagan) peoples on whose traditional and unceded territories the University of British Columbia has the honour and privilege to be located, which has, and will continue to in turned also benefited multiple generations of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, staff, and faculty, at the university. 170 Appendix C: Participant Consent Form Faculty of Education Department of Educational Studies University of British Columbia 6445 University Boulevard Vancouver, BC. Canada V6T 1Z2 Indigenous Faculty/Student Mentorship in British Columbia Graduate Studies Participant Consent Form Aim of this Study To enhance and advance the practice of culturally-informed Indigenous mentorship approaches between faculty supervisors and Indigenous graduate students within research-stream Masters and Doctoral programs within universities across British Columbia. Participant Criteria â¢ You must self-identify as Indigenous; â¢ You must be pre- or post-tenure or previous/retired/emeritus faculty; and â¢ You must have mentored at least one research-stream Indigenous Master or Doctoral student as their faculty supervisor What Does the Study Involve? â¢ You will review and, if consenting to participate, you will sign the Participant Consent form; â¢ You will review guiding interview questions (attached); â¢ You will engage in a one-on-one conversational interview (approximately 60-90 mins) with the Co-Investor, Robert Mahikwa, via UBCâs secure Zoom or in-person; â¢ You will review, make edits to (if applicable), and approve your official transcripts (approximately 15-20mins); â¢ You may be invited to review aspects of the research progress to ensure you are comfortable with proceeding in partnership with this study; Withdrawing Your participation is voluntary. You may withdraw from the study, along with your contributions, with or without explanation, at any time prior to the selection of the dissertation oral defense date. Who is Conducting the Research? Robert Mahikwa (PhD Candidate, Department of Educational Studies, UBC) Settler/Indigenous Ancestry (French-Canadian, American, Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Miâkmaq) Who is Supervising the Research? 171 â¢ Dr. Margaret Kovach (Supervisor, Professor, Department of Educational Studies, UBC) â¢ Dr. Jan Hare (Committee, Dean pro tem, Language & Literacy Education, UBC) â¢ Dr. Dustin Louie (Committee, Director of NITEP, Indigenous Teacher Education, UBC) Confidentiality Your confidentiality is important to our research team and its protection will be pursued throughout the research process and thereafter. Identifiable information about you which is/was gathered for the purposes of this study will be stored on password-protect files, and will be edited or redacted/removed from your official transcripts which you will also have the opportunity to view, make further edits, and approve. Only that which is in your approved transcript can be utilized or quoted directly in the final research/dissertation report, either in part or in full. Interview Guiding Questions The interview guiding questions are attached to this document. To help prepare yourself, you are encouraged to review these questions prior to the interview. You may also refuse to answer any of the guiding interview questions with or without providing an explanation Responsibility for Sharing Indigenous Knowledges, Traditions, or Characteristics Each Indigenous cultural person, group, and/or community has their own unique protocols about which Indigenous cultural knowledges, traditions, or characteristics are and are not permitted to be shared with others, as well as how, when, where, by whom, and to what end. As such, the responsibly for sharing Indigenous knowledges, traditions, or other characteristics is your own; particularly if the input you are sharing is related to any Indigenous cultural groups to which you are affiliated. Please note that sharing such information not required for answering any of the attached interview guiding questions. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to edit or redact this information in your official transcripts as you deem appropriate. Risk of Participant Given your experiences with dissertation research, this study considered a very low-risk. You are not likely to experience any mental, emotional, physical, nor spiritual distress from participating in this study. If there are any concerns, you may speak with a member of the research team at any time. Honorarium In accordance with many Indigenous cultural protocols a cultural gift will be offered to you upon completion of this study. You will also be invited to at least one post-study community gathering where the research findings will be shared and celebrated with attendees. You will also receive a copy of the final report for yourself and/or your affiliated university or community. Data Management and Protections 172 â¢ Audio from the interview will be recorded for transcription purposes only; â¢ Video recording is not required for this study; â¢ All files will be password-protected and stored on a UBCâs Secure OneDrive, which will be accessible only to Dr. Kovach and R. Mahikwa; â¢ In accordance with UBC Policy SC6, all files corresponding to this research study will be stored on the UBC secure OneDrive for a minimum 5 years and under the responsibility of Dr. Kovach. Future Use of Data Future use of your approved official transcripts may be utilized beyond this study such as in the case of authoring future related publications or public speaking engagements. In some cases, journals or funders may require access to your official transcripts. If this occurs, only that which you have already approved in your official transcript can be shared and utilized in this manner. Together, we will ensure that only what you feel comfortable having shared in this way is that which you have approved in your official transcripts. This all being said, at this time, any future use of your approved official transcript is not anticipated. Contact Information Please contact Robert Mahikwa to discuss any aspects of this study, or to withdraw from the study. Who to contact if you have complaints or concerns about this study If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a research participant and/or your experiences while participating in this study, contact the Research Participant Complaint Line in the UBC Office of Research Ethics at 604-822-8598 or if long distance e-mail RSIL@ors.ubc.ca or call toll free 1-877-822-8598. Consent to Participate I __________________ have read and understood the above sections of this consent form and agree to participate in this study as described above. I have had my questions answered by a member of the research team, and I acknowledge that if I have any further questions or concerns that I know who to contact and how to contact them accordingly. __________________________________________________________________ Signature of Participant Date Your contribution to this study is incredibly invaluable! We thank you for joining us on this journey to support the wholistic wellbeing between faculty and Indigenous graduate students. We will work hard to ensure that each stage of this studyâs research process is professional, efficient, friendly, enjoyable, and meaningful for you. Welcome! We look forward to connecting â Rob Mahikwa 173 Appendix D: Conversation Prompts Faculty of Education Department of Educational Studies University of British Columbia 6445 University Boulevard Vancouver, BC. Canada V6T 1Z2 Indigenous Faculty/Student Mentorship in British Columbia Graduate Studies Interview Guiding Questions 1. How would you describe the practice of mentorship between Indigenous Masters/Doctoral students and faculty supervisors? 2. What are some of the benefits or drawbacks to this type of mentoring? 3. As a faculty supervisor, what would you say helps and/or hinders the practice of mentoring Indigenous graduate students? 4. What culturally-rooted Indigenous knowledges, traditions, values, and/or ethics can or should inform how faculty supervisors approach mentoring Indigenous graduate students? 5. Do these approaches differ if the mentee is a non-Indigenous graduate student? Explain. 6. What characteristics or traits make a faculty supervisor an ideal mentor for Indigenous graduate students? And do you think there should be a training program or pre-screening process for faculty who want to or need to supervise/mentor Indigenous graduate students? Explain. 7. Can/should non-Indigenous/Ally faculty members mentor Indigenous graduate students? Explain. 8. What advice do you have for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Ally faculty supervisors who are mentoring Indigenous Masters/Doctoral students? What advice do you have for Indigenous Masters/Doctoral students who are being mentored by faculty supervisors? 9. What would you say is an ideal setting for Indigenous graduate mentorship to be practiced and why? 10. How can western-centric research-stream graduate studies programs in universities support the mentorship of Indigenous graduate students? 11. Is there anything else you would like to say or share about this topic? As a research participant (interviewee) you have the right to refuse answering any of the above questions. As discussed in the Consent form, the sharing of specific Indigenous cultural or traditional knowledges, heritages, artifacts, or other unique characteristics is not required when answering any of the above questions. You may opt instead to share this information in more generalized ways. You will also have the opportunity to review and approve your official transcripts because that which is included in your approved transcript can be utilized in the publicly available final study as direct quotes either in part of in full.
Thesis/Dissertation
eng
Educational Studies
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Graduate
Kovach, Margaret, 1964-
Culturally attuned Indigenous graduate mentorship
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