Page 8 - Walking_The_Red_Road

Research...
people, moments, and learning along the way
By Patty Chabbert, Lead Researcher
Patty Chabbert is of Algonquin, Golden Lake
First Nation descent and was born and raised in North Bay. With extensive experience in research, community development, and policy analysis, Patty is dedicated to working with and supporting Aboriginal communities and organizations to achieve their goals. She also assists mainstream organizations in creating culturally safe spaces and services for Aboriginal children and families.
Hello! Welcome to our community’s journey. This project has occupied nearly two years of my life and there are so many reflections I would like to share with you.
First, I remember sitting in our office after a
busy event, coaxing the genius thoughts out
of my two associate researchers. Immersed in their community, their language and culture, they understood the need for cultural safety
and respectful dialogue with community members. They knew that tobacco was needed for consent or that a Grandmother was required to guide and support sensitive discussions. People were drawn to them and this sparked community engagement. When they shared their observations with me, each would then say, “... but that’s not research, it’s just my experience.” Supporting community participation was so familiar and comfortable, they couldn’t accept that what they were doing was research. In exasperation, throwing my hands into the air, I would respond, “But that is research!”
The only reason we managed to complete hundreds of hours of interviews, focus groups, and events, was because of them. It has taken me nearly two years to convince them that they indeed are amazing researchers.
I also remember the times when people gently corrected me. To reflect and honour their own teachings, community members stepped in to rearrange chairs for an important community meeting. Or, the youth telling me that a focus group “sucked” and that we should do it again with a sharing circle, medicines and an Elder! These gentle corrections always made me
feel that people cared enough to make sure things were done right. It also showed me that they wanted to do more than “participate” in research; they wanted to help, they wanted to give more of themselves, they wanted to lead, and in doing so, they continued to teach me about “community-driven” research.
I have also come to cherish the small moments like when an elder held a rock out to me and said, “Is this rock alive?” And when a young
boy handed me a sweet grass braid that now hangs beside my son’s crib. And another, when a Grandmother jokingly nudged me to offer her tobacco, because I was a little too eager and excited in my request. In these moments, I felt the truest meaning of this project. The gathering and sharing of knowledge doesn’t just happen in research facilities or in recorded interviews, it happens in everyday life, between individuals.
A final highlight is when my experiences as a policy analyst, Indigenous researcher, mother, and community member would all collide—in
a good way! We need to connect these worlds more often. That’s what this report is—a bridge, connecting you to our community’s path.
Thank you to the community for sharing your experiences and wisdom. I hope this report presents the knowledge you have so generously shared in a respectful way.
Walking the Red Road | REPORT OF THE URBAN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES THRIVE PROJECT | 8