THE OCAP JOURNEY

1
THE OCAP JOURNEY

• Aboriginal Self Determination
• In Research

2
Aboriginal Peoples

• The term Aboriginal Peoples refers to the First
  Nations, Metis and Inuit Peoples of Canada or as
  we refer to it Turtle Island
• Beyond these terms there is an incredible
  diversity of languages, cultures, political and
  social structures.

3
Research as a Dirty Word

• Aboriginal Peoples and communities have been
  subjects of research with variable outcomes
  negative, positive and a combination
• Aboriginal Peoples are Canadas Lab Rats. We
  have been researched to death.
• The term research is inextricably linked to
  European colonialism and imperialism

4
Goal of Aboriginal Community Based Research

• Shift the research paradigm from one where
  outsiders seeks solutions to the Aboriginal
  problem to one in which Aboriginal people
  conduct research and facilitate solutions
  themselves

5
Goal of CBR continued

• Working with Aboriginal peoples and communities
  should involve the researcher and community in a
  reflexive process of negotiation and build
  community capacity for research

6
The Right to OCAP

• The right to Ownership, Control, Access and
  Possession in research is tied to
  self-determination and the preservation and
  development of our culture
• Move to a more holistic community based
  action-oriented approach that is Aboriginal
  driven (away from a deductive empirical
  university driven model)

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Research Protocols

• Agreement on research protocols between
  researchers and communities
• The research agreement is not a product but a
  constant learning and changing process that is
  oral in nature, flexible and open-ended

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A Living Agreement

• Principles of OCAP must be negotiated in good
  faith
• Any agreement reached is a living agreement that
  must be revisited over the life of the project

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Ethical Guidelines

• Confidentiality, risk/benefit, informed
  consentthe usual ones
• Respect for the community and its culture
• The ethic of equal participation and consultation
  that incorporates local and traditional knowledge

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Community Ethical Considerations

• Research ethics and protocols have more to do
  with doing good for the community beyond the
  protection of individual subjects
• Researchers must go beyond the standard
  scientific or medical ethical model

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Ethics continued

• Academic interest is fine but the research must
  ultimately benefit the community, i.e. potential
  to influence policy, practice, personal/community
  change etc.
• Projects are assessed to see if they address
  community-relevant priority issues (Aboriginal
  self-determination)

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Ethics continued

• Both individual research subjects AND the
  community should be equally involved in all
  aspects of research
• This is a holistic view of research where
  contributions of the Aboriginal community members
  and researchers are of equal value

13
Capacity Building

• A reciprocal process of capacity building is
  undertaken
• Local/traditional knowledge is shared
• Aboriginal needs for capacity building in
  community-based research are accommodated,
  acknowledged and promoted

14
Science

• Scientific goals are respected along with respect
  and inclusion of Aboriginal knowledge and
  methodologies

15
Community Consultation

• When research questions and protocols are being
  developed
• When data is collected and analyzed
• When findings are generated communities are
  given ample opportunity for feedback and
  participation in the dissemination of research
  findings

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Community Consultation continued

• Community input is critical in developing
  knowledge translation strategies which are
  meaningful and appropriate to the
  audienceacademic or community
• Community involvement in needs assessments,
  identifying research questions, collecting and
  analyzing data, and reporting and applying the
  results

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Principles of OCAP

• Ownership
• Control
• Access
• Possession

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Principles

• Ownership This challenges the notion of
  intellectual property
• Control This challenges the notion of academic
  freedom
• Access Community access versus individual
  confidentiality
• Possession The right to possess the findings

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Decolonizing

• These principles are aimed at decolonizing the
  research process
• Research Aboriginal communities to life

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Respect

• Protect communities against stigma and
  stereotyping
• Community consent to research
• Community control over the research process
• Community control over how the results are
  interpreted
• Community control over how the research results
  are used