Questions about who “owns” or has the right to benefit from Indigenous heritage are at the core of ongoing political, economic, and ethical debates taking place at local, national, and international levels. When it comes to research in this area, Indigenous peoples have typically had little say in how studies related to their heritage are managed. Increasingly though, efforts are being made to decolonize research practices by fostering more equitable relationships between researchers and Indigenous peoples, based on mutual trust and collaboration.
In this presentation George Nicholas reviews debates over the “ownership” of Indigenous heritage and provides examples of new research practices that are both more ethical and more effective. These collaborative research models, in which the community leads the research, highlight important new directions in protecting Indigenous heritage.
Dr. George Nicholas is a professor of archeology at SFU who has worked for more than 20 years with Indigenous peoples in British Columbia and elsewhere. He is the Director of the Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage (IPinCH) project, an international initiative that focuses on the rights, values, and responsibilities of material culture, cultural knowledge, and the practice of heritage research.
The Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage (IPinCH) project is the first-ever recipient of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership Award. In recognition of this award, President Petter is sponsoring this special presentation by George Nicholas, Director of the IPinCH project.
