Lii Medicin: Gathering Medicine as Research 
By Lauren Petersen

As an Indigenous student in a colonial institution, I often feel like an alien. The ways in which I was raised to understand the world around me don’t always align with the expectations I contend with in my studies. I recently had the privilege of participating in an Indigenous graduate student seminar, affording me with an opportunity to explore important themes and issues related to Indigenous research methods and community engagement.  This deep dive into Indigenous resurgence within the academy has included important topics such as developing Indigenous research designs, decolonizing the academy, doing research “at home,” and connecting research to projects of self-determination.  Gaining further appreciation for the important work being done by Indigenous scholars, traditional knowledge keepers and grass roots organizers has allowed me to identify key components of Indigenous research frameworks and relate them to my own projects in my studies and professional work, locate my research projects within the context of Indigenous research methodologies, identify meaningful connections between my research projects and Indigenous communities and/or organizations, and identify current and potential impacts of my work, with a focus on ethics and working within my own Metis, urban Indigenous, campus, geographic communities and beyond.