Cultivating Connection: Let's Talk Science's Indigenous Mentorship Initiative

July 31, 2024

Professor Adam J. Shuhendler (on the left) stands beside the director of Let’s Talk Science at 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� and CarletonU, Sue McKee (on the right), in the atrium of the STEM Complex on 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� campus.

Professor Adam J. Shuhendler, stands beside the director of Let’s Talk Science at 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� and CarletonU, Sue McKee (right)

Discover how a unique collaboration between 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ�'s Professor Adam Shuhendler and the Let’s Talk Science Indigenous Mentorship Program is bridging Western science with Indigenous knowledge. By working with Moose Cree youth, they are building a cross-cultural exchange that highlights the richness and interconnectedness of our natural world.

Our perception of the world is influenced by cultural and social mores. Western knowledge seeks to break down and compartmentalize processes to explain natural phenomena, while Indigenous knowledge of the same natural world is rooted in a holistic worldview, seeking to understand the interconnection of all the elements and the relationship between humans and nature. Many scientists acknowledge that limiting our worldview to a Western lens only serves to limit the richness of our relationship with and understanding of the world around us. Among them is Professor Adam Shuhendler, who exchanged knowledge with various communities by taking part in the Let's Talk Science program at 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ�.

Let’s Talk Science (LTS) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing STEM education and engagement among youth, working with more than 1,500 communities across Canada. They are committed to increasing Indigenous representation on their teams and weaving Indigenous knowledge with Western science in their programming. LTS works with communities and educators to engage First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth in meaningful ways that reflect and recognize the diversity of the First Peoples. The LTS Indigenous Mentorship Program aims to empower and inspire Indigenous high school youth through unique scientific training opportunities. In 2022, Mitacs and the LTS program at 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� and CarletonU partnered to pilot the expansion of the Indigenous Mentorship Program to Moose Factory, a remote community in Northeastern Ontario. Through this initiative, Prof. Shuhendler had the rewarding opportunity of connecting with youth from the Moose Cree First Nation.

“Before joining Let’s Talk Science at 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� and CarletonU, I was trying to build my own connections with First Nations organizations in Ottawa, without success,” he said. “Being able to engage in activities and begin forming relationships with communities is truly a key outcome for me.” Partnering with LTS at 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� and CarletonU as the communication bridge, Prof. Shuhendler planned and participated in various activities with Indigenous youth from the Moose Factory area, which combined traditional Indigenous knowledge with Western scientific approaches.

One of their first activities involved understanding snare traps, commonly used by Indigenous communities to provide food, clothing, and shelter. These traps typically consist of a long cable, and their performance varies depending on the material used. Employing a Western perspective of materials properties, such as strength, malleability, and rigidity, Prof. Shuhendler, along with Prof. Connor Kupchak, the Indigenous Mentorship Program Manager for LTS 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� and CarletonU, developed an activity providing Moose Cree First Nation students with different cables and materials to construct snare traps. The goal was to experiment and determine which materials yielded the most effective traps. In March 2022, four LTS Indigenous volunteers from 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ�, CarletonU, and Toronto Metropolitan University flew to Moose Factory to present the activity.

The interactive activity was greatly appreciated by students. Robert, a student from Moose Factory’s Delores D. Echum Composite School, said, “I liked how the Let’s Talk Science volunteers created hands-on science activities that were relevant to our Outdoor Education class. They explained the Cree spring trap method for capturing snowshoe hares and then designed their own contraption with counterweights, which we tested in the bush. I made a presentation comparing the two methods, highlighting the advantages of the Cree approach.”

Abby Reid, an Indigenous student from 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� and the LTS Indigenous Mentorship Program Coordinator for 2022-23, added, “Volunteering with Let's Talk Science has been a great experience. I appreciate helping other students, especially Indigenous students, get involved in science. It’s something I wish I could have taken part in as a younger student. It's important for Indigenous students to see direct examples of what they can accomplish when they have Indigenous mentors in their schools and communities.”

Through these interactions, Prof. Shuhendler began learning about the Indigenous worldview and has been greatly inspired. He remains dedicated to continuing collaborations with Moose Cree First Nation communities and actively encourages his colleagues to support future projects of the LTS Indigenous Mentorship Program.