Project Team
Principal Investigator: Dr. Hannah Tait Neufeld, University of Guelph.
Community Investigator: Chief Gordon Planes, T’Souke Nation
Community Investigator: Andrew Moore, Community Project Manager T’Sou-ke Nation
Trainee: Brianna Poirier, Master’s Candidate, University of Guelph
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About
Project co-leads Hannah Tait Neufeld, University of Guelph, and Chief Gordon Planes (T’Sou-ke Nation) are seeking graduate student trainees to assist with the development and completion of a community-based research project.
The T’Sou-ke Nation was approached early on in the process of the SHARED grant development due to their experience and internationally recognised successes as a solar intensive community. In 2008, T’Sou-ke Nation conducted a Community Comprehensive Planning (CCP). and, four main pillars of community visioning were identified: energy autonomy, food security, cultural renaissance and economic security/development.
The overall purpose of the research project, is to document and build on community successes to explore the following questions: 1) As a recognized Indigenous leader in solar energy development, how does T’Sou-ke Nation apply its Indigenous knowledge system in decision-making? 2) To what extent does this facilitate the community and its partners towards reconciliation and healing relationships with each other as well as the land, air, and water around them? 3) What lessons have been learned in establishing their partnerships? And 4) What are the downstream health impacts and benefits of their intersectoral solar energy partnerships?
Although the project is still in the process of getting underway, it is anticipated that the project will include two parts. Part 1 of the SHARED Future research project might involve looking back over the past 10 years (2008 – 2018) as a community reflection moving towards revisiting community priorities and visioning. Based on the outcomes of the first part of the project, Part 2 could potentially explore the concept of “Our Shared Home” with a focus on land stewardship, supporting relationships with the land and water, along with the concept of energy in all forms,. There is also the potential to consider perceptions of sustainability when it comes to forms of energy, including food and energy as power or autonomy.
If this project aligns with your research interests and/or expertise, please contact A SHARED Future program coordinator, Robert Stefanelli ([email protected]). In your email, please provide a current CV, and cite the project title in the subject line.