Indigenous Workways

Indigenous Workways is a collaborative research effort among scholars and Indigenous education centres across four recognized Southwest Ontario institutions—University of Waterloo, University of Windsor, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Conestoga College. Our goal is to develop a sustainable solution to underemployment among Ontario’s Indigenous workforce by empowering Indigenous youth with career mentors and opportunities, and Ontario's employers with relational, respectful, reciprocal, and relevant workplace communication and climate practices where Indigenous worldviews can flourish. To support Indigenous youth with their transition into the workforce, maintaining employment, and career advancement, it is imperative that we understand how Indigenous worldviews impact their workplace experiences with relationships, communication, conflict management, and trust. By utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach that involves participative knowledge sharing, community engagement, and Indigenous methods, we ultimately hope that our research will create psychologically safe work spaces, respectful organizational communication tools, and sustainable Indigenous alumni networks.