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Alberta launches its ACADRE Centre

Article Origin

Author

Yvonne Irene Gladue, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton

Volume

9

Issue

11

Year

2002

Page 3

Aboriginal college, university and high school students who want to do scientific research in Aboriginal communities will be able to receive funding from the National Institute of Aboriginal People's Health in Ottawa.

The Aboriginal Capacity and Development Research Environment (ACADRE) centre has four centres in Canada, with the newest one located in the Human Ecology Building at the University of Alberta. The other three are located in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Regina. The centre will offer counseling, bursaries, and grants to students who want to research diseases, social issues, or environmental topics in the communities.

"Each centre is different but they all have the same goal," said Karen Woodard, Alberta ACADRE network co-ordinator. "The expertise is different across the country so being a part of this network is knowing where the expertise is and how we can access it. If they need a contact for further information beyond what they already have then it is available here. There is a large scale to which we provide support and resources to the communities," she said.

ACADRE began in Ottawa at the National Institute of Aboriginal People's Health. Dr. Jeff Reading, the director of the institute said that the network wanted to increase the capacity of research within the Aboriginal community because there was not a lot of Aboriginal representation within the health care field, nor in the health research field, nor career fields. So they wanted boost the capacity and the quality of what was happening and to increase the numbers of Aboriginal people that are actually doing Aboriginal health research.

"We find that the Aboriginal people have been researched to death, and we would like to see Aboriginal people do the research themselves so that the results stay in the community and that it does not leave the community, where it is soon forgotten," he said.

"So if the community is the leader in the research then they have the control over the design of a project, how it is carried out, and if they are actually involved in carrying out the information then they can bring it back to their community and have a direct impact on it, so that the information does not float away with the researcher. In this case the Aboriginal people are the researchers, so there will be strength within the community," said Goodard.

According to Woodard, the ACADRE network has a lot of people in Alberta accessing their program.

"We've funded about a dozen undergraduate students to do different forms of health, research and promotion and we've also funded three graduate students for their programs, and two graduate students to do some summer work for us so that is five graduate students. Right now we have more students who are under review by the education advisory group and there is also a lot of community projects that are under review right now. Our network just keeps growing," she said.

On Oct. 4, 180 people attended a lecture to launch ACADRE in Alberta, which was held at the Horowitz Theatre, Student Union Building at the University of Alberta. Dr. Reading and Dr. Malcolm King presented their lectures and the White Buffalo dancers and drummers performed for the audience. After the lecture a reception was held at the Dinwoodie Lounge.