A word from Viviane Michel,
President of Quebec Native Women Inc.

Quebec Native Women Inc. (QNW) is proud to be a partner in this joint initiative with the Service aux collectivités de l’Université du Québec à Montréal and Professor Laurent Jérôme. Kaianishkat (from one generation to the next) aims to train empowered Indigenous women to carry out research in their community.

For over 40 years, QNW has helped awaken the leadership role of women and has worked to get their place in shaping the future of our nations fully recognized. QNW believes in the potential of all First Nations members and is convinced that it is by relying on the commitment and talent of women in communities that we will be able to improve our living conditions.

Community researchers live everyday life and know the realities and challenges faced by their communities. They can bring to light the life experiences and knowledge of the women around them. Collaboration with the university is an important partnership to give them the tools necessary to do so in line with each researcher’s needs and interests.
Beyond training individual Indigenous women, it is hoped the Kaianishkat Project will stimulate the creation of a network of researchers active in their communities, a network without linguistic or cultural barriers.

Through this supportive network, this sharing and spreading of information, QNW hopes to be closer to the people in communities and build long-lasting relationships with and among women who wish to work for the well being of their nations. It is also hoped that this project will help organizations and communities develop their own research agenda and methodologies that reflect them.

As such, in the following pages you will find the tools created by the Kaianishkat Project. They are the result of several discussions and adaptations between QNW personnel, the pilot group of community researchers trained in 2015 and the project’s Advisory Committee.
This guide is intended first for project participants, but it is also for all women and men wishing to learn from the Kaianishkat Project experience.

Tshinashkumitinau
Viviane Michel
President, Quebec Native Women Inc.