Colonization within the University System

Abstract

Anthropology, one of the social sciences, has often been referred to as a tool of colonization. The discipline's approach of seeing small communities as laboratories for scientific cultural observation has in many instances put Native people in the position of becoming objects of research. Over the years the methods and approaches have changed, but often the mandate is the same: to obtain information from Native people in any manner possible in order to enhance one's career. As members of the aboriginal community we need to be aware and informed as to why research is undertaken, how it is performed, and what potential impacts the research will have upon our lives and the communities to which we belong. We also need to exercise our right to say no to research, to decide what research we wish to have done in our communities and who will be allowed to proceed with it. The same applies to us as university students in anthropology, First Nation studies, and other disciplines that involve the social sciences. We need to be able to attend universities as students and not be put into the position of local infor-

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