Research

I am the Canada Research Chair in Michif and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer Education as Wellness. Here are some of the projects that I am working on.

Nakataymiihtowiin – the impact of Métis-specific spaces on the health and wellness of Métis women and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer peoples

Funded through the Canadian Institutes for Health Research Project Grants program.

This research will understand the different ways that Métis women and Métis 2S/IQ people experience both Indigenous umbrella and Métis-specific spaces and articulate the core values that are necessary to enhance Métis women and Métis 2S/IQ peoples’ wellbeing, including relational accountability, and cultural safety.

The project was gifted the Michif name of Nakataymiihtowiin by Elder Verna DeMontigny. Project leads Lucy Delgado and Laura Forsythe sat with Elder Verna and told her about their dreams for this work and the impacts it could have, and this name came to her. She said the name means “think of each other” and encompasses five elements of care:

• Needs – be observant of others, notice people and their needs, emotions, etc.
• Think and look after people (no matter who/what they are)
• Be courteous of others, be respectful, no judgement of any kind
• Be attentive of people, making a place feel secure, [and making people feel] looked after, safe
• Look and think of each other with kindness, love, and respect

Visit the project website for more details:

Métis Thinkers Network

A core objective of this Métis Thinkers Network is to foster a deep sense of belonging and self-worth among Métis scholars by creating institutional and community-rooted spaces where their identities, knowledge systems, and scholarly contributions are recognized, valued, and supported.

This network will serve as a knowledge hub, mentorship space, and collaborative forum where Métis thinkers can share their work, uplift existing contributions, and build relationships across generations and institutions. Through this digital infrastructure, we aim to strengthen Métis scholars’ connection to academic life and reinforce their role in shaping the emerging canon of Métis Studies.

Visit the Métis Thinkers Network website to become a member or learn more: metisthinkers.com

Research Team: Laura Forsythe (UWinnipeg), Lucy Delgado (UManitoba), Chantal Fiola (UWinnipeg), Amanda LaVallee (UVictoria), and Makayla LeSann (UAlberta). Funded through the Indigenous Innovation and Leadership in Research Network Grants – Stage 1 program (SSHRC).

Indigenous and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer Representation in Manitoba Classrooms

Purpose: To assess how Indigenous and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer perspectives are represented in Manitoba classrooms, and the impact of this representation on students, staff, and administrators.

Objectives:

• Develop partnerships with key stakeholders;
• Evaluate Indigenous and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer content in existing policies, practices, and programs;
• Survey teachers, students, and administrators to determine how this content is taken up in and enacted in classrooms and school communities;
• Develop recommendations for teacher education programs, administrators, practicing teachers, and teachers-in-training to better represent Indigenous and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer perspectives; and
• Create resources to support these key stakeholders in identified areas of need.

This project is in partnership with Indigenous Excellence (Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning), Manitoba Teachers’ Society, and Seven Oaks School Division.

Project Team: Lucy Delgado (Project Director, UM), Adrienne Huard (Co-Investigator, UM); Laura Forsythe (Co-Investigator, UWinnipeg); Marti Ford (Co-Investigator, UM); Chris Campbell (Co-Investigator, Bison Research); Alex Wilson (Collaborator, UWinnipeg); Gololcha Boru (Collaborator, Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning); Sarah Gazan (Collaborator, MTS); Erik Sagenes (Collaborator, MTS); and Sherri Denysuik (Collaborator, Seven Oaks School Division).

Taking a look at the experiences of Métis teachers in the homeland

This research was conducted with funding from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Indigenous Teacher Education Initiative and approved by Research Ethics Boards at the University of Winnipeg (HE23118) and University of Manitoba (HE2024-0213).

This project specifically looked at the experiences of Métis teachers, including their recruitment to education, their experiences in post-secondary, and the retention of these teachers in the classroom. 41 educators were initially interviewed, and additional funding allowed us to interview more at a later date.

The project resulted in a report synthesizing the experiences of teachers from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, as well as reports specific to each province. The overall report is available for download here – please contact me for copies of province-specific reports.

Indigiqueer Representation in Curricula

During the summer of 2024, I worked with three research assistants (Katie Anderson, Lauren Hallett, and Meghan Young) to examine the ways that Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer people and perspectives are shown or missing from Manitoba curriculum documents. As a cumulating project, the RAs put together Kashkikwaata lii troo: Mending the Gap. A Guide to Indigiqueering the Curriculum which shares their best practices and ideas for educators who are beginning to think through including Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer voices in their classrooms.

The document is available for download here:

Research Grants: Successful

(Last five years)

2026                

Nickel, N., Fowler-Woods, A., Freier, A., Kwag, M., Leeies, M., Ratana, P., Shaw, S., Veldhorst, G., Star, J., O’Connor, S., Sinno, J., Jakubiec, B., McGrail, K., Lachowsky, N., Burns, K., Archambault, P., Gogovor, A., Delgado, L., Magwood, B., Porter, R. Making Community Count – Creating and Implementing a Community-Led Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and more (2S/LGBTQIA+) Health Data Governance Framework. Operating Grant: Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research. CIHR. Funding Period: 2026 – 2030. $700,000. Role: Collaborator.

Forsythe, L., Delgado, L., Fiola, C., LaVallee, A., & LeSann, M. Métis Thinkers Network. Indigenous Innovation and Leadership in Research Network Grants – Stage 1. SSHRC. Funding Period: 2026 – 2027. $75,000. Role: Co-Applicant.

Delgado, L. Co-constructing a michifievous research paradigm. Falconer Emerging Researcher Rh Award. Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation. Funding Period: 2026 – 2028. $15,000. Role: Principal Investigator.

2025

Burkholder, C., Byers, S., O’Sullivan, L., Salway, T., Davies, A., Owis, B., Kouri-Towe, N., Jakubiec, B., Wood, J., Black, S., Delgado, L., Keenan, H., Gilbert, J., Keehn, M., Prioletta, J., Watt, S., & Wright, JJ. Supports & Barriers in Teaching Sexuality Education in Canadian Public Schools. Insight Grant. SSHRC. Funding Period: 2025 – 2029. $381,190. Role: Collaborator.

Delgado, L. Indigenous Knowledges Textbook Analysis. Sub-grant, Thinking Historically for Canada’s Future. SSHRC. Funding Period: April 2025 – August 2026. $8,470. Role: Principal Investigator.

Delgado, L., Forsythe, L. Driedger, M. & Foulds, H. The impact of Métis-specific spaces on the health and wellness of Métis women and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer people. Project Grant. CIHR. Funding Period: April 2025 – March 2029. $1,017,452. Role: Nominated Principal Applicant.

2024

Delgado, L. Michif and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer Education as Wellness. Tier II Canada Research Chair. SSHRC. Funding Period: October 2024 – September 2029. $600,000.

Delgado, L. Mawachihitotaak: Métis Studies Symposium. Research Connection Grant. Research Manitoba. Funding Period: August 2024 – June 2025. $7,000. Role: Principal Investigator.

Riley, K. & Fowler, L. Decolonizing Physical Literacy. New Investigator Operating Grant. Research Manitoba. Funding Period: August 2024 – July 2026. $40,000. Role: Co-Principal Investigator.

Fowler, L. Indigenous Knowledges Textbook Analysis. Sub-grant, Thinking Historically for Canada’s Future. SSHRC. Funding Period: July 2024 – March 2025. $8,470. Role: Principal Investigator.

Forsythe, L. & Fowler, L. Kaanawapahta maytress/maytr d’ikol daan li niikinaahk: Taking a look at the experiences of Métis teachers in the homeland. Indigenous Teacher Education Initiative. Rideau Hall Foundation. Funding Period: March 2024 – February 2025. $98,117. Role: Co-Principal Investigator.

Fowler, L. Treatment of Indigenous and Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer People in Manitoba Classrooms. University Indigenous Research Project. University of Manitoba. Funding period: February 2024 – January 2026. $35,000. Role: Principal Investigator.

Forsythe, L. … & Fowler, L. Mawachihitotaak: Métis Studies Symposium. SSHRC Connection Grant. $50,000. Funding period: February 2024 – January 2025. Role: Co- Investigator.

2023

Fowler, L., McKivor, M., Nolin, C. & Tartaryn, D. Queering Indigenization at the University of Manitoba. Indigenous Initiatives Fund. $60,000. Funding period: July 2023 – June 2027. Role: Principal Investigator.

Fowler, L. Métis Voices in the Manitoba Curriculum. Research Development Fund, Faculty of Education. University of Manitoba. $4,908. Funding period: November 2023 – October 2025. Role: Principal Investigator.

Fowler, L., DuPré, L. & Wiebe, J. Mobilizing Métis Knowledges Gathering. Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund. $30,000. Funding period: March 2023 – August 2023. Role: Co-Principal Investigator.

2022

Fowler, L. Kakwee kishkishin: How Métis youth are trying to know themselves. Research Start-up Funds, University of Manitoba. $25,000. Funding period: 2022 – 2028. Role: Principal Investigator.

2021

Forsythe, L., Fowler, L., Gamache, M., Patzer, J., & Driedger, M. Mawachihitotaak (Let’s Get Together) Métis Studies Symposium. Indigenous Initiatives Fund. $15,000. Funding period: April 2021 – September 2021. Role: Co-Applicant.