Making space for community-based practice experience and spirit in the academy: Journeying towards the making of an Indigenous academic

Abstract

This narrative recounts four experiences of an Indigenous social work academic employed at a mainstream university in Canada. They include (1) valuing community-based practice and spiritual experiences prior to entering the academy, (2) bringing those into an Indigenous doctoral cohort, (3) retaining them through the hiring process into a tenure-track faculty position in a mainstream university, and (4) including them in securing research grant applications, teaching, scholarly and service expectations.  Finally, this narrative identifies systemic academic issues from the perspectives of four other Indigenous and women academics of colour, and teachings that may assist new Indigenous faculty entering mainstream university employment.