Sara E. Cannon, PhD

Hello everyone!

I am excited to share with you that I have started a new position at the Centre for Indigenous Fisheries at the University of British Columbia!

The Centre for Indigenous Fisheries (CIF) is an interdisciplinary research centre that works in collaboration with Indigenous communities to support the conservation, restoration, and management of fish and aquatic resources. As someone who is passionate about conducting research in service of communities, I am thrilled to be joining this team of dedicated researchers and community partners.

As a postdoctoral fellow in the Centre for Indigenous Fisheries, I partner with Indigenous communities to conduct research that is responsive to community needs, interests, laws, and protocols. This includes but is not limited to grant/proposal writing, data collection and analysis, communicating research progress and findings with community partners, and preparing research reports, manuscripts, and presentations for peer-reviewed publication as guided by the community partners and a faculty advisor. I also work within the University to support the Centre for Indigenous Fisheries in building a community of Indigenous scholars and allies that centres the needs and interests of Indigenous Peoples. As a non-Indigenous person and settler living and working on unceded Indigenous territories, I recognize that I benefit from colonial systems that continue to deprive Indigenous Peoples of their lands and rights. In entering partnerships with Indigenous Peoples, I recognize that I am accountable to them first and foremost. Together, we aim to produce research that can be utilized in support of Indigenous sovereignty, justice, and conservation.

As someone who is committed to promoting equity and justice, I am excited to be working for an organization that is dedicated to decolonizing research and knowledge production. CIF is committed to building respectful and collaborative relationships with Indigenous communities, and I look forward to being a part of this important work.

I am thrilled to be embarking on this new journey and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such a dedicated and inspiring team. I can’t wait to see where these next two years take me, and I look forward to sharing my experiences with you all along the way.