Abstract

This thesis examines the community involvement of three Aboriginal communities in their participatory research activities around the topic of the Alberta SuperNet. The researcher worked alongside three groups representing the Blackfoot, Cree, and Métis people of Alberta as part of a research partnership where the goal of the project was community empowerment through active involvement in planning activities for the introduction of the Alberta SuperNet broadband technology. While development support communication provided the theoretical foundation for this study, an ethnography of the research process across the three communities formed the final methodology. Findings from this study implied that awareness and recognition of a need for directed social change within communities remain critical first stages to genuine participation within participatory research activities. This study also revealed that emerging efforts in developing culturally appropriate forms of Aboriginal research must be supported and prioritized for the immediate and social good of Aboriginal people.