Shawn Wilson PhD(MONASH), MA(UAF), BSc(UM) is Opaskwayak Cree from northern Manitoba, Canada and now lives on Bundjalung land in eastern Australia. He is Director of Research at Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples at Southern Cross University.  

Shawn’s doctoral thesis was in Indigenous knowledge, which followed study in psychology and zoology.  His presentations communicate the theories underlying Indigenous research methodologies to diverse audiences.  Through working with Indigenous people internationally, Shawn has applied Indigenist philosophy within the contexts of Indigenous education, health and counsellor education. In addition to further articulating Indigenous philosophies and research paradigms, his research focuses on the inter-related concepts of identity, health and healing, culture and wellbeing. This has led to about most recently in Ceremony at a Boundary fire: a story of Indigenist Knowledge.  His book, Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods has been cited more than 1200 times and is used a text in many universities. 

Shawn currently sits on the Advisory Committee for the Indigenous Inquiries Circle of the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry; the Advisory Group for Aboriginal Affairs Research, NSW Dept. Aboriginal Affairs and the editorial board of AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples.