Vancouver Island University has appointed Roy Janisch to its inaugural Fulbright Canada Jarislowsky Visiting Research Chair in Aboriginal Studies.
The associate professor of justice studies at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, will begin his nine-month term in September.
Restorative justice, which emphasizes rehabilitation of offenders through victim and community reconciliation, will be a key research topic for Janisch, who first visited the Nanaimo university two years ago.
“His expertise and input will be invaluable, and contribute to one of the defining issues in Canada today — reconciliation with First Nations,” said Ralph Nilson, VIU’s president and vice-chancellor.
Janisch, a member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe in South Dakota who has worked as a criminal investigator and police officer, brings considerable experience to the position.
“Many of the indigenous cultures in North America are a bit hesitant to be as welcoming of outsiders because of the history that they’ve experienced,” Janisch said. “We need to find ways to resolve issues, work through them and move forward.”
The research chair is supported by $250,000 US in funding provided by the Fulbright Canada Foundation and the Montreal-based Jarislowsky Foundation.
The position was implemented to engage VIU’s aboriginal students in research and strengthen relationships among the university, First Nations, Métis, Inuit and the broader community.
