Paper Title
Reinterpreting Experience: A Socio-Political Context

Abstract
Interpretive research poems draw upon poetic conventions to create an organic expression that captures the subjective experiences of the researcher themselves. The interpretive research approach was purposely selected to give voice to the field notes, site visits, and conversations that we shared with Indigenous educators and community leaders in northern Ontario (Canada) as part of a comprehensive research project. This paper presents a project that examined the perceptions of Indigenous educators and community leaders as they related to Ontario Ministry of Education policy specific to Indigenous students enrolled in publicly funded provincial schools. The poems that are presented in this paper represent the partnerships I share with various Indigenous community leaders and aim to convey the sensitive, profound, and sometimes equally complex experiences that are not always readily described using more traditional research methodologies. The process of using a sort of personal narrative provides the researcher with the opportunity to better understand specific socio-cultural contexts and in turn to share that understanding with readers. The poems are very much snapshots of impressions as experienced throughout the research journey. Keywords - Indigenous Education, Interpretive Research Poetry