The Mi’kmaw Ethics Watch (MEW) protects Mi’kmaw knowledge and ensures that research involving our people is carried out in a good way. Created under the guidance of Elders and the Grand Council, MEW reviews research proposals to make sure they follow cultural, spiritual, and ethical protocols.
Researchers must show how they will respect community voices, protect privacy, and share results in ways that give back. MEW also provides tools and forms to help students, academics, and organizations understand what respectful research looks like.
In the Mi’kmaw language, MEW is connected to the word for “the one who holds open the door.” That image reminds us that the work is about balance — protecting who comes in and out, and ensuring that knowledge moves through the right way, with care.