This guide is a starting point for supporting RRU researchers with finding resources about Indigenous research methodologies, paradigms, and methods. It is intended to highlight books, articles, and websites available through the library and on the open internet. It is not an exhaustive guide and will continue to change as more information is made available.
We would like to express gratitude to Frankie Allen, Indigenous Student Services Coordinator for her contribution of resources and feedback on this guide.
"An Indigenous paradigm comes from the fundamental belief that knowledge is relational, is shared with all creation, and therefore can not be owned or discovered. Indigenous research methods should reflect these beliefs and the obligations they imply. Indigenous research methodology means talking about relational accountability. As a researcher you are answering to all your relations when you are doing research” (Shawn Wilson, 2001, p.177 In Canadian Journal of Native Education).
It is “the context in which research problems are conceptualized and designed, and with the implications of research for its participants and their communities.” (Linda Tuhiwai Smith, 2012, p. ix in Decolonizing methodologies : research and indigenous peoples).
This list provides examples of Indigenous methodologies. To further your understanding, find out more about the authors' identities and their perspectives in relation to their methodologies.
A guide on "Reporting in Indigenous Communities" recommends, "Ultimately, there is no sole agreed-upon name for the original peoples that inhabited North America before European settlers arrived. In Canada, “Aboriginal peoples” is often used...If you are unsure about names and terms, ask the Aboriginal people you're reporting on which term they prefer" (Reporting in Indigenous Communities, 2016, para. 2).