Indigenous Pathways in Social Research: Addressing Inequities Part 2

Indigenous peoples are decolonizing research methodology so it serves their peoples’ needs and aspirations. These needs are rooted in trauma created by colonial agendas that remove tribes from their land, break family bonds, and disrupt identity. Aspirations are about justice, the return of lands, and living as indigenous peoples. This panel of Indigenous researchers brings this agenda to life, describing how they are decolonizing research methodologies within their countries. Polly Walker is a Cherokee woman and Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies. Her presentation, ‘Emplaced Research: Reducing Epistemic Violence toward Indigenous Peoples and their Knowledge Systems’, explores research that engages in relationship with Indigenous people, the natural world, and the spirit of the place in which the research is carried out. Juanita Sherwood is an Aboriginal woman of Australia and Professor of Australian Indigenous Education. Her presentation, ‘Complex trauma a conduit for inequity’, examines pathways to prison for Aboriginal Australians that are often about mental health dis-ease as a result of unresolved grief, loss and untreated complex trauma. Hazel Phillips is a Māori woman from New Zealand and an independent researcher. Her presentation, ‘Kāpo Māori counter narratives’, will critically reflect on the implications of outsider research for Māori who are blind and vision impaired, and argues for an insider, kāpo Māori by kāpo Māori, approach to research. Sonja Miller is a Māori woman from New Zealand and post-doctoral fellow at Victoria University of Wellington. Her presentation, ‘Mō tātou: doing it for ourselves’, will describe how an Indigenous tertiary education initiative is improving access for Māori to marine science. Simon Passingnan, an Indigenous researcher in Papua New Guinea, will present on building Indigenous researcher capability through apprenticeship-style training. Fiona Cram, an independent Māori researcher from New Zealand, will provide final commentary in her presentation entitled: ‘Decolonizing and Transforming Through Research’.