Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples

Voice assistants have benefits for self-maintenance and health information seeking tasks (e.g., nutrition advice, tracking water intake, managing stress) for older adults.

“HCI and design research studies examining this potential have asserted that these devices have many benefits for self-maintenance and health information seeking tasks including nutrition advice, tracking water intake, and even managing stress levels [94, 98]”

Euro-western research methodologies can be reframed to center an Indigenous method of intellectual engagement connected to land, place stories, and context and incorporating Indigenous cosmology, worldview, and ethics.

“Euro-western research methodologies can be reframed to center an “Indigenous method of intellectual engagement that is inextricably connected to land, place stories, and context” (Smith, 2021, p. 149) and incorporates Indigenous cosmology, worldview, and ethics (Wilson, 2008).”

The use of CBPR invites participants to share their voices where they traditionally have had limited input, which is particularly important for research involving Indigenous Elders given their history with colonialism and historical lack of consultation.

“The use of CBPR invites participants to share their voices where they traditionally have had limited input, which is particularly important for research involving Indigenous Elders given their history with colonialism and the historical lack of consultation with Indigenous populations throughout research (Dadich et al., 2019; Smith, 2021).”

Nested within Indigenous decolonizing methodologies, a person-centered approach can produce knowledge and action that can transform communities.

“Nested within Indigenous decolonizing methodologies (Chilisa, 2019; Smith, 2021), this approach can produce knowledge and action that can transform communities (Chilisa, 2019; Haselberger & Hutterer, 2013; Howard & Hoffman, 2018).”

PAR became established during the 1970s and 1980s in the context of anti-colonial movements in the Global South.

“PAR, as an authoritative form of inquiry, became established during the 1970s and 1980s in the context of anti-colonial movements in the Global South.”

The development of PAR is a product of intellectual and activist work bridging universities and communities, with separate genealogies in several Indigenous, Latin American, Indian, African, Black feminist, and Euro-American traditions.

“The development of PAR is a product of intellectual and activist work bridging universities and communities, with separate genealogies in several Indigenous 4,5 , Latin American 6,7 , Indian 8 , African 9 , Black feminist 10,11 , and Euro-American 12,13 traditions.”

Anti-colonial movements strived to overthrow symbolic and epistemic injustices, ousting the authority of Western science to author knowledge about dominated peoples.

“As anti-colonial movements worked to overthrow territorial and economic domination, they also strived to overthrow symbolic and epistemic injustices [G], ousting the authority of Western science to author knowledge about dominated peoples 4,14 .”

Questions posed by Indigenous scholars seeking to decolonise Western knowledge production practices are pertinent to a relational ethics approach.

“Questions posed by Indigenous scholars seeking to decolonise Western knowledge production practices are pertinent to a relational ethics approach 4,28 .”

Communities that have been treated as the subjects or passive objects of research, commodified for the scientific knowledge of distant elites, are suspicious of research and researchers.

“As Indigenous scholars have articulated, communities that have been treated as the subjects or passive objects of research, commodified for the scientific knowledge of distant elites, are suspicious of research and researchers 4,43 .”