Research Guides: Research & Data Justice: Indigenous Research

Decolonizing Research

Damage-centred research has been defined as "a persistent trend in research on Native communities, city communities, and other disenfranchised communities" wherein research is consistently focussed on exposing all the ways in which the community is "broken" (Tuck, E. Cited in Transformative Research Toolkit) - with the ultimate result of defining entire communities and their members in terms of their economic, social and health-related disadvantages.

"With their limited scope, aggregate format, deficit focus and decontextualized framework this... (research) narrative cannot, and does not, yield meaningful portraits of...Indigenous lives (Walter M. & Russo, S. in Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Policy).

Decolonizing Research

"Decolonizing research is a process whereby Eurocentric views and methods are decentred and dismantled....Indigenizing research is a process for conducting research with Indigenous communities that places Indigenous voices and epistemologies at the centre of the research process and deliberately works against colonial norms" (Simonds et al, as cited by Hayward et al. Addressing the Need for Indigenous and Decolonized Quantitative Research Methods in Canada).

Approaches to consider:

Adopt a Strengths-based Approach when planning research projects: "Strengths-based research refers to work that begins 'by analyzing, not the deficits, but the strengths of both individuals and communities… [and aims to] profile potential solutions, positive programs and initiatives taking place in communities'" (FNIGC, cited in Strengths-Based Approaches to Indigenous Research and the Development of Well-Being Indicators).
Be consciously aware of your Positionality: "Positionality refers to where one is located in relation to their various social identities (gender, race, class, ethnicity, ability, geographical location etc.); the combination of these identities and their intersections shape how we understand and engage with the world, including our knowledges, perspectives" and research practices (Alcoff. cited by Queen's University. Positionality Statement).
- In the context of Indigenous research, consider how you might work "alongside the Indigenous experience rather than framing the Indigenous world-view from a distance" (Cameron et al, cited in Hayword et al. Addressing the Need for Indigenous and Decolonized Quantitative Research Methods in Canada).
Be prepared to welcome Community to the research team. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) opens up traditional research team membership to include community members - who have an equitable role in determining research goals, methodologies, and interpreting the research data collected.
- "The strengths or advantages of CBPR are that it allows for the innovative adaptation of existing resources; explores local knowledge and perceptions; empowers people by considering them as agents who can investigate their own situations ....and helps dismantle the lack of trust communities may exhibit in relation to research" (cited in Dadich et al. What does it mean to conduct participatory research with Indigenous Peoples?).
Respect and adhere to Canadian and International principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty. See more below.

Historical Research: Indigenous, Racialized and Vulnerable Populations

Terminology of the Past

An unfortunate reality to grapple with when searching for materials that were created in the past is the offensive/problematic terminology that may have been used to denote Indigenous, racialized and/or vulnerable people.

Be aware that you may encounter terms you find objectionable when consulting historical documents, records and statistics.
Unfortunately you may also have to search for such terms yourself in order to retrieve those same materials. An example of this comes from the Census of Canada:

"Finding data on race, racialized populations, and anti-racism in Canada can be a complex process when conducting research....(as) the collection of racial, ethnic, or Indigenous data has changed throughout the years and from Census to Census" (Manuel, K., Orlandini, R., & Cooper, A., Who is counted? Ethno-racial and Indigenous identities in the Census of Canada, 1871-2021).

The above article is a "must-read" for anyone seeking to find historical Canadian statistics as it provides an overview of "the modifications to how ethno-racial origin questions have been asked, and the ongoing changes to sociocultural perceptions impacting the Census are reviewed."
See also: Scholar's Portal's Guide to Finding Historical Census Data on Racialized and Indigenous Populations in Canada, from 1870 - present

Indigenous Data Sovereignty

"Existing principles within the open data movement (e.g. FAIR: findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) primarily focus on characteristics of data that will facilitate increased data sharing among entities while ignoring power differentials and historical contexts.

The emphasis on greater data sharing alone creates a tension for Indigenous Peoples who are also asserting greater control over the application and use of Indigenous data and Indigenous Knowledge for collective benefit" (Global Indigenous Data Alliance. CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance).

Control & Benefit

"Data sovereignty refers to a group or individual’s right to control and maintain their own data, which includes the collection, storage, and interpretation of data.

Indigenous data sovereignty refers to the ability for Indigenous peoples to control their data and includes autonomy regarding a variety of data types such as oral traditionals (sic), DNA/genomics, community health data, etc" (National Library of Medicine. Data Sovereignty).

Elements of Indigenous Data Sovereignty include:

Community and individual access to - and control of - their own data - which includes the ability to determine how data will be safeguarded and who else might be permitted to access the data, when, and for how long.
Community partners and research participants have an equitable role in setting the direction of the research and determining what "success" looks like.
Researchers embrace the principle of "collective benefit" - so that participants and their communities experience tangible benefits from participating in a research project, including financial and other advantages arising from the collection/creation of their own data.
The research plan and implementation respects the unique histories, values, and traditional ways of sharing knowledge of each community.

To Learn More See:

First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) - The First Nations Principles of OCAP®

Global Indigenous Data Alliance - to learn more about the international CARE Principals of Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility & Ethics

Community Priorities

The following have been developed by various Indigenous communities - local and global - to guide researchers in ensuring that Indigenous Peoples benefit from the data derived from their participation in research projects.

It's important to note, however, that none of these principles have been developed as a generic approach. Each community is distinct, and has different customs and protocols for working with external researchers, so researchers should approach new communities with this in mind.

Traditional Knowledge Labels

Traditional Knowledge Labels are used by Indigenous communities to make clear how their traditional knowledge may be accessed and/or used by others in ways that are consistent with "existing community rules, governance and protocols for using, sharing and circulating knowledge and data."

The website for the Sq’éwlets People utilizes Traditional Knowledge labels and has an excellent explanation of how their labels were chosen and how they are used on the site.

CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance

The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance are designed to complement the FAIR principles and take into account the current and historic power imbalances between researchers and Indigenous communities. CARE stands for:

Collective Benefit – “Data ecosystems shall be designed and function in ways that enable Indigenous Peoples to derive benefit from the data.”
Authority to Control – Indigenous people have the right and authority to control their data.
Responsibility – Researchers working with Indigenous Peoples have a responsibility to support Indigenous Peoples' rights.
Ethics – “Indigenous Peoples’ rights and well being should be the primary concern at all stages of the data life cycle and across the data ecosystem.”

See the Global Indigenous Data Alliance web site to learn more about the CARE Principals.

See also: GIDA's Indigenous Peoples' Rights in Data

The First Nations Principles of OCAP^®

The OCAP^® Principles of data governance outline how to interact with First Nations data. OCAP^® stands for:

Ownership – First Nations communities or groups own their data collectively
Control – First Nations communities can control all aspects of the research cycle that impact them directly.
Access – First Nations retain access to the data, regardless of where it is held.
Possession – First Nations retain physical control of the data.

OCAP^® certifications are available through the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC). OCAP^® is a registered trademark of the FNIGC.

Negotiating Research Relationships with Inuit Communities: from the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Nunavut Research Institute, this is an online guide for researchers (PDF).

Principles of Ethical Métis Research: from the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO), this is an online guide for researchers (PDF).