Doing Indigenous Methodologies: Toward a Practice of the “Careful Partial Participant”

Abstract

In this article, we describe teaching through experimental writing workshops designed to introduce students to a way of writing that expresses Indigenous methodologies in recognizing multiple epistemic authorities. We propose an alternative configuration of the “author in the text” who comes to life in analytic texts generated with and through Indigenous methodologies. In approaching writing through a differently configured author, we propose a form of participatory ethnographic writing that encourages writers to see themselves as partially participating in the collective workings of Indigenous knowledge communities. Based on experiences from the organization of two experimental writing workshops with Indigenous studies and visual cultural studies master students at UiT (the University of Tromsø–The Arctic University of Norway), we present a template with storytelling categories for transitioning fieldwork experience into text. How to “participate with care” thus fuels the possibility of such a transition as well as resistance within Indigenous scholarship and pedagogical approaches.

A relational turn for sustainability science? Relational thinking, leverage points and transformations

“…In the sense of informing practice, relational thinking seems eminently operationalizable. For example, notions of intervention might shift from unitary, definitive actions conceived and delivered from the perspective of a 'judging observer', to provisional contributions to ongoing processes and practices from that of a 'careful partial participant' (Christie 2013;Brattland et al 2018). Again, it is worth pointing out that this stance is not less but more ambitious: it requires attentiveness and commitment, and does not preclude 'big interventions' but suggests that they are conceived and enacted in light of unfolding relationships in place and practice.…”

Tornedalian Teachers’ and Principals’ in the Swedish Education System: Exploring Decolonial Pockets in the Aftermaths of ‘Swedification’

“…A point of departure for the study was to engage in and commit to a careful practice characterised by transparency, and to communicate and discuss the results in cooperation with participating schools. In that sense, my researcher role took inspiration from the methodological approaches employed by Brattland, Kramvig, and Verran (2018). From this perspective, the role of the author/researcher is to develop knowledges together with participants, and to avoid working as a 'neutral commentator' (p. 75).…”

Landskap som hjem

“…Dette henger sammen med at selv om den europeiske kolonialismen i stor grad kan sies å vaere avviklet, er de koloniale logikker langt fra avmontert. Den dekoloniale tenkningen forsøker således ikke bare å synliggjøre og kritisere politiske og epistemologiske systemer og hierarkier, men også å «avkoble» seg fra dem, for dermed å åpne opp rom for andre tankemåter, relasjoner og sanseformer (Brattland, Kramvig & Verran, 2018;Walsh & Mignolo, 2018). I Sápmi, som i mange andre urfolksområder i verden, skjer det en kontinuerlig undersøkelse og utprøving av hvordan slike avkoblinger og omkoblinger kan gjøres og hva de innebaerer.…”

“…Et begrep som brukes i laereplaner, i norsk offentlige utredninger om samiske språk og samfunnsforhold 1 og i den nyopprettede sannhets-og forsoningskommisjonen. I Sápmi blir begrepet kolonialisering i stadig større omfang tatt i bruk, både av politikere, kunstnere og akademikere, som i tillegg diskuterer hva dekolonialisering som prosess innebaerer (Brattland, Kramvig & Verran, 2018). Disse prosessene, som i antropologien har vaert analysert som revitalisering, fører til kontinuerlige og ofte svaert turbulente undersøkelser av både nåtid og fortid.…”