Systemic disruptions: decolonizing indigenous research ethics using indigenous knowledges

Abstract

Research involving and impacting Indigenous Peoples is often of little or no benefit to the communities involved and, in many cases, causes harm. Ensuring that Indigenous research is not only ethical but also of benefit to the communities involved is a long-standing problem that requires fundamental changes in higher education. To address this necessity for change, the authors of this paper, with the help of graduate and Indigenous community research assistants, undertook community consultation across their university to identify the local and national ethical needs of Indigenous researchers, communities, and Elders. This paper provides an overview of the consultation process, the themes that emerged from the consultations, and a model of the Wholistic Indigenous Research Framework that emerged.

Indigenous community engagement requirements for academic journals

“…It is well established that Canadian health research involving Indigenous Peoples has often been extractive in nature, offering no measurable benefit to communities in some cases and outright harm to communities in others (Brunger & Wall, 2016;Champagne, 2015;Fournier et al, 2023;Hayward et al, 2021;White et al, 2021). In response, revised practices and principles for conducting ethical health research involving Indigenous Peoples are being established by Indigenous communities, organizations, and governments (Champagne, 2015;Fournier et al, 2023;Hayward et al, 2021;Kovach, 2009;Smith, 2021;Wilson, 2004).…”

“…It is well established that Canadian health research involving Indigenous Peoples has often been extractive in nature, offering no measurable benefit to communities in some cases and outright harm to communities in others (Brunger & Wall, 2016;Champagne, 2015;Fournier et al, 2023;Hayward et al, 2021;White et al, 2021). In response, revised practices and principles for conducting ethical health research involving Indigenous Peoples are being established by Indigenous communities, organizations, and governments (Champagne, 2015;Fournier et al, 2023;Hayward et al, 2021;Kovach, 2009;Smith, 2021;Wilson, 2004). These revised practices are increasingly being applied by Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars to prevent harm and ensure research meaningfully contributes to beneficial outcomes as defined by the communities themselves (Anderson, 2019;Fournier et al, 2023;Hyett et al, 2018;Kilian et al, 2019;Piquemal, 2000;Simpson, 2011;Smith, 2022;Smylie et al, 2020;Wilson, 2004).…”

“…In response, revised practices and principles for conducting ethical health research involving Indigenous Peoples are being established by Indigenous communities, organizations, and governments (Champagne, 2015;Fournier et al, 2023;Hayward et al, 2021;Kovach, 2009;Smith, 2021;Wilson, 2004). These revised practices are increasingly being applied by Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars to prevent harm and ensure research meaningfully contributes to beneficial outcomes as defined by the communities themselves (Anderson, 2019;Fournier et al, 2023;Hyett et al, 2018;Kilian et al, 2019;Piquemal, 2000;Simpson, 2011;Smith, 2022;Smylie et al, 2020;Wilson, 2004). A principal component underlying these approaches for preventing harm includes ensuring that the health research being conducted has been identified by the community as a topic of priority for them, and moreover, that the research itself is led and owned by the Indigenous Peoples implicated in the outcomes of the research (Fournier et al, 2023;Hayward et al, 2021;Simpson, 2011;Smith, 2022).…”

“…In Canada, with the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action regarding education released in 2015 and with the addition of Chapter 9: Research Involving the Indigenous First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada to the Tri-Council Agency, consisting of the three main research funding agencies, statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (2018), there is movement towards decolonizing research practice, a fundamental principle for this journal and increasingly, there are publications emphasizing the need to ensure Indigenous research is community based (Fournier et al, 2023;Hayward et al, 2021;Murphy et al, 2021;Restoule et al, 2019;Roher et al, 2021;Sylliboy et al, 2021).…”

Let’s do better: Improving research ethics knowledge, practice and systems of oversight

“…The authors conclude that 'the decolonial ambitions and success of the research were reliant upon the establishment of trust and respectful relationships with participants and their local community gatekeepers'. Fournier et al (2023) continue to focus our attention upon the need for decolonising research and research ethics with specific attention paid to the interests of Indigenous populations and university research. As the authors point out, 'Ensuring that Indigenous research is not only ethical, but also of benefit to the communities involved, is a long-standing problem that requires fundamental changes in higher education'.…”