“What we see in the In-Between”: Navigating ethics and equity in the role of leading research projects with Alaska Native communities

As thirteen leaders in research with Alaska Native communities, we came together in a workshop to self-define the role of boundary spanners within our cross-cultural contexts. We utilized convergence methods and participatory decision-making facilitation. Reflecting on chronic challenges and current issues of trying to do co-production of knowledge, our group discussed the boundary spanner role and how to create systemic change. We represented different career stages, gender identities, Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, ages, backgrounds, and job positions. We wrote this paper to illustrate positive and negative aspects of this role as framed in a typical career journey. The role is often not sustainable, includes a degree of conflict and lacks support. We recognize that boundary spanners can act as enablers of boundaries. Healing is often interwoven with Indigenous and individual self-determination. Our workshop ended with the development of strategies to create systemic change through mentoring the next generation and addressing funding inequity and the cultural divide between communities and science/policy. A key concept from the workshop is the rejection of the term “boundary spanner,” because ideally, there should not be one individual doing the spanning duties, but everyone within the science/policy sphere working to dismantle boundaries.