Transforming First Nations research with respect and power

Respect and power, two notions that emerged out of discussions on which this article is based, proved informative in seeking transformation of conventional educational research within a Native‐American (First Nations) context. In a directed reading course in critical ethnography, the authors, a First Nations graduate student and a professor of European origins, struggled to develop and articulate approaches which allow for full participation of study participants in the research process. The article serves as a model of written research that strives to transcend power differences. It acknowledges the possibility that researchers and the cultures in which they study may be transformed through the conduct of research. Traditional stories, journals, and “class” transcripts form the basis for a serious look at this process of working across difference in a continuing search for equity and justice.