Preparing to be Allies: Narratives of Non-Indigenous Researchers Working in Indigenous Contexts

Insensitive research approaches have resulted in damaged relationships between non-Indigenous researchers and Indigenous communities, prompting scholars and funding agencies to call for more culturally compatible research methods. This paper addresses the qualities, skills and knowledge developed by six non-Indigenous researchers as they built–and continue to maintain–respectful research relationships with Indigenous communities. Also discussed are the important formative experiences that have shaped the six researchers in their ongoing work. Findings presented in this paper are synthesized from a larger research project undertaken using narrative approaches to data collection and analysis.