Rethinking Research: Learning Opportunities within a Native American Urban Context

Research, as a rigorous endeavor and empowering process, must be expanded beyond the walls of universities and research institutions to be taken up by underrepresented communities in an effort to realize self-determination and advocate social justice. This qualitative study weaves together stories of several Native American adults who gained employment as research staff members on community-designed, culturally based science-education research projects at the American Indian Center of Chicago (AIC). Analysis of personal-narrative interviews reveals that all the study participants had little to no previous research experience when they applied for the position. Findings show that working on the project benefited participants' personal, academic, and professional lives. The existing literature on urban Native people and the work underway in these communities is very limited. This study demonstrates the ways in which community-based design research can create models that not only produce cutting-edge research but also create pathways into research and academic careers for young emerging scholars.