Building an Indigenous Writing Accountability Group for Academic Success and Well-being

Indigenous researchers face growing, often competing demands from academic institutions and tribal communities that contribute to burnout and reduce time to write. Mentorship, protected writing time, wellness supports, and accountability, particularly when combined, offer promise for addressing these challenges and advancing career success. An Indigenous writing accountability group (IWAG) can integrate these elements. This commentary presents an IWAG established in October 2020 by two Indigenous researchers responding to burnout and increased pressure to publish. We describe the group's structure and processes, summarize participant-reported outcomes, and outline policy and practice implications. Current and former IWAG members completed an online survey assessing: written products completed with IWAG support; satisfaction with group structure and delivery; and perceived personal and professional impacts. Participants reported high satisfaction with the 10-week goal framework and the practice of setting both writing and wellness goals. All respondents completed peer-reviewed publications during the dedicated 2-hr writing sessions; most completed three or more publications while participating. Members described an increased sense of belonging and community, enhanced professional productivity, and personal growth related to wellness practices shared in the group.These findings suggest that IWAGs can be an effective, culturally congruent approach to support Indigenous scholars' scholarly productivity while concurrently addressing burnout through embedded wellness practices and peer learning. We recommend institutions and funders consider policies and resources to support Indigenous-led writing groups, such as protected time, institutional recognition, and seed funding, to expand this model and strengthen Indigenous research capacity.