Learning from mistakes and moving forward in intercultural research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Published in: Higher education research and development Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 88 - 100
• Main Authors: McLennan, Vanette, Woods, Glenn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 02.01.2018
• Subjects: Aboriginal communities; Aboriginal culture; Aboriginal peoples; College Faculty; Doctoral Programs; Educational Research; Ethnic Groups; Foreign Countries; Graduate Students; Health; Higher education; Indigenous; Indigenous cultures; Indigenous Knowledge; Indigenous Populations; Intercultural research; Pacific Islanders; reflexivity; Research administration; Research Methodology; Research Problems; Researcher subject relationship; Researchers; Resilience (Personality); Supervision; Theory Practice Relationship; Torres Strait Islanders; Well being; Australia; New South Wales
• ISSN: 0729-4360; 1469-8366
• DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2017.1343806

The ongoing challenges in equitable research involving Indigenous peoples and their communities and ways to overcome these are discussed in this article. Central to this article is the narrative reflection of a non-Indigenous researcher following research on Indigenous spirituality, well-being and resilience in the Yaegl community of northern New South Wales, Australia, conducted between 2003 and 2010. Upon reflection several years after the studies, the researcher has identified several inadequacies in the ways in which the research was conceptualised, designed, conducted and supervised. In seeking to critically reflect on and learn from this experience, with the hope of contributing to better understanding and protocols in research with Indigenous peoples, as well as improved models of higher degree research (HDR) supervision in this space, the researcher has collaborated with an Indigenous academic to incorporate theory and Indigenous knowledge in highlighting considerations for better research training and practice.