Reimagining research: Centring indigenous voices for lasting social change
In a world where academic research frequently intersects with the lives of indigenous communities, ethical boundaries are not just important—they are essential. For those of us working in these fields, understanding the delicate balance between scientific inquiry and respect for cultural heritage is paramount. My experiences as a marine biologist and archaeologist have deeply shaped my understanding of these responsibilities. They have taught me that working ethically as an outsider in someone else’s world requires not just awareness but also a profound respect for the cultural and spiritual connections that people have to their land and history. However, the question remains: Is this enough?
In academia, universities are enhancing indigenous representation through targeted recruitment and support programs, and there are efforts to integrate indigenous knowledge into western scientific research schemes. However, controversies over the misuse of indigenous knowledge persist, and this has intensified calls for more stringent ethical guidelines and truly respectful collaborations. Indigenous students and faculty are leading the charge for curriculum changes and policy reforms, raising the question: what will it take to truly decolonize academia, address historical injustices, and ensure that indigenous voices are central to research and decision-making?
Indigenous scholars and communities have long advocated for a paradigm shift in academia moving away from viewing them as subjects or beneficiaries. As Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Porou) articulates in her foundational work Decolonizing Methodologies,
“’Research’ is probably one of the dirtiest words in the indigenous world’s vocabulary,”
representing the deep mistrust indigenous peoples often feel toward academic research. Kyle Powys Whyte (Potawatomi Nation), an indigenous researcher and scholar, emphasizes the importance of “indigenous-led environmental justice,” stressing that indigenous peoples should have the authority to design, implement, and evaluate research projects affecting their lands and communities. Whyte’s call for indigenous leadership in research echoes the concerns of many indigenous scholars who argue that true ethical research must be community-driven, rather than externally imposed.
While academia still has a long journey ahead, it’s crucial to celebrate the trailblazers driving these positive changes. Here are some inspiring examples of those leading the way, and how they’re doing it.
Proper Acknowledgment
One of the key shifts happening in academic research is the growing recognition of indigenous contributions through proper acknowledgment, particularly in terms of authorship. Indigenous scholars like Portia Adade Williams and Likho Sikutshwa have emphasized the importance of co-authorship, consent, and equitable collaboration, ensuring that local collaborators—including community members and cultural leaders—are properly credited for their contributions.
Flexible Funding Structures
Flexible funding structures are crucial for fostering ethical research partnerships. Initiatives like Rising from the Depths—a project that collaborated with researchers and communities from the UK and East Africa—have demonstrated the potential for flexible funding to create ethical partnerships. By allocating funding for co-creation from the start, the project ensured that both parties had an equal say in determining research priorities and goals, aligning the research process with community needs.
Embracing Multiple Worldviews
Western academia has historically sidelined indigenous knowledge systems, favouring empirical, data-driven approaches. However, scholars like Shawn Wilson argue that knowledge is relational and must serve the betterment of the community. In his work on relational accountability, Wilson asserts that training researchers to engage with indigenous worldviews is key to creating interdisciplinary approaches that honour multiple types of knowledge.
Accessible Funding for Community-Led Work
Reducing barriers to funding for indigenous communities is another crucial step toward ethical research. Agencies like the Indigenous Leadership Initiative in Canada offer grants specifically for indigenous-led conservation work. To aid in the funding shift, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development’s Cultural Heritage Framework Programme, is developing guiding tools and documents to demystify and de-jargon funding applications to make them more accessible to indigenous and community applicants.
The Role of Storytelling in Ethical Research
Storytelling plays a pivotal role in promoting understanding and collaboration across cultural divides. In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer (Potawatomi scholar and author) blends storytelling with ecological science, offering a perspective that merges indigenous wisdom with Western scientific knowledge. Online platforms like SeaVoice Magazine are making space for diverse voices to share stories of where culture, climate, and the ocean intersect. By centring storytelling, SeaVoice ensures that the voices of communities, advocates, artists, change-makers, and scientists are presented on an equal platform and in their own voice.
These examples of ethical research practices represent tangible, positive steps toward fostering inclusive and respectful research cultures that are led by indigenous peoples, and supported by non-indigenous peoples. However, the work does not stop here. The journey toward truly decolonizing research requires us to dismantle long-standing power imbalances, rebuild trust, and approach our research with a genuine commitment to reciprocity and collaboration.
As a scholar from a Western academic background, I understand that my position brings inherent biases, privileges, and limitations. My understanding of ethical research is continually evolving, shaped by the learning I’ve gained from indigenous scholars and communities. I acknowledge that this learning is ongoing and that the true leaders in this shift are indigenous voices who have long advocated for change. My role is to act as an ally, supporting the move toward research paradigms that are indigenous-led. Ultimately, the future of inclusive research lies in listening deeply, stepping back where necessary, and ensuring that indigenous communities remain at the forefront of decisions affecting their lands, knowledge, and futures.
Read other articles from SeaVoice:
Pearl Farming in the Philippines: Cultural Heritage in Community-Centered Marine Protected Areas
Conservation-Minded Fishers with Generations of Wisdom
Stories and the Sea: Harnessing Local Ecological Knowledge to Save our Ocean
