Background

There is widespread agreement that “First Nations Peoples around the globe are arguably the most studied people of the world.  The research enterprise as a vehicle for investigation has poked, prodded, measured, tested, and compared data toward understanding Indigenous cultures and human nature.  Explorers, medical practitioners, intellectuals, travelers, and voyeurs who observed from a distance have all played a role in the scientific scrutiny of Indigenous peoples.” (Rigney, 1999)

The way of knowing we call Indigenous Knowledge is contained within the context of a world of values distinct, even divergent, from Western European thought.  It would seem that the application of research founded in a world of values so dissimilar is unlikely to demonstrate truth of any kind. The need for the dialogue between traditional knowledge keepers and academicians/researchers is apparent.

This timely discussion is also essential as the goals of Indian Education for All (IEFA) in Montana are carried out.  K-12 curriculum development is foundational to IEFA and curriculum information/knowledge is often sought from primary sources and/or from secondary sources owned by Tribal entities.   Classroom teachers across the state are encouraged, even required, to seek out these sources to support their lesson-planning efforts. The situation clearly begs for dialogue.

The conference idea is based on and inspired by…

• the success of the 2008 Intersecting Interests conference and the dialogue it created around research and rites/rights,

• the documents on research ethics and guidelines that have been created by certain research projects (e.g, Kahnawake, First Nations Centre, Model Tribal Research Code)

• the new Canadian Institutes of Health Research Guidelines for Health Research involving Aboriginal People that states that anyone receiving funding from the CIHR (the equivalent to the National Institutes of Health, which funds the Center for Native Health Partnerships and many other health grants) must abide by the guidelines (that include information on community jurisdiction of research, Indigenous knowledge, data ownership, etc),

• discussions at MSU and UM among researchers, legal representatives, administration, and office of grants and contracts regarding research protections/guidelines,

• experiences of negative research practices and how these practices impact tribal communities and research today, and

• experiences of non-Native researchers who want to learn how to work respectfully with tribal communities.

Discussions from the working conference will be typed and disseminated and could be used:

• as guidelines for anyone receiving funds from the Center for Native Health Partnerships,

• by tribal communities/tribal colleges as a starting document for researchers wanting to work with tribal communities,

• by human subjects committees reviewing proposed research in tribal communities,

• by Montana universities and colleges interested in engaging in ethical research practices. This could include a mandatory part of principal investigator training, part of the requirements for subcontracting with tribes, and/or part of the requirement for submitting a grant to work with tribal populations.

• to begin planning for a third Intersecting Interests conference in 2010.