Indigenous Research
Methodologies and
International Research
Collaborations
Mera Penehira
Senior Researcher, Mauri Tu Mauri Ora
PhD Candidate, University of Waikato, Aotearoa
Mlp16@students.waikato.ac.nz
Why Protocols?
• What’s the problem?
• What’s the point?
• Who benefits?
The Aotearoa Experience
• Tribal difference
• Colonized and
decolonized
• Academic Ethics
• Tribal Ethics
Benefits and Risks
• Indigenous
Comparatives
• Statistically and
Qualitatively Robust
• Learning
• Multi-lingual findings
Benefits and Risks
•
•
•
•
Diversity
Missing Incubation
Trust
Re-colonizing
Developing International Indigenous
Research Methodologies
• What are the critical factors for selfdetermining research processes and
outcomes?
• What are the historical and contemporary
research contexts that need to be accounted
for?
• What are the specific diversities that must be
honored and protected?
• What are the common elements of
indigenously correct research?
Establishing Rationale and the
Indigenous Research Context
• Why are indigenous research protocols
important to you and your research team?
• What difference will indigenous protocols
make to you, to the research and to the
research participants?
• Is it important to have shared indigenous
protocols in an international indigenous
research collaboration? Why? Why not?
Protocols and Principles for
Inclusion
• What are the top three things to be covered in
the development of shared indigenous
protocols for this project?
• What, if any, are the key underlying principles
that should guide the shared indigenous
protocols for this project?
• Is language translation of the shared
indigenous protocols a necessary part of this
development? Why? Why not?
Research Outcomes
• Do you see indigenous self=determination as
a key goal of indigenous research?
• In what way might indigenous protocols
contribute to the self-determination of
indigenous peoples?
• What does being a self determining
indigenous person mean to you?
Initial Findings
• Maintain and sustain
languages
• Knowing your collaborators
• Political positioning and
analysis
• The 3 R’s
• Ethical privilege
• ‘Outsider’ privilege
Summary
• Indigenous peoples have much to gain from
international collaborations and potentially as
much to be cautious about in this research
journey
• It is critical to consider and protect the unique
identity of all indigenous collaborators in the
conglomerate of international research
opportunities
• Awareness, action and protection give the
greatest likelihood of achieving selfdetermination
Acknowledgements
• Nga Pae o te Maramatanga
• Health Research Council - Aotearoa
• University of Waikato - Office of the Pro-Vice
Chancellor Maori
• International Collaborative Indigenous Health
Research Partnerships
• Dr Clive Aspin, Dr Leonie Pihama, Professor
Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Alison Green, Anthony
Barrett.