Dr.

Sheila Nicholas
REFLECTIONS ON BRAYBOY ET AL. AND MCCARTY ET AL.
October 1, 2018

This week’s readings gave me a newly formed vantage point when thinking about researching indigenous
populations. In Brayboy et al. (2011) I was reminded of how important it is to build relationships and
respect with the indigenous community when conducting research. There has been so much distrust built
within the indigenous community and the outside world, that the outlined Critical Indigenous Research
Methodologies (CIRM) is crucial to implement. The process of building trust, through relationship
development is essential to the CIRM (Brayboy et al., 2011). The understanding of how indigenous people
view the world is a critical aspect to conducting research and this understanding calls for respect
(Brayboy et al., 2011). Mutual respect is especially important considering the past treatment of
indigenous populations.

I believe that the story that Diaz shared about “kavanaam” (McCarty et al., p.164) reinforces this
importance of respect and relationship building. I was deeply moved by this story, which showed the
impact that colonization had on relationships within indigenous communities. The distrust that the
indigenous communities had of the English also extended to the word of love. It makes so much sense
that the English should not be trusted, because of the treatment and violence that indigenous
communities experienced at their hands. Although the phrase I love you did not exist in Mojave, the
feelings amongst family members did. It was incredible to see that the action of pressing the body,
kavanaam, was a way to show deep love and emotion for another person (McCarty et al., 2018).

Research is such an important way for us to learn about other cultures and understand the lived
experience of members of that community. Building respect and relationships is very important, especially
when populations like that of indigenous peoples, have experienced so much pain.

Brayboy, B.M.J., Gough, H.R., Leonard, B., Roehl, R.F., Solyom, J.A. (2011). Reclaiming scholarship: Critical indigenous research
REFERENCES

methodologies. In S.D. Lapan, M.T. Quartaroli, & F.J. Riemer (Eds.), Qualatative research: An introduction to methods and designs (423-
450). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
McCarty, T.L., Nicholas, S.E., Chew, K.A.B., Diaz, N.G., Leonard, W.Y., White, L. (2018). Hear our language, hear out voices: Storywork
as theory and praxis in indigenous-language reclamation. Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Science, 147(2).
https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/699956/viewContent/6641259/View