Guides: Indigenous Health: Indigenous Research Methods

Data Soverignty and OCAP Principles

The First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession – more commonly known as OCAP® – assert that First Nations have control over data collection processes, and that they own and control how this information can be used. Data sovereignty is an especially fraught issue in the health sciences, and we encourage anyone using Indigenous data to familiarize themselves with OCAP and other guides to using Indigenous data responsibly.

For reference:

OCAP webpage from the First Nations Information Governance Centre
University of Saskatchewan webinar series exploring information on Indigenous Healthcare in Canada and resources for research
First Nations data sovereignty in Canada by the First Nations Information Governance Centre. From the Statistical Journal of the IAOS, published March 2019
#DataBack ebook: Asserting and supporting Indigenous data sovereignty

Resources for Indigenous Research Methods

Research Articles:

"Embodied in Indigenous Research: How Indigeneity, Positionality, and Relationality Contribute to Research Approaches and Understanding" in Healthy Populations Journal, 2023-03-16, Vol. 3 No. 1

"Exploring the approaches of non-Indigenous researchers to Indigenous research: a qualitative study." in CMAJ, August 25, 2019. Volume 7, Issue 3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20180204

Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods by Shawn Wilson
ISBN: 1552662810
Publication Date: 2008-09-01
Indigenous researchers develop relationships with ideas in order to achieve enlightenment in the ceremony that is Indigenous research. For researchers to be accountable to all our relations, we must make careful choices in our selection of topics, methods of data collection, forms of analysis and finally in the way we present information
Kaandossiwin, 2nd Ed by Kathleen E Absolon
ISBN: 9781773635170
Publication Date: 2022-07-19
Anishinaabe researcher Kathleen Absolon describes how Indigenous researchers re-theorize and re-create methodologies. Understanding Indigenous methodologies as guided by Indigenous paradigms, worldviews, principles, processes and contexts, Absolon argues that they are wholistic, relational, inter-relational and interdependent with Indigenous philosophies, beliefs and ways of life.
Indigenous Research Ethics by Lily George (Editor); Juan Tauri (Editor); Lindsey Te Ata O. Tu MacDonald (Editor)
ISBN: 9781787693913
Publication Date: 2020-10-19
This volume presents Indigenous research theories, ethics and methodologies arising from within unique cultural contexts. It includes topics including interaction with Indigenous organizations and Indigenous/non-Indigenous research partnerships, arguing that these kinds of best practice research guidelines are valuable to all research communities.
Routledge Handbook of Critical Indigenous Studies by Steve Larkin (Editor); Brendan Hokowhitu (Editor); Aileen Moreton-Robinson (Editor); Linda Tuhiwai-Smith (Editor); Chris Andersen (Editor)
ISBN: 9780429802386
Publication Date: 2020-12-30
The Routledge Handbook of Critical Indigenous Studies is the first comprehensive overview of the rapidly expanding field of Indigenous scholarship.

Citation guide for alternative sources

While the formal APA, MLA and Chicago citation styles do not have a registered format for citation of Indigenous elders, universities have developed their own standalone methods for working with these types of information. For general health sciences citations, please refer to McGill's citation guide webpage, or consult the webpage of your chosen reference style for more information.

The given citation styles here are via Norquest College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

APA:

Elders should be cited both in-text and in the reference list. The citation format for the reference list follows the following format:

Last name, First name(s) initials. (Elder), Nation/Community. Topic/subject of communication if applicable. Personal communication. Year, Month Date. Territory Acknowledgement of where information was shared/collected.

Their website also includes the following: "Capitalize most terms related to Indigenous Peoples. These include names of specific groups (e.g., Cherokee, Cree, Ojibwe) and words related to Indigenous culture (e.g., Creation, the Creator, Elder, Oral Tradition, Traditional Knowledge, Vision Quest). The capitalization is intentional and demonstrates respect for Indigenous perspectives" (APA, 2019).

MLA:

Elders should be cited both in-text and in the reference list. In-text citations follow the following format:

" Joan Keay navigated the library of... OR The library was navigated... (Keay). "

For Works Cited:

Last name, First name(s), Elder, Nation/Community. Topic/subject of communication if applicable. Personal communication, Date Month Year. Territorial Acknowledgement of where the information was shared/collected.

Chicago:

Elders should be cited both in-text and in the reference list.

First Footnote Format:

First Names Last Name (Elder), Nation, Topic/subject of communication if applicable, Personal communication, Territorial acknowledgement of where the information was shared, Month Date, Year.

Bibliography:

Last Name, First Names (Elder), Nation. Topic/subject of communication if applicable. Personal communication. Territorial acknowledgement of where the information was shared. Month Date, Year.