An Access Story: A Talking Circle Inspired Discussion of What Happened When a Doctoral Student Decided to Study an Indigenous Group’s Approach to Leadership

• In Event: Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Focus on Methods

Abstract

This paper focuses on what happened when a mainstream culture doctoral student decided to do her dissertation research on an Indigenous group's views of leadership. The paper adapts the talking circle strategy employed by many Indigenous groups to surface the perspectives of the student, a member of the Indigenous culture she wanted to study, and the studen't dissertation chair. It seems axiomatic that a field committed to engaging in inquiry would also be committed to minimizing bias within the inquiry process. One way to do this is to look at the inquiry process from differing perspectives. This paper provides an opportunity to do this sort of looking in a way that is tethered to actual research practice.

Authors

• Julia L. Buchanan, National University

• Patricia Makokis, Blue Quills First Nations College

• Robert B. Donmoyer, University of San Diego