A Critical Decolonizing and Relational Response to Supervising Graduate Research in Indigenous Contexts

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: The Intersections of Social Justice

Abstract

Indigenous peoples are positioning their cultural heritages and epistemologies at the centre, rather than at the margins of educational policy and research practices. This challenges the power inherent in the pedagogical and cultural relationships within tertiary education institutions. This paper discusses how the same processes for engaging more effectively when researching in Māori contexts have been applied within my role as supervisor of Masters and Doctoral students (Māori and non-Māori) researching in Māori contexts. By building collaborative relationships that facilitate researching in culturally responsive ways we have been able to respect both indigenous and institutional research values and practices. Acting as co-constructors of new knowledge, rather than operating as experts and gatekeepers of research design and methodology is critical.

Authors

• Mere Berryman, University of Waikato

• Therese Dale Ford, The University of Waikato