ABSTRACT
In my role as principal investigator in the Kia Ngawari research project, there have been times when whānau have asked me to give support or to participate in activities that are consistent with good ethnographic research relationships. 1 Participants exhibit a sense of trust toward me, while I, in turn, feel a sense of ethical responsibility and obligation toward them and their taonga—these narratives they entrust to me as the kaitiaki (guardian) of their stories. I have been asked to participate in important cultural rituals and to give my personal opinions on intimate or familial situations affecting whānau participants. Sometimes I have been asked to provide comment on their health care matters. 2 Once I was requested by a family member to communicate with a terminally ill participant about the relative's grief. A Māori-centered ethnographic study with Māori who are dying invites a deeper level of intimacy that requires me to act outside the traditional parameters of the participant and researcher relationship. Communication goes deep. I know there is no room for an impassive observer. When confronted with these conversations and emotions, what guidelines can I follow to ensure that I maintain ethical clarity and safety for my participants and for myself?
