ABSTRACT
Intercultural research poses significant and complex challenges for research participants, participating communities, and for the researcher. Issues of particular interest in contemporary intercultural research include ownership of data and the creation of respectful, culturally safe research protocols. The chapter will address topics that can directly influence intercultural research design including: working with(in) Indigenous cultures as an “Other”; understanding language and its influence on design; use of Indigenous languages and intellectual property; working alongside or under the direction of Indigenous leaders, researchers, community panels, and their influence on design. The chapter touches on Culture Bearers’ support and guidance and how their influences strengthen the relevance and validity of any community based study. As intercultural researchers we are interested in looking beyond the sharing of knowledge and towards the development of intercultural competencies in the creation of new knowledge. Intercultural research collaboration between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous researchers is the primary focus of this book chapter. Throughout the chapter we will reflect on current collaboration practices and share personal examples of research situations we have encountered that can be understood in different ways if we critically examine our experiences in the context of intercultural collaboration. We hope to challenge each reader to reflect on the purpose of intercultural research, the reason we do research, and how we generate knowledge: are we being of service to the communities whose knowledge we are gathering? Is it for their use or is it for our benefit?
