Too often have Native folks been the subjects of research, and not given the space and resources for being the researchers themselves. At the same time, Natives are taught research methods in education systems based in Western values that clash with Indigenous ways of thinking, knowing and practices. For us, they have clashed with or pushed out Ojibwe practices of gathering knowledge.
I aim to focus on and build the research capacity of the Tribe itself. Not just research in Western institutions but research that takes place everyday for our Tribal citizens who hunt, fish, and gather on the Land. At the same time, we need to stop researchers from coming into our community without our permission and with our permission but no expectations of how we benefit. When Western researchers do come in, they take our resources, our knowledge, our time and give nothing we find important to us! It is a one-sided relationship where we get the bare minimum.
In the immediate future, we need to be the ones who define what research questions are important to us, we need to be the ones spearheading the research, and we need to benefit more than Western researchers do in this relationship (equitable not just equal). We must be compensated, given authorship and resources, and given the resources and training so we can do the work ourselves.
The information, relationships, groups, and junior Ojibwe scientists in the community exist for us to start Ojibwe-led research initiatives. We as a Tribe need to take the major steps to do so!
My learning in this area of anti-colonial research from my Indigenous peers comes from Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Max Liboiron, Jessica Hernandez, Kim TallBear and many others!