Guidance for Research Partnerships with/by/as the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community describes responsibilities and expectations associated with collaborative, participatory and community-engaged research. Strengthening research partnerships is a priority in our community, and we also know that working together contributes to the resiliency of our shared communities, landscapes, and future.
Suggested citation: Shaw, E, Gagnon, VS, Ravindran, E. 2021. "Guidance for Research Partnerships with/by/as the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community." Approved 28 April, Tribal Council. Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Baraga MI, https://www.mtu.edu/tribal-landscape/knowledge-center/seasons-of-research/.
The Medicine Wheel is a practical concept to illustrate guidance with/by/as research partners – it is an interconnected system of teachings relating to seasons, directions, elements, and the cyclical nature of life. Beginning in the East and moving clockwise, it aims for balance between and among time, space, and all beings, a balance that is sustained when we ask for permission and receive consent.
Research partnerships with/by/as the Community demonstrate respect for each other's differences, honor reciprocity for each other’s actions, exemplify responsibility for individual, organizational and community commitments, and express reverence for shared lands, waters, and all living beings.
The East quadrant in yellow emphasizes the importance of Relationship Building: Research
partnerships
require relationship building as a continuous process to create and sustain shared
understandings of place,
people, and each other; shared voices and vocabularies to strengthen our communication
of beliefs, values and practices; and shared experiences to engage in solidarity to
restore, protect, and revitalize land, water, and life.
The South quadrant in red emphasizes the importance of Planning & Prioritization:
Research partnerships call
for planning and prioritization to align and design research goals with community
priorities; to develop and
promote equitable practices and capacities in teaching, learning, and being; and to
create and achieve
ethics in-common and shared visions.
The West quadrant in black focuses on Knowledge Exchange: Research partnerships necessitate knowledge exchange throughout the process to recognize the equity of all knowledge systems; to seek to learn from other, much more wise, knowers - the air and the water, the rocks and the soil, and to remain and other living beings; the trees, the wildlife, curious and humble about the things we do not know, understand,or cannot yet conceive.
The North quadrant in white highlights Synthesis & Application: Research partnerships involve knowledge synthesis and application as a shared process to engage and carry out data stewardship; to exhibit trust and care for meaningful interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data, including oral histories and contemporary stories; and to build and strengthen capacity for bridging Indigenous and scientific knowledge together, empowering integrated action, planning, and research more widespread.