Self-Location and Ethical Space in Wellness Research

Abstract

Working with Indigenous communities involves responsibility, relationship, respect, and reciprocity (Kirkness & Barnhardt, 2016). Our research consists of a partnership with Nipissing First Nation to explore their citizens’ understanding of wellness. Our aim is to tell a collective story of wellness based on the experiences of Nipissing First Nation citizens. As part of our relational process, our research team engaged in an exercise of self-location in preparation for working with Nipissing First Nation stories. This process involved looking back into our own stories of wellness from three temporal points: as children, youth, and adults. Our collective perspective of wellness involved three main themes of relationship, identity, and determinants of health. This exercise helped researchers become aware of their own subjective lenses about wellness. Awakening to our own stories helped us to recognize the ethical space that existed between us as researchers, the stories we will gather, and the perspectives of our community advisory committee. Engaging in this exercise illuminated the need for a continual reflexive stance, consistently being mindful about the privilege we hold as researchers and the invisible stories that creep into an analysis. The process of self-location was an essential element in beginning our research journey. It prepared us for working respectfully and reciprocally with the community that honours the ethical space we collectively share.

Envisioning Indigenous and biomedical healthcare collaboration at Stanton Territorial Hospital, Northwest Territories

“…Ethical space describes a metaphorical, non-hierarchical meeting space, in which Western and Indigenous knowledge systems and worldviews come together [ 59–61 ]. The goal of ethical space is to dialogue “in a cooperative spirit” [ 59 ]p. 203); in this space, “allegiances and mental constraints dissipate for the purpose of reconciling differences and hearing each other” [ 62 ]p. 49) and “new currents of thought flow in different directions and overrun the old ways of thinking” [ 59 ]p. 203).…”

“Every One of Us Is a Strand in That Basket”: Weaving Together Stories of Indigenous Wellness and Resilience From the Perspective of Those With Lived and Living Experience With HIV/Hepatitis C Virus

“…spent time together discussing the retreat itself, our understandings of the activities, and our initial reflections on the transcripts. Throughout this first phase, we were intentional about self-location ( Peltier et al, 2019 ), taking time to bring together our diverse perspectives as a way of building trust, self-reflexivity, and connection. We met often to discuss our perspectives and newfound interpretations and to validate our emerging understandings.…”

“…Considering HIV, HCV, and HIV/HCV coinfections as colonial illness prompts us to consider approaches to health and wellness research that take a stand against reductionism, honoring the role of both qualitative and quantitative data, as appropriate. Elders Albert and Murdena Marshall's etuaptmumk –Two-eyed Seeing ( Martin, 2012 ; Peltier et al, 2019 ) was used as a conceptual framework that shaped the various components of our research. For this project, it meant bringing together both Western and Indigenous ways of understanding health and wellness to inform the research design.…”

Indigenous Men Adhering to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: Navigating Through Culturally Unsafe Spaces While Caring for Their Health

“…Being non-Indigenous, the lead author found his place and continued to grow, recognizing that there are many ways of knowing and that harmony can be attained between these, and also that in recognizing and acknowledging this, personal growth can be attained leading to a better life for all. Delving into Indigenous research, locating oneself as a researcher was important ( 43 , 44 ) as this enabled for identification of potential preconceptions and biases from own lived experiences of colonial subjugation, previous professional work experience in medicine, public health and research, setting these aside making sure these do not interfere with the study overall. Locating oneself also enabled for reaching into deeper levels of reflective journaling throughout the process and allowed for people to know the researcher.…”