The Community-First Land-Centred Theoretical Framework: Bringing a ‘Good Mind’ to Indigenous Education Research?

Abstract

This article introduces an emergent research theoretical framework, the community-first Land-centred research framework.  Carefully examining the literature within Indigenous educational research, we noted the limited approaches for engaging in culturally aligned and relevant research within Indigenous communities.  The community-first Land-centred research framework was created by reflecting on how we engaged in research collaborations with Indigenous communities.  This process of reflection led us to realize that within our research we had been developing a research framework that was culturally-aligned, relevant, and based on respectful relations that differed in important ways from other community oriented research framework.  We articulate how we differentiate this framework from community-based approaches to research and discuss the community-first Land-centred research framework’s foundational principles. We draw upon lessons learned through our various collaborations over the past seven years.

Key words: Indigenous; Land-centred research; community engagement