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I am a white settler in Mi’kma’ki, the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq.

As a component of my PhD in clinical psychology, I am in the process of completing a dissertation examining the experiences of Indigenous women who have been incarcerated in Canada. My upbringing was deeply influenced by close relationships with Indigenous peoples, particularly Métis and Anishinaabe communities. Through personal experiences and story-sharing, I gained insight into the histories and lasting impacts of colonization. In adulthood, while providing counseling at a jail in Anishinaabe territory, I met an Elder who offered programming for Indigenous people in the institution. Through him, I learned about the more personal consequences of the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in the Canadian carceral system. His words have stayed with me, deepening my commitment to culturally informed research and clinical practice.

Ethical research with Indigenous communities requires a commitment to culturally informed practices. In Canada, ethical frameworks attempt to address the harms caused by researchers to Indigenous peoples. For example, ethics boards have adopted the First Nations Principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP®), which guide the relationship between Indigenous groups and academic institutions and requires researchers to consider who owns, controls, has access to, and retains data resulting from collaborations with Indigenous peoples (FNIGC, 2014). Indigenous researchers have also developed data-interpretation guidelines such as Two-Eyed Seeing, which incorporates both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing when interpreting data (Marshall et al., 2015). These principles are foundational to ethical research and must be integrated in the design and conduct of any study from the outset.

This essay reflects on my experiences applying these guidelines in practice, emphasizing the personal actions I have found to be most important — actions that are not necessarily codified by ethics boards, but which have been critical to fostering positive, meaningful community relationships. While this essay may provide insights for academics pursuing community-based research with diverse groups, it is grounded in my specific experiences working with one particular community. These reflections are intended as a starting point, but the main message of this essay is to remain open in your collaborations and to adapt to the needs of the community. For a broader discussion of best practices from the perspectives of Indigenous peoples, I recommend resources such as Hayward et al. (2021), Smith (2012), Marshall et al. (2015), and the FNIGC website.

Know Yourself
Research begins with a question: Long before the involvement of ethics boards there will be an idea that eventually grows into a design. When working with groups you are not a member of, the design process must start with self-reflection. Why are you motivated to take on this work? What connection do you have to it? What are your assumptions about the study or outcomes? In the first paragraph of this essay, I share my connection to Indigenous lands and personal experiences as a settler, addressing the first two questions. This approach to self-introduction was taught to me by Indigenous colleagues in academia and psychology. Reflecting on our motivations is most crucial when our work impacts communities directly. For instance, my research examining the experiences of Indigenous women incarcerated in Canada is a sensitive topic that could be re-traumatizing, so I needed to ensure I was in a position to minimize harm. Once I was clear on my intentions, I reached out to the local community to gauge their interest in the research and seek out community collaborators. Although approaching community members with a research proposal can be intimidating, transparency helps make these interactions open and accessible.

The most critical aspect of self-reflection is addressing biases and assumptions about outcomes. This requires checking biases and decolonizing learning. Otherwise, we risk perpetuating harm through microaggressions, minimization of community experiences, or reinforcing stereotypes. These biases can affect all stages of research from data collection to analysis and interpretation in ways that perpetuate harmful stereotypes and are not reflective of the nuanced experiences under study. Decolonizing this process is an ongoing effort, requiring non-defensive openness to feedback and correction when missteps occur. For me, this has involved both formal learning, such as reading works by Indigenous authors, and informal learning, like listening to Indigenous stories from friends in my life and on social media. Most importantly, it has meant seeking out this information independently.

Know Your Community
Challenging your biases requires not only an understanding of how colonization has shaped your perspective, but also knowledge of the community you intend to work with. This means taking the time to learn about the community's history, traditions, and ongoing struggles. While ethical guidelines may require community consultation, seeking input only because it is mandated is insufficient. True engagement begins long before the formal research process — it starts with building relationships and trust. Researchers have harmed marginalized communities by treating participants as mere subjects rather than people with agency and dignity. Decolonizing research involves recognizing and rejecting this dehumanization.

In my experience, this means approaching research collaboratively, allowing the community’s culture and values to shape the research design. It involves attending community events, engaging in mutual sharing, and having honest conversations about potential barriers or concerns, especially given my status as a settler. It also includes engaging in local activism, which deepens my understanding of the community’s priorities and supports efforts for change. For example, understanding the importance of the topic of mass incarceration to Indigenous peoples guided decisions throughout the design process. It led us to use qualitative methods rooted in storytelling traditions and to incorporate accessibility considerations such as meeting participants in their community and involving an Elder to provide support for participants. This approach also demystified discussions about OCAP principles during the ethics process — given the heavy reliance on Indigenous knowledge and storytelling within the study, our data belongs to the community. Our community consultants became co-investigators, contributing to the development of research questions, materials, and data interpretation. By involving the community from the start, their needs, interests, and perspectives shaped the research, making it both more ethical and more meaningful.

Know Your Institution
Understanding your institution’s history and its relationship to the community you are working with is crucial. The field of psychology and most of our existing academic institutions were developed within the context of colonization and have a legacy of harmful research practices involving Indigenous peoples. These institutions have often treated Indigenous peoples as subjects to be studied, without returning benefits or respecting their knowledge (Canadian Psychological Association, 2018; Smith, 2012). Understanding these histories and their lasting effects are important to taking a non-defensive and open approach to community work with a willingness to accept that trust takes time to build and that you may not be welcomed into a community.

Equally important is recognizing the privilege that comes with your affiliation to such institutions — privilege that can be used to advocate for the needs and interests of marginalized communities. As a researcher, it is your responsibility to advocate for the community if institutional policies conflict with their needs. This requires not only understanding both the community’s priorities and the institution’s policies, but also having the confidence to challenge harmful practices. By using institutional privilege to advocate for marginalized communities, you help ensure that their voices are heard, especially those who have been traditionally excluded from such institutions.

Conclusion
This essay has shared the lessons I have learned in developing a research project on the experiences of Indigenous women incarcerated in Canada. Each research topic and community requires a unique approach, with varying levels of engagement and consideration. This study, with its substantial community involvement, has provided invaluable learning opportunities. Remaining open to learning from communities and allowing their needs and priorities to shape your research design enriches the experience and leads to more nuanced and holistic outcomes. I am deeply grateful to the many Indigenous friends, family, colleagues, and collaborators — especially Indigenous women — whose guidance and teachings have profoundly shaped my learning and informed the reflections shared in this essay.