Axiology
What is axiology and how does it shape Indigenous research?
The study of values; it informs how researchers relate to community, land, and knowledge with responsibility and respect.
What is ontology in the context of Indigenous research?
The study of being or existence; how we understand what is real.
Define epistemology.
The study of knowledge—how we know what we know.
Define methodology in research.
The overall strategy and logic guiding how knowledge is gathered.
To facilitate dialogue in class each Monday.
Name a value central to Indigenous axiology that is often excluded from Western paradigms.
Reciprocity or relationality
True or False: Western ontology often views land as inert; Indigenous ontology sees it as alive.
True
What’s one example of an Indigenous epistemological source that differs from Western science?
Oral history, dreams, land-based teachings.
What distinguishes Indigenous methodology from Western qualitative methods?
It is relational, context-specific, and grounded in cultural protocols.
Are reflections free-form or strict on grammar, punctuation, etc.?
Free-form
Why might an Indigenous researcher refuse to extract data from a community archive without ceremony?
Because ethical engagement and consent are values, not just protocols
Give an example of how an Indigenous ontology might change a research topic’s focus.
Centering the land’s role in healing rather than just individual behavior change
What is Etuaptmumk or “Two-Eyed Seeing”?
A concept of integrating Indigenous and Western epistemologies without domination of one over the other.
How might ceremony be integrated into a research methodology?
As a method of starting, guiding, or closing research in a culturally respectful way
When are discussion board prompts and reflections due?
Each Sunday by 11:59 PM.
What is a culturally grounded reason for co-authorship with Elders or community members in publications?
Honoring relational accountability and shared ownership of knowledge.
How does the concept of “all my relations” reflect an Indigenous ontology?
It expresses interconnectedness between humans, animals, ancestors, and land as all equally real and relevant.
Why might storytelling be a valid data collection method in Indigenous research?
Because stories are a traditional form of transmitting knowledge.
What is “relational accountability,” and why is it part of Indigenous methodology?
The expectation that researchers uphold obligations to community, land, and knowledge holders
When is the conceptual framework and positionality statement due?
July 27th 2025
In what way can axiology shape a study’s dissemination plan?
By prioritizing community-based returns and reciprocal benefits over academic publishing alone.
Why is "being in good relation" considered ontological, not just ethical?
Because it reflects what is — the state of reality and interconnected being.
How can researchers evaluate rigor in Indigenous epistemologies?
By assessing relational accountability, cultural alignment, and community validation
Describe how methodology and epistemology must align in Indigenous research.
The way knowledge is sought (method) must honor the way it is valued and passed down (epistemology)
Week 6 we are synchronous both days for final presentations!