Co-construction of a Data Collection Tool: A Case Study with Atikamekw Women

Authors

  • Suzy Basile Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
  • Hugo Asselin Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9542-4994
  • Thibault Martin Université du Québec en Outaouais

Keywords:

Research decolonization, participatory research, data collection tools, consent form, Indigenous women, Atikamekw

Abstract

Gendered knowledge, roles and responsibilities in Indigenous cultures have historically been based on reciprocity and complementarity. By excluding Indigenous women from decision-making, colonial policies have reduced the knowledge base on which decisions are made. Indigenous women’s voices have also been largely excluded from research, and researchers have played a substantial role in their marginalization. It is within this context, and in a research decolonization effort, that we present a case study of the process of co-constructing a data collection tool with Atikamekw women. While preparing a research project on Indigenous women’s roles in the governance of land and natural resources, we worked with three Atikamekw women who gave particularly high importance to the process of obtaining participant consent. We designed the consent form together, so that it would address their concerns about trust, transparency, and community involvement throughout the research process. If research is to be decolonized, research tools should not be developed within university offices, but through meaningful collaboration with research participants.

Author Biographies

Suzy Basile, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Professor

School of Indigenous Studies

Hugo Asselin, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Professor

Canada Research Chair in Aboriginal Forestry

Director of the School of Indigenous Studies

Thibault Martin, Université du Québec en Outaouais

Professor

Chaire de recherche du Canada sur la gouvernance autochtone du territoire

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Published

2017-11-14

How to Cite

Basile, S., Asselin, H., & Martin, T. (2017). Co-construction of a Data Collection Tool: A Case Study with Atikamekw Women. ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies, 17(3), 840–860. Retrieved from https://acme-journal.org/index.php/acme/article/view/1414

Issue

Section

Themed Section - Concrete Ways to Decolonize Research