Handbook of Critical and Indigenous Methodologies (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Handbook of Critical and Indigenous Methodologies James Cedric Woods (bio) Norma K. Denzin, Yvonna S. Lincoln, and Linda Tuhiwai Smith , eds. Handbook of Critical and Indigenous Methodologies. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. 2008. 624 pp. Cloth, $140.00. Denzin, Lincoln, and Smith work to create connections among indigenous epistemologies, theories of colonization and the postcolonial, emancipatory discourses, critical theory, and critical pedagogy through this collection of different perspectives, approaches, methodologies, and ethics involving research. The editors see this work as the opportunity to launch a new era of critical indigenous inquiry. With such a far reaching mission, they also have as their goal a work that can be used for both advanced undergraduates and graduate students. They have achieved their self-stated target of reaching both undergraduates and graduates with some chapters, although others should clearly be reserved for graduate students, who are better prepared to engage the theoretical frameworks or deconstruction of frameworks of thought, research, and ethics. As to their hope of launching a new era of critical indigenous inquiry, some chapters did make me rethink why and how I do research as an indigenous scholar (Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina) and, equally important, what I could recommend to my own community to protect [End Page 228] our interest better. In particular, chapter 25 by Battiste, addressing the development of a research protocol for the Mi'kmaw Nation of Nova Scotia, was more than informative. It has inspired me to work on a similar protocol to propose to my own tribe. This contribution is clearly not about an abstract theory but about application and self-determination and should be read by First Nations scholars and communities who deal with outside researchers on an ongoing basis. If my self-reflection and call to action from reading the text is a gauge, some of the essays do have the power to inspire and motivate at least this indigenous scholar. Additionally, indigenous scholars provide perspectives from North America, New Zealand, Africa, and the Middle East about the why, how, and ethical responsibilities they assume when doing research. Further explorations occur later as to what the contributions of these scholars may have on Western science as a whole. In and of itself, this multiplicity of voices—from numerous indigenous perspectives (Native American, Hawaiian, Maori, African, and First Nations) as well as from feminist, gay, and critical race theorists, participatory action researchers, and others—makes this volume worth owning for any graduate student in the field of anthropology. Current scholars may find some surprises in the shifting terrain and the expectations indigenous and other communities have for researchers, some based on and reflected in the chapters of this book. These shifting and multivocal qualities get at the editors' introductory assertion that "we believe there is a great need for a dialogue between critical theorists and indigenous scholars and indigenous peoples" (x). This implies collaboration both across disciplines and the indigene-colonizer divide and with indigenous communities. The goal of collaboration among scholars is to "speak to oppressed, colonized persons living in postcolonial situations of injustice: women, women of color, Third World women, African American women, Black women, Chicano and Other minority group women, queer, lesbian, and transgendered, Aboriginal, First Nation, Native American, South African, Latin American, and Pacific and Asian Islander persons" (x). Moreover, "critical indigenist pedagogy . . . turns the academy and its classrooms into sacred spaces, where indigenous and nonindigenous scholars interact, share experiences, take risks, explore alternative methods of interpretation, and participate in a shared agenda" (12). This type of indigene-colonizer [End Page 229] collaboration is specifically addressed in chapter 23 by Jones and Jenkins. For collaboration to be ethical in relation to indigenous communities, Jones and Jenkins assert that research must accomplish the following: (1) benefit and promote self-determination for participants; (2) begin with the concerns of indigenous people, which are assessed in terms of benefits created for them; and (3) represent indigenous persons honestly and honor indigenous knowledge, customs, and rituals. Several chapters develop and utilize community-specific approaches and case studies of how these collaborative guidelines play out in the field (Bishop; Krog, Mpolweni-Zantsi, Ratele; Madison; Tomaselli, Dyll, and Francis). The editors do not assert...