Reports from the Field: Eneq's Ke:s - Kake:ketikuaq Omae:qnomene:wak ("The Menominee Have Spoken"): Mentorship and Collaboration in an Indigenous Community

Abstract

Research involving Indigenous peoples is political, historically situated, contextually positioned, and involves people with multiple and sometimes conflicting interests. This Report from the Field toils the story of an intersection of two worlds, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and has been written for Indigenous, non-Indigenous and academic communities. In this article, a non-Indigenous researcher revisits how she informed and confirmed ethical responsibilities and protocols of non-Indigenous researchers completing research in Indigenous communities. Drawing on Critical Indigenous Research Methodologies, this account frames a journey of a non-Indigenous researcher and an Indigenous mentor as they enacted notions of relationality, respect, responsibility, reciprocity and accountability in an Indigenous community to gain trust, rapport and access to the tribal community. The article further examines how important it is for non-Indigenous researchers to respect the selfdetermination and sovereignty of Indigenous communities.