The Community-First Land-Centred Theoretical Framework - Bringing a ‘Good Mind’ to Indigenous Education Research?

Oct 15, 2026

This article presents an emergent community-first, Land-centred research theoretical framework for Indigenous education research. It addresses the limited ways Indigenous educational research engages in culturally aligned and relevant collaboration within Indigenous communities. The framework was developed through reflective experiences of research partnerships over seven years, emphasizing culturally aligned, relevant, and relationship-based practices distinct from other community-oriented approaches. The paper outlines differentiating features and foundational principles.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Précis

Sharing Our Journey

Foundational principles and purpose

Ethical space and collaboration

The Community-First Land-Centred Theoretical Framework: Bringing a ‘Good Mind’ to Indigenous Education Research? Sandra Styres Brock University Dawn Zinga Brock University Abstract This article introduces an emergent research theoretical framework, the community-first Land-centred research framework. Carefully examining the literature within Indigenous educational research, we noted the limited approaches for engaging in culturally aligned and relevant research within Indigenous communities. The community-first Land-centred research framework was created by reflecting on how we engaged in research collaborations with Indigenous communities. This process of reflection led us to realize that within our research we had been developing a research framework that was culturally-aligned, relevant, and based on respectful relations that differed in important ways from other community oriented research framework. We articulate how we differentiate this framework from community-based approaches to research and discuss the community-first Land-centred research framework’s foundational principles. We draw upon lessons learned through our various collaborations over the past seven years. Keywords: Indigenous; Land-centred research; community engagement Précis Cet article présent un cadre théorique de la recherche émergente, la communauté et unième cadre de recherche concernant la Terre. Examiner attentivement la littérature au sein de la recherche en éducation autochtone, nous avons noté les approches limitées pour s'engager dans la recherche culturellement alignés et pertinents au sein des communautés autochtones. La communauté premier cadre de recherches sur les Terres centrée été créé par une réflexion sur la façon dont nous nous sommes engagés dans des collaborations de recherche avec les communautés autochtones. Ce processus de réflexion nous a amené à réaliser que, dans notre recherche, nous avons mis au point un cadre de recherche qui a été adaptés à la culture, pertinente et fondée sur des relations respectueuses qui diffèrent de façon importante des autres cadres de recherche axée sur la communauté . Nous articulons comment nous différencions ce cadre des approches communautaires de recherche et de discuter des principes fondateurs dela communauté et unième cadre de recherche concernant la Terre. Nous nous appuyons sur les leçons apprises à travers nos différentes collaborations au cours des sept dernières années. The Community-First Land-Centred Theoretical Framework: Bringing a ‘Good Mind’ to Indigenous Education Research? Sharing Our Journey In this article, we are introducing a new theoretical framework that is designed to address the complexities that arise when Indigenous 1 and non-Indigenous research collaborations are formed. It has emerged out of our own struggles with these complexities and the questions that we had to engage as part of those struggles. It is offered as a starting point for further conversations about research and research collaborations and as a sharing of where our mutual journey has taken us. i In our journey we have reflected on what it means to “bring a good mind” and/or do things in a “good way” regarding research and intercultural collaborations. We have questioned who gets to define these terms and in what ways they are expressed. This article does not provide an intensive analysis of the theoretical framework, but rather, is focused on the foundational principles upon which it is informed. We examine the ways Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers may collaborate and engage the concept of ethical space identified by Willie Ermine (2007) . This concept, we believe, is central to successful collaborations. These ways of collaborating and engaging are addressed specifically from the perspective of the partnership between us as an Indigenous researcher and anon-Indigenous researcher, who have been working collaboratively together for over seven years. Our collabora

FAQs

What problem does the article address in Indigenous education research collaborations?

It addresses complexities that arise when Indigenous and non-Indigenous research collaborations are formed, and it notes limited approaches for culturally aligned and relevant engagement within Indigenous communities.

How was the community-first Land-centred framework developed?

It emerged from the authors’ reflections on their own research collaborations with Indigenous communities, grounded in lessons learned across multiple partnerships over the past seven years.

What is the role of “ethical space” in the proposed approach?

The authors examine ways Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers may collaborate by engaging the concept of ethical space, which they consider central to successful collaborations.

Oct 15, 2026

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