Research Reports
Reflections on Traditional American Indian Ways, 1998
Threats to Tribal Sovereignty, 1998
Traditional American Indian Leadership: A Comparison with U.S. Governance, 1997
Methodology
The American Indian Policy Center uses a reality-based research process to collect and analyze data. Standard research paradigms using quantitative data (surveys, statistics) do not effectively tease out characteristics of American Indians at the community level; this often leads to inaccurate results. Reality-based research allows for insight into the culture, values, norms, and experiences of the American Indian community at the grassroots level resulting in a greater understanding of issues from this perspective. This research method does not attempt to replace other methods. It allows the story to be told from an Indian perspective, and does not always comport with other established research methods. Formal questioning through surveys and focus groups are well intentioned in the standard research model, but do not relate well to the values and norms of traditional Indian life.
The methodology for gathering information for this report included talking circles and in-depth interviews. These methods were selected because they follow a more time-honored manner for gathering information from American Indian people where standard quantitative or qualitative research approaches have fallen short. The reality-based research approach is necessary because American Indian cultural knowledge and beliefs significantly impact the attitude and behavior of individual Indians. Our methods closely replicate the practice of the oral history tradition and are thus based on the values, beliefs, and practices of Indian people. Talking circles and interviews provide a space where everyone’s thoughts and opinions are valued and where respect, trust, and knowledge of Indian ways continue to flow.
Participants sit in a circle and facilitators provide a list of general but important questions for discussion. These questions may be used as a guide for discussion, but they also are useful to facilitate opportunities for casual, informal conversation and story telling. Talking circles are highly regarded among Indian people because they reflect the circle of life. The circle, in traditional Indian ways, represents that all life is cyclical in nature. In the past an eagle feather, a sacred symbol, was passed around the circle and the person who had possession of the feather could not be interrupted. Sometimes other objects were used. Today the practice is so ingrained in the behavior of Indian people that it is not always necessary to use an object in the circle. The circle is recognized as meaningful in many ways with Indian people, like the changing of the seasons, the phases of the moon, the shape of the world, and the shape of the universe. All things in the circle are equal.
Analysis of talking circles involves a process different from other analytic techniques. While we analyze transcripts for patterns and significant concepts, it is much more difficult to do so. Talking circle transcripts reflect the circular format of story telling and analysis involves translating this format into a more linear, quantifiable format so that it can be readily interpreted and understood from a non-Indian perspective.
The
Well-Being of American Indian Children in Minnesota: Economic Conditions,
1994
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Tuesday November 1, 2005