Research Summary: Weaving Knowledges in Tribal-University Research

The title of our tribal-university research collaborative is Kawe Gidaa-naanaagadawendaamin Manoomin, translating from Ojibwemowin to English as “First, we must consider Wild Rice.” This title was given to our collaborative by Ojibwe partners and reflects that the research is tribally-driven and prioritizes tribal views. Although the Wild Rice Collaborative is guided by the principle of honoring Indigenous sovereignty and rights (Matson et al., 2021), we operate in a university with a record of conducting harmful research in Indigenous communities. Since the collaborative was formed in 2018, we have been learning how to respectfully work together across cultures, agencies, disciplines, and other ways of knowing. Here we present the findings from a qualitative evaluation that explores the collaborative’s approach to engaging multiple ways of knowing through the guidance of “Kawe Gidaa-Naanaagadawendaamin Manoomin.” From 2020-2021, we interviewed 24 participants in the Wild Rice Collaborative, including Native and non-Native tribal agency staff, university students, and faculty. The interviews showed that when we consider Wild Rice first we: respect the rights and personhood of Wild Rice; prioritize tribes; treat each other as relatives; bring our holistic gifts; share time on land and water; and pursue just futures. While the guidance in this document emerged from interviews, ongoing dialogue continuously develops our practices and understandings, we hope the values, practices, and wisdoms presented here are useful to other community-university projects engaging in knowledge co-production.