“We’ve Been Researched to Death”: Exploring the Research Experiences of Urban Indigenous Peoples in Vancouver, Canada

Abstract

The belief among many Indigenous Peoples of being over-researched, often through questionable research practices, has generated mistrust towards researchers. Despite growing critiques of conventional research practices, understanding of Indigenous Peoples’ contemporary research experiences remains limited. The research this article describes was undertaken by a community organization led by Indigenous Peoples who use illicit substances. Community researchers facilitated talking circles to explore the research experiences of peers living in a highly-researched inner-city neighbourhood in Vancouver, Canada. While participants reported distrust towards researchers, this wariness did not preclude participation in research given a context of extreme poverty. Participants noted lack of transparency in research and perceived research as having little benefit to their community. We argue for increased support for Indigenous-led approaches to research that emphasize community concerns and meaningful community participation.