Cherokee, Native American, & Indigenous Studies

Below are a selection of resources that provide crucial context for conducting research on and with Native American communities (organized by subject):

Keywords and research topics:

Methodologies:

Health Research

Conducting research with Native American peoples:

If you are planning on conducting research in or with any Indigenous community, it is important to first establish meaningful ties to that community. Ethically undertaking this kind of research involves sincere relationship-building, time, and dedication. 

The University of Minnesota’s Research with Indigenous Partners guide includes excellent tips on planning and conducting research. The excerpt quoted below is taken from their guidance on relationship-building:

“Before you even start planning your research project it is important to begin building a relationship with the people, Tribal nations, communities, and organizations that will be involved and impacted by the project. By building these relationships first you can be sure your project will benefit or be useful to your research partners. Some knowledge of the history, values, cultural practices, taboos, and expectations of your potential partners will help to smooth the way. Indigenous groups differ in their governance structures, cultural practices, taboos, and histories. When considering working with a specific group be sure to do some background research on that specific group. Throughout your work refrain from making broad generalizations about all Indigenous groups. It can be a big shift to value the relationships over the research, and one that likely does not feel well-supported by the systems in which research is done. Valuing the relationships will take time (move slowly), creativity, and support. A good guiding question to keep in mind throughout the process is, how does your research change if you view your research partners and participants as relatives?”

If your work will involve EBCI members or will take place in the EBCI community, your research will likely require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval from the EBCI. 

Learn more:

Cherokee-centered resources:

The resources below cover a variety of Native American and Indigenous Studies-related topics across a diverse media. 

Cherokee-centered resources:

General NAIS topics: