Indigenous Deliberation: Community Driven Research, Dual-Role Researchers, and Capacity Building in the Chickasaw Nation

Abstract

This study examines the experiences and roles of community researchers in The Chickasaw Nation’s Indigenous Deliberation. The 2-day deliberative gathering happened in 2018 which sets a precedence for continued Indigenous Deliberation with various partners with the Center for the Ethics of Indigenous Genomic Research (CEIGR). The deliberation was community-driven and situated in the needs and concerns of The Chickasaw Nation. This study used interviews with the community researchers, the deliberative event’s transcripts, and autoethnography experiences of the author as an Indigenous scholar and academic partner of CEIGR to analyze the roles and decisions community researchers enacted. The three entry points for data is analyzed together for this case study of the first Indigenous Deliberation conducted within a Tribal community about Genomic research and biobanking. A thematic analysis was conducted to determine the overarching themes of Indigenous Deliberation within collaborative partnerships between community and academic researchers. Three themes permeated each entry point: Community Contextualization, Deliberant Support, and Equitable Partnerships. Findings explore the themes surrounding the community-driven deliberation and the roles community researchers played in its planning, implementation, and evaluation. Findings indicate community-driven research should be focused within the community research is being conducted and that their needs are paramount. Findings support and build upon the need for equitable partnerships between Indigenous peoples and academics. Through the experiences of the community researchers, I explore the complexity in maintaining relationships. I explain how each theme is present in each step of the deliberation process and how those roles work together to support an Indigenous Deliberation.