Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Indigenous Qualitative Methods

Course Description

Building Indigenous qualitative research methods skills are important for students interested in conducting research with Indigenous peoples, organizations and communities. In this course, students will have the opportunity to learn about Indigenous qualitative methods that they will then practice with their peers. Storytelling, talking circles, sharing circles, digital methods, arts-based methods, kitchen-table talks and interviews will be explained and demonstrated through interactive sessions.

Course Objectives

It is important for students to understand and be able to use Indigenous qualitative methods using Indigenous methodologies and praxis. In this course, students will learn about Indigenous qualitative methods like storytelling, talking and sharing circles, digital and arts-based methods, kitchen-table talks and interviews. Students will demonstrate their newly acquired knowledge in practice sessions that relate to each of the key methods.

Students will:

• Learn and demonstrate key Indigenous qualitative methods terminology and usage of these methods;
• Demonstrate ability to use Indigenous qualitative methods in a respectful, responsible and reciprocal way at all levels and stages of research;
• Examine and observe Indigenous qualitative methods in action to assist with the use of these methods for their purposes;
• Connect the importance of decolonization, truth, and reconciliation as foundational to research regarding First Nations, Métis and Inuit; and
• Assess when Indigenous qualitative methods are appropriate to use from cultural, spiritual, physical, emotional, social, and scholarly paradigms.

Methods of Assessment

Methods Brief	35%
Assessment of a method in use	30%
Study Outline	35%