This essay is an attempt to continue the reflective element that was a part of a dissertation based on a study of the development of a culturally relevant curriculum in a tribal school. As a reflective retrospection on the anthropological research methodology, it examines the intersection of academic research traditions, the traditions of the…

Examines the concept and practice of returning linguistic favors to host research communities, the so-called "linguistic gratuity principle" (Wolfram,1993). Uses a case study format as the basis for scrutinizing researcher-community relationships. Presents research from the post-insular dialect community of Ocracoke Island in North…

Culturally appropriate means of conducting language research among American Indians is critical for maintaining cooperation and for increasing the depth of data collected. The apprentice-elder and fictive kinship models used in research with two Siouan-speaking tribes are discussed, as well as their practical applications, the importance of…

Academic fieldworkers in language-endangered communities must be able to undertake all aspects of linguistic work, elicit linguistic information from speakers, document naturally occurring speech data, present research results in a comprehensible manner to the community and to academia, and develop cooperative programs based on mutual trust.…

To successfully maintain endangered Native American languages, Native communities must collectively recognize their language's vulnerability and commit to its continuity. Linguists need more experience with fieldwork and pragmatics, knowledge of various language transmission practices in cultures other than their own, an understanding of cultural…

Defines participatory research, describes its origins, and outlines the major issues, including the question of the researcher's role, the question of power, and the contribution to social movements. (SK)

Examines the motivating forces and characteristics of participatory research, presents a brief outline of social theory, and discusses the issue of knowledge as the single most important basis of power and control. (SK)

Examines trends in participatory research and the need for clarification of it as a process of "disindoctrination" to the status quo and a means of bringing about the structural transformation of society. Issues of popular organization and strategies for increasing viability are discussed. (SK)

Examines problems that can occur when research is conducted in culturally diverse communities. The commentary comes from experiences conducting research in a particular African American community. The paper argues that understanding the nuances of appropriate cultural interaction, public discourse, and private meaning are all vital components in…

Despite widespread indifference or resistence to the idea, communication scientists need to discuss the ethical implications of their research. Fortunate in being able to conduct research, scientists are responsible to and for the larger population in whose names they do their work. They need to realize that such traditional research areas and…

Researchers working with the American Indian Rehabilitation Research and Training Center in Arizona have found that culture is important in social research, especially with indigenous people. Community-based participatory research is one approach that has yielded outcomes valuable to researchers and community members. However, ethical concerns…

The National Endowment for the Humanities' Code of Ethics for research of Native Americans, based on the Indian Religious Freedom Act (P.L. 95-561, 1978) and the National Historic Preservation Act (P.L. 96-515), is a model for awarding research grants. The Code will stimulate improved relations between scholars and Native Americans. (LC)

A White Mountain Apache (WMA) doctoral student collaborating with a non-Indian linguist on a grammar book project discusses the status of the WMA language; causes of WMA language shift; aspects of insider-outsider collaboration; implications for revitalization and maintenance of indigenous languages; and the responsibilities of individuals,…

Linguists working with endangered American Indian languages must realize that fieldwork is a cooperative venture, requiring that control be relinguished to the community. The relationship with the tribe must be negotiated, and linguists must return something concrete to the community in terms of language revival. Working in language teams that…