Hede kehe' hotzi' kahidi': My Journey to a Tahltan Research Paradigm

Abstract

As a First Nations student, educator, and researcher, I articulate my journey that hastaken me from a Western academic perspective to a Tahltan world view. This articleis based on the process I went through while writing the methodology paper for mydoctoral candidacy exams. The Tahltan research paradigm that I have developed— grounded in Tahltan epistemology, methodology, and pedagogy—is based on theconnection that Tahltan people have with our Ancestors, our traditional territory,and our language. It involves receiving the teachings of our Ancestors, learning andknowing these teachings, and sharing these teachings with our people. By using aTahltan research process, I hope that my research will be transformative and positive,respectful and honorable, and will be relevant and useful not only for my people, butfor the larger Indigenous community as well.