Re-conceptualizing Anishinaabe Mino-Bimaadiziwin (the Good Life) as Research Methodology: A Spirit-centered Way in Anishinaabe Research

Abstract

This article contributes to the discussion of approaches for conducting research prima­rily informed by Indigenous ways of knowing throughout the research process.Anishinaabe mino-bimaadiziwin (the Good Life) is a unifying and transcendentconcept that, when activated, contains the past, present, and future of Good andrespectful approaches to life, which includes Indigenous research. Although the use ofAnishinaabe mino-bimaadiziwin as part of research is not a new occurrence, explicitexamples of the application of Indigenous spirituality in the literature involvingresearch are sparse. Through this work I propose a Spirit-centered way in Anishinaaberesearch under the banner Anishinaabe mino-bimaadiziwin as research methodology.I start by locating myself and situating my personal experiences as the backdrop formy understanding of Anishinaabe worldview. After a brief discussion of Indigenousresearch, I present a review of the literature on the concept of mino-bimaadiziwin. Ithen re-conceptualize Anishinaabe mino-bimaadiziwin as research methodology.Finally, I present an example of how I have begun to seek, do, learn, and live aSpirit-centered way in Anishinaabe research.