Decolonisation of Research Methodologies for Sustainable Development in Indigenous Settings

Within dominant Western research frameworks, researchers hold the power to disseminate information that can be used for or against the interests of the researched. Historically, this is evidenced by the repeated study of indigenous peoples, territories, and natural resources with little regard to the impact such research has on indigenous peoples’ present and future lives. As such, a growing body of research has emphasised the need for research paradigms that reflect indigenous views and beliefs. This includes employing inherently indigenous methodologies that capture indigenous knowledge and indigenous ways of knowing to topics in which indigenous perspectives have been historically absent. Sustainable development is one such area in which indigenous perspectives have been side-lined. Through the lens of postcolonial theory and epistemic injustice, we conducted a systematic review of the extant literature that investigated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in indigenous settings, presenting a case for the decolonisation of research methodologies in this context. The prevalent methodologies used in the extant literature are outlined and discussed in relation to establishing a precedence of conducting future research collaboratively with indigenous peoples.