Decolonizing Data

Title Decolonizing Data: Unsettling Conversations About Social Research Methods

Author Jacqueline M. Quinless

Genre non-fiction, politics

Topics race, health

Lenght 184p

Cover "The Wisdom of the Universe" by Christi Belcourt

Publish info January 15, 2022 by University of Toronto Press

Rating ✵✵✵½

"Decolonizing is a bridge

between two worlds."

And as the author so clearly explains, it's an important and fundamental step towards the well-being of Indigenous people

“[...] While it has been touted that Canada is in a era of reconciliation, the truth of the matter is that many Indigenous peoples continue to experience ongoing colonial oppression that contributes to severe health inequalities.”

and the respectful and meaningful relationship we need to create and keep improving.

“Daschuk's work clearly shows that over the past century public health researchers have been aware that reserves exist in harsh environments and unsafe conditions, all of which continue to contribute to high rates of disease, starvation, suicide, alcoholism, and other forms of trauma but this awareness was dismissed as “officials began to interpret the chronic bad health of the Indigenous population as a condition of their race””

The book is divided in different chapters, each of of them with their different topic presented in a competent and technical way, without resulting in incomprehensibleness:
Introduction This chapter provides an introduction to Indigenous perspective on well-being and social capital analysis as an analytical framework that is useful to address the conventions of state-centric processes to measure and evaluate well-being.
The Impact of Colonization on Indigenous Health and Well-Being This chapter describes Government of Canada assimilation policy, the reserve system, and residential schools and provides a critical review of the impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples' health in Canada.
Decolonizing Bodies and a Self-Governing Health System This chapter provides a contextual understanding of how Indigenous peoples' experiences with colonialism have impacted their overall states of health and wellness.
Social Capital Theory, Health Indicators, and Indigenous Communities This chapter considers the relationships that occur across individual and community levels of well-being that emerge in the urban landscape.
Decolonizing Data and Critical Research Methods This chapter presents findings that explore how engaging in traditional practices and cultural activities serves as the basis of well-being and how transgenerational trauma – most notably the impact of the residential school system – affects various aspects of well-being.

Maybe this book is more suited for people that are working in the field, but it's both an interesting and valuable reading.

“This book is not about Indigenous methodologies; […] this book offers a conversation about how ongoing structures of colonization negatively impact the well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities across Canada that has resulted in persistent health inequalities. This book is an unique scholarly contribution that yields valuable insights into addressing health inequalities and intends to bring the concept of decolonizing research methods and Indigenous people into mainstream sociology in a way that has until now been neglected. For me, the decolonization of research within social sciences is about rational allyship, partnership, honouring Indigenous ethical protocols, holding space for resurgence, and challenging power structures. In decolonizing my own research praxis, I have reflected about the power structures that define and uphold my thoughts and practices. I explain how research design practices need to be culturally responsive, which means that researchers need to work in partnership with Indigenous peoples, communities, and / or organizations in such a way as to avoid misinterpretations and misrepresentations in the knowledge inquiry process. These are partnerships that will facilitate meaningful dialogue because Indigenous peoples, communities, and organizations can re-story the historical trauma on a number of levels to recreate new ways of understanding and contesting the deeply ingrained structures of inequality.”

“What does it mean to decolonize? Decolonization offers different pathways for reconnecting Indigenous peoples with their traditional territories and land / water-based cultural practices. The decolonization process operates at multiple levels and necessitates moving from an awareness of being in struggle to actively engaging in daily practices of resurgence. More specifically, it is in those everyday acts of resurgence that the scope of the struggle for decolonization is reclaimed by Indigenous peoples. If colonization dispossessed Indigenous Peoples from land and culture, “the resurgence is about reconnecting with traditional land-based and water-based cultural practices”. While decolonization and resurgence can be described separately, they are viewed in this book as interrelated actions and strategies that inform pathways to resistance and freedom – everyday decolonization and resurgence practices from the basis of Indigenous health and well-being and applying decolonized research methodologies produces knowledge that supports self-determination.”

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Impact of Colonization on Indigenous Health and Well-Being
3. Decolonizing Bodies and a Self-Governing Health System
4. Social Capital Theory, Health Indicators, and Indigenous Communities
5. Decolonizing Data and Critical Research Methods
Conclusion