Issues of diversity: Participatory action research with indigenous peoples

Participatory Action Research (PAR) has been identified as a form of inquiry well suited for indigenous peoples and communities. Rooted in social justice, PAR typically combines the agenda of research, education and social action with the intent to facilitate conditions for both individual and community change. This chapter will consider the relevance of the PAR approach with indigenous peoples and communities as it relates to the Canadian context. As part of this review, the historical relationship between western oriented research and indigenous peoples in Canada will be described, and the promise and challenge of the PAR approach as a critical, anti-oppressive response to the conventional research approach will be examined. Finally, work on a palliative care research project undertaken by the author with colleagues using a PAR framework, will be described.