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Reflective Essays

Vol. 29 No. 1

From Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Involving Indigenous Peoples to Indigenous-Led CBPR: It Is More Than Just Drinking Tea

  • Diana Lewis
  • Heather Castleden
  • Ronald David Glass
  • Nicole Bates-Eamer
Submitted
July 31, 2023
Published
2025-04-24

Abstract

Recent research and social movements (e.g., #IdleNoMore, #NotYourMascots, #EveryChildMatters, #LandBack, #Pretendians) have advanced Indigenous resurgence and self-determination. In this essay we explore the evolution of community-based participatory research (CBPR) involving Indigenous Peoples. Much has changed since Castleden et al. (2012) used “drinking tea” to reveal the material realities of CBPR with Indigenous communities; then and now, it is more than simply a cup of tea. Here, we further scholarly understandings of “drinking tea” through Indigenous and decolonial lenses, as we see rapid shifts toward Indigenous-led CBPR (ILCBPR). Through our own ILCBPR experiences, we share insights into the intersections of relational accountability, data sovereignty and autonomy, cultural relevance in gender-based analysis, the power of ceremony in governance, and for decolonizing time, place, and all our relations in engaged scholarship. We contextualize our essay with examples from our work and offer guiding questions for those—particularly non-Indigenous people—considering CBPR.