Through a Critical Lens: Indigenist Research and the Dadirri Method

Abstract

Indigenous scholars have addressed the problematic nature of research by adopting methodologies that fit well with their communities and that relate effectively and culturally with how knowledge is shared to give indigenous people a voice. In this article we discuss Dadirri, an indigenous research method and way of life, as a vital research framework, connecting it to other relevant political and critical methodologies such as Freire's transformative education process and Habermas' theory of communicative action. In doing so, we illustrate how this methodology provides a significant framework for indigenous researchers undertaking liberatory studies that promote change.