Research in the Pluriverse

Key Insights

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  Colonial and modernist epistemologies have historically marginalized Indigenous and plural ways of knowing by privileging only one rigid form of 'truth'.

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  Knowledge exists in multiple forms including embodied, energetic, spiritual, relational, aesthetic, and lived experiential, not just institutional scientific knowledge.

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  Research should not be reduced to data collection or problem solving but viewed as relational storytelling, cultural preservation, and community stewardship.

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  Pluralistic research values diverse methods including fable-based, dance-based, musicological, and art-based approaches embedded in specific local contexts.

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  Relational research focuses on building and sustaining relationships through which knowledge naturally flows, rather than extracting data from subjects.

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  Poverty and ignorance can be reframed as a lack of healthy relationships that facilitate the flow of resources and knowledge.

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  Some colonial researchers have begun rejecting extractive methodologies, choosing instead to transform institutions by embracing pluralistic research practices.

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  Research rigor in pluralistic approaches is defined by community health, survival, and approval rather than solely by coding or synthesis frameworks.

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  The plural reversal challenges one dominant universal order, advocating for a pluriverse of coexisting knowledge systems and ontologies.

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  Language and place govern research practice in Indigenous contexts, with local mother tongues essential to accessing and preserving knowledge.

Notable Quotes