American Indian Educators in Reservation Schools

Appendix. Methodology, Theoretical Framework, and Research with Native Peoples

152 Research is a complex enterprise and requires much in the way of initial planning , actual execution, and eventual conclusion. This appendix provides an overview of three significant components of the research process behind this book. First, I outline the research methodology that structured the investigative process. Second, I discuss a critically important theoretical perspective known as transculturation theory that guided many of the issues I explored and that I used to assist with the explanations. Transculturation theory connects most directly with the material found in chapter 7. Third, I address crucial considerations about conducting research about American Indian peoples and Native communities. methodology I employed an exploratory study using a conventional qualitative design with personal face-to-face interviews as a way to document the perceptions and experiences of a small sample of American Indian educators (Stebbins, 2001). Technically, I used the personal interviews within an ethnographic research framework in order to document the rich nuances typical of complex cultural perspectives and experiences (Fetterman, 2010). When used with personal interviews, ethnographies provide an effective means to understand how individuals create meaningful social actions within a specific cultural context (Spradley, 1979; Tedlock, 2000; Warren & Karner, 2005). Researchers often refer to these types of studies as microethnographies because they do not appendix Methodology, Theoretical Framework, and Research with Native People a p p e n d i x 153 attempt to document the cultural patterns and life of a group of people over an extended period, as is common in the work of most cultural anthropologists (Fetterman, 2010; Ogbu, 1981). Rather, microethnographic studies aim to explore the perceptions and experiences among a small sample of individuals who share similar cultural experiences. Moreover, the objective of ethnographic research is to achieve theoretical insights either by examining existing theory or creating new theory (Erickson, 1977; Fetterman, 2010; Yon, 2003). The research process specifically consisted of four steps: gaining institutional approvals, sampling and contacting participants, conducting personal interviews , and analyzing the data. A researcher must obtain permission before collecting data on an American Indian reservation. Not surprisingly, perhaps, gatekeepers played a critical role during the investigation. Navigating through all the necessary institutional levels took both time and effort. Throughout the research project, I kept a field journal (something like a researcher’s diary) and recorded important events, tasks, and other notes essential for the effective completion of the investigation. The field journal provided an invaluable way to keep track of the necessary contacts and dates associated with institutional approvals. After obtaining permission from my university’s institutional review board (irb), I turned to the appropriate tribal authorities for approval. Tribal governments differ in the procedures required to obtain permission for research. Some tribes have established formal irbs, while others consider research applications through their tribal council, and still others refer such requests to the tribal education director. My request to conduct this investigation was considered and reviewed in all those ways. Tribal leaders are rightfully concerned with the nature of any research proposed for their reservation; in all cases, they carefully reviewed my application. In each request, I assured tribal authorities that none of the reservations would be identified in the reporting of the results. For that reason, throughout this book I refer to reservations only by their state location. I made this assurance not only to protect the identity of each reservation, but also as an added way to guard the anonymity of the participants located on reservations with only a few American Indian educators. I made initial contact with a number of tribal chairs or tribal councils throughout the Northern Plains and Pacific Northwest and informed them of the nature and purpose of the research. Based on the response from each initial contact, I made a formal request to conduct research with the authorities of nine reservations located in Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, 154 a p p e n d i x and Washington. I selected these reservations largely because they had in place some form of research review process. All but two of the reservations granted approval. One tribal irb rejected the application due to the small number of American Indian educators on their reservation. Interestingly, the tribal irb based their decision not on ethical, but rather methodological concerns . The irb members felt that with only a few Native educators on the reservation, their participation would be little help to the research effort. In the other case, the...