New patterns of community-engaged research: weaving together Indigenous and Western research approaches

Scientific research in Indigenous communities has long been shaped by extraction, exploitation and oppression. Reshaping this history requires not only uprooting unethical practices but also dismantling bureaucratic systems within academic institutions that reinforce white supremacy culture. Rooted in the first-person experiences of a Native American academic, this article interweaves traditional Indigenous knowledge with contemporary research practices to advance a more holistic form of community-engaged research grounded in relational accountability. In keeping with Native traditions, I integrate storytelling with scientific discourse to examine how academic practices based in colonial thought can perpetuate inequity and cause harm. Drawing on my experiences collaborating on health research with Tribal communities, I re-envision how community-driven academic practices can transform health equity research. I critically examine existing community-engaged research frameworks and propose explicitly incorporating critical reflexivity to move beyond self-examination and to recognise and respond to how academic norms and institutional power shape research with Tribal communities. This work advances community-engaged research by supporting the decolonisation of research processes, fostering cultural humility among academic researchers, strengthening their accountability to Indigenous communities and promoting community-led research.