title: Research on indigenous elders: from positivistic to decolonizing methodologies.
abstract: Although indigenous peoples have lower life expectancies than the social majority populations in their countries, increasing numbers of indigenous people are living into old age. Research on indigenous elders is informed by a number of research traditions. Researchers have mined existing data sets to compare characteristics of indigenous populations with non-indigenous groups, and these findings have revealed significant disparities experienced by indigenous elders. Some investigators have attempted to validate standardized research tools for use in indigenous populations. Findings from these studies have furthered our knowledge about indigenous elders and have highlighted the ways in which tools may need to be adapted to better fit indigenous views of the constructs being measured. Qualitative approaches are popular, as they allow indigenous elders to tell their stories and challenge non-indigenous investigators to acknowledge values and worldviews different from their own. Recently, efforts have extended to participatory and decolonizing research methods, which aim to empower indigenous elders as researchers. Research approaches are discussed in light of the negative experiences many indigenous peoples have had with Eurocentric research. Acknowledgment of historical trauma, life-course perspectives, phenomenology, and critical gerontology should frame future research with, rather than on, indigenous elders.
authors.affiliation: *Address correspondence to Kathryn L. Braun, DrPH, Department of Public Health, 'Imi Hale Native Hawaiian Cancer Network, University of Hawai'i, 1960 East-West Road, Biomed D-203, Honolulu, HI 9682. E-mail: kbraun@hawaii.edu.
authors.forename: Kathryn L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Colette V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: Lana Sue
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Ka'opua
authors.forename: Bum Jung
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Noreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mokuau
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D001315:Australia; D002170:Canada; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D005853:Geriatrics; D033262:Narration; D009520:New Zealand; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012107:Research Design; D014481:United States; D000081034:Indigenous Peoples
keywords: Activism; American Indian older adults; Conceptual development; Cross-cultural studies; Diversity and ethnicity; Life course/life span; Methodology; Qualitative research methods; Quantitative research methods; Theory