Decolonization through indigenous inquiry: na mo'olelo of indigenous graduate and post-graduate scholars

Abstract

Colonialism radically transformed Indigenous societies and cultures by causing great psychological, spiritual, racial, political, social, and economic trauma. Although this ensued through multiple colonial institutions, none were more insidious than education. Despite this, Native teaching and learning, especially Indigenous inquiry, grew over the last two centuries. This study described ten Native graduate students' and post-graduate scholars' decolonizing experiences, including my own. These decolonizing experiences detailed our use of Indigenous inquiry, our learning of Indigenous inquiry within the university curriculum, and our application of Indigenous inquiry to benefit our Native communities. The study's design encompassed Native research features, such as the Hawaiian methodology of ha'i mo'olelo (storytelling). I weaved the results of my study into a metaphorical Hawaiian 'upena (net) that contained powerful mo'olelo (stories) of how we decolonized our research by exploring our cultural identities; by receiving support in using Native inquiry approaches from mentors, advisors, professors, friends, and others; and by reflecting on the painful research journeys that forced us to seek Indigenous methodologies and methods. Furthermore, our mo'olelo described how we chose Indigenous inquiry because it was personally relevant and beneficial for our communities; we had distinct cultural lenses; and we received inspiration from our ancestors. When we applied these research processes, we included traditions, protocols, and references to our cultural histories; incorporated stories; and made connections between and among our stories. These mo'olelo showcased how the next generation of Native scholars embraced culturally inherent research approaches to benefit their Native communities and are now advocates for the decolonization of university curriculum.