TL'AZT'EN NATION GUIDELINES for RESEARCH IN TL'AZT'EN TERRITORY 1. Purpose
These guidelines have been developed to help ensure that, in all research sponsored and supported by the Tl'azt'en Chief and Council, appropriate respect is given to culture, language, knowledge and values of the Tl'azt'enne, and to the standards used by Tl'azt'enne to legitimate knowledge. These guidelines represent the standard of "best practice" adopted by the Tl'azt'en Chief and Council.
2. Principles
A. As Tl'azt'enne we have distinctive perspectives and understandings, deriving from our
culture and history and, embodied in Tl'azt'en language. Research that has Tl'azt'en experience as it's subject matter must reflect these perspectives and understandings.
B. In the past, research concerning Aboriginal Peoples has usually been initiated outside
the Aboriginal community and carried out by non-Aboriginal personnel. Aboriginal people have had almost no opportunity to correct misinformation or to challenge ethnocentric and racist interpretations. Consequently, the existing body of research, which normally provides a reference point for new research, must be open to reassessment.
C. Knowledge that is transmitted orally in the cultures of Aboriginal Peoples must be
acknowledged as a valuable research resource along with documentary and other sources. The means of validating knowledge in the particular traditions under study should normally by applied to establish authenticity of orally transmitted knowledge.
D. In research portraying community life, the multiplicity of viewpoints present within
Tl'azt'en Communities should be represented fairly, including viewpoints specific to age and gender groups.
E. Researchers have an obligation to understand and observe the protocol concerning
communications within any Tl'azt'en community.
F. Researchers have an obligation to observe ethical and professional practices relevant to
3. Guidelines Aboriginal knowledge
A. In all research sponsored and/or supported by the Chief and Council, researchers shall
conscientiously address themselves to the following questions:
B. Are there perspectives on the subject of inquiry that are distinctively Aboriginal? C. What Aboriginal sources are appropriate to shed light on those perspectives? D. Is proficiency in Dakelh required to explore these perspectives and sources? E. Are there particular protocols or approaches required to access the relevant knowledge? F. Does Aboriginal knowledge challenge in any way assumptions brought to the subject
G. How will Aboriginal knowledge or perspectives be portrayed in research products
Approved by Tl'azt'en Nation Chief and Council Resolution - May 5, 1998 Consent A. Informed consent shall be obtained from all persons and groups participating in
research. Such consent may be given by individuals whose personal experience is being portrayed, by groups in assembly, or by authorized representatives of communities or organizations.
B. Consent should ordinarily be obtained in writing. Where this is not practical, the
procedures used in obtaining consent should be recorded.
C. Individuals or groups participating in research shall be provided with information about
the purpose and nature of the research activities, including expected benefits and risks.
D. No pressure shall be applied to induce participation in research. E. Participants should be informed of the degree of confidentiality that will be maintained
F. Participants should be informed of the degree of confidentiality that will be maintained
G. Informed consent of parents or guardian and, where practical, of children should be
obtained in research involving children.
Collaborative Research
A. In the studies located principally in Tl'azt'en communities, researchers shall establish
procedures to enable community representatives to participate in the planning, execution and evaluation of research results.
B. In studies that are carried out in the general community and that are likely to affect
particular Tl'azt'en communities, consultation on planning, execution and evaluation of results shall be sought through appropriate Tl'azt'en Committees.
C. In community-based studies, researchers shall ensure that a representative cross-section
of community experiences and perceptions is included.
Review Procedures
A. Review of research results shall be solicited both in the Tl'azt'en community and in the
scholarly community prior to publication or dissemination of research findings.
Access To Research Results
A. Tl'azt'en Chief and Council shall maintain a policy of open public access to final reports
of research activities except in cases involving information deemed to be confidential and/or sensitive. Reports may be circulated in draft form, where scholarly and Tl'azt'en community response is deemed useful.
B. Research reports or parts thereof shall not be made public where they are reasonable
grounds for thinking that publication will violate the privacy of individuals or cause significant harm to Tl'azt'en communities or organizations.
C. Results of community research shall be distributed as widely as possible within
participating communities, and reasonable efforts shall be made to present results in non-technical language and in Dakelh languages where appropriate.
Acknowledgments
A. All Tl'azt'enne who contribute to the research must be acknowledged during and after
B. Due credit must be given to Tl'azt'en Nation and Tl'azt'enne in the dissemination of
Approved by Tl'azt'en Nation Chief and Council Resolution - May 5, 1998 Ownership/Copyright
A. Tl'azt'en Nation reserves the right to be the sole beneficiary of all commercial gains that
may be attained through the dissemination of all research results and/or the marketing and sale of products that may be derived from research results.
Community Benefit
A. In setting research priorities and objectives for community-based research, the
investigators shall give serious and due consideration to the benefit of Tl'azt'en communities.
B. In assessing community benefit, regard shall be given to the widest possible range of
community interests, whether groups in question be Tl'azt'en or non-Tl'azt'en, and also to the impact of research at the local, regional or national level. Wherever possible, conflicts between interests within the community should be identified and resolved in advance of commencing the project. Researchers should be equipped to draw on a range of problem-solving strategies to resolve such conflicts as may arise in the course of research.
C. Whenever possible research should support the transfer of skills to individuals and
increase the capacity of the community to manage its own research projects.
Implementation of Guidelines
A. These guidelines shall guide the activities of all individuals, groups, funding agencies,
organizations, and communities conducting research sponsored and supported by Tl'azt'en Chief and Council.
B. It shall be the responsibility, in the first instance, of all the researchers to observe these
guidelines conscientiously. It shall be the responsibility, in ascending order, of investigators/researchers, Tl'azt'en Administration, and Tl'azt'en Chief and Council itself to monitor the implementation of the guidelines and to make decisions regarding their interpretation and application.
C. Where, in the opinion of the researcher or the research manager, local circumstances
make these guidelines or any part of them inapplicable, such exception shall be reported to Chief and Council through the appropriate Tl'azt'en administrative branch, and the exception shall be noted in the research contract or contract amendments as well as in any subsequent publication(s).
Research Contract
A. Once an agreement is developed between Tl'azt'en Nation and a particular group of
researchers about the nature, duration and purpose of research activities, the researchers will be expected to state (in writing) their agreement to follow Tl'azt'en Nation guidelines.
B. Depending on the nature and scope if the particular research activity, Tl'azt'en Nation
and the researcher(s) may develop a detailed research contract which addresses the specifics of the particular research project at hand.
Approved by Tl'azt'en Nation Chief and Council Resolution - May 5, 1998
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