Paper short abstract:

Using examples from my research as a kaupapa Maori researcher I highlight how research practices have been re-shaped and re-imagined using historical-trauma theory as a design framework. I propose new ways of being and collaborating as BIPOC and settler anthropologists.

Paper long abstract:

Decolonising mandates making space for indigenous knowledges and priorities to flourish and weakening the many manifestations of colonialism. Indigenous scholars have identified historical trauma theory (HTT) as a significant framework for understanding and managing the impact of colonisation (Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, Lily George). HTT defines the unique ways that intergenerational trauma and intergenerational privilege interact in interpersonal relationships and structural arrangements, and posits practical frameworks for addressing these cumulative processes. In this paper, I reflect on examples from my research as a kaupapa Maori researcher in Aotearoa that highlight how research practices have been re-shaped, and re-imagined using historical-trauma theory as a design framework. I propose sites where this framework might be most impactful, including conceptualisation of success, mentoring and leadership, as well as knowledge production activities. I unpack the opportunities and challenges in each. In doing so, I reveal practical implications for making, and maintaining, spaces that go beyond harm reduction and towards healing in the classroom and in communities, and propose new ways of being and collaborating as BIPOC and settler anthropologists.