The Yerin Dilly Bag Model of Indigenist Health Research

Abstract

In this article, we discuss indigenist approaches to health research, including indigenist knowledges, cultural proficiency, and core values. We also highlight the importance of conducting Indigenous research in ways that are congruent with the needs and interests of Indigenous peoples. The discussion includes consideration of how indigenist approaches can be utilized to generate new Indigenous knowledges, in culturally appropriate ways. We then introduce the Yerin Dilly Bag Model for indigenist health research, an approach that allows for indigenist knowledges to be employed and created by the research/er/ed within an Indigenous framework. Use of the Yerin Dilly Bag Model enables research/er/ed concordance, together with the privileging of Indigenous voices. This is achieved by guiding researchers to align their research with the core values of the researched, with the Yerin Dilly Bag a metaphor for the holder of these core values.