Decolonizing research with the Fala methodology

When Indigenous peoples become the researchers and not merely the researched, the process of creating new knowledge is transformed. Decolonization focuses on Indigenous ways of engaging with communities and their knowledge systems, on their terms. My doctoral study used Fala methodology to explore the health perspectives of three generations of Māori, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, and Cook Island people residing in Southeast Queensland, Australia. The fala is a traditional mat of high cultural value in Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa. I applied stages of the fala-making process to inform my research approach, resulting in a culturally grounded way to conduct research that is embedded in Pasifika In- digenous epistemologies and ontologies. The Fala methodology is a decolonizing approach to the re- search process that acknowledges and respects the lived experiences and cultural values of Pasifika- heritage peoples, including those residing in Australia. As I reflect on the process of creating the Fala methodology, I explain the challenges and learnings that my journey as a doctoral candidate provided. ; Full Text