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Abstract
Research on harvesting culturally significant food plants can contribute to Indigenous food sovereignty. Relationshipsdrive the process of research, which can affect research methodologies and outcomes. Promoting inclusion and equity in researchrelationships is necessary to reduce power hierarchies that often position conventional sciences above Indigenous knowledge systems.This paper employs a reflexive lens to consider important dynamics of an ongoing research collaboration between the Eastern Bandof Cherokee Indians, federal agencies, and academic partners focused on the Cherokee food plant VVVVV [transliterated as uwasdihaor wasdi and also recognized as ramps or Allium tricoccum]. An aim of our paper is to contribute to our collective understandings ofIndigenous research methodologies (IRM) and collaborative research. Through iterative, place-based conversations and thematicanalysis we identify and discuss our process engaging in trust building and relationality as co-authors. Key themes emerging from ourwork include the importance of (1) developing relationships when conducting collaborative research across multiple knowledge systemsand (2) Indigenous food narratives that center traditional foods in research and relationships.
Keywords
Allium tricoccum,
collaborative research relationships,
Indigenous research partnerships,
Indigenous community driven research,
Indigenous foodways,
Indigenous food sovereignty,
uwasdiha,
wasdi,
ramps,
relationality,
trust building
Citation
Chen, Sami; Baumflek, Michelle; Sampson, Tyson; Cabe, Tommy. 2023. Doing research together: wasdi ( Allium tricoccum ) plants guide dynamic research collaborations in Cherokee landscapes. Ecology and Society. 28(2) https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-14000-280213.
