Engaging Indigenous Participants Using Keeoukaywin, The Visiting Way
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There’ve been a few projects recently where I’ve had the opportunity to practice the Indigenous research methodology of keeoukaywin, The Visiting Way. This methodology was introduced by Indigenous scholar Dr. Janice Cindy Gaudet, in her article “keeoukaywin: The Visiting Way – Fostering an Indigenous Research Methodology” to connect with Indigenous communities.
The key principles of The Visiting Way include:
Honour, respect, and integrate Indigenous ways of knowing and being - more specifically, keeoukaywin integrates Métis and Cree culture reflecting the traditional practice of gathering around the kitchen or the fire to share food and pass on language and cultural teachings.
Emphasize the importance of relationships and connections between the evaluator, the participant, and their community.
Reciprocity ensures that all parties benefit from the evaluation process.
Allow for a natural progression of conversation that provides space for discussions to flow naturally rather than follow a strict interview format.
Allow ample time for introductions and sharing, as meaningful conversations need time.
The Visiting Way emphasizes the importance of reciprocal relationships, setting visits apart from traditional interviews or focus groups. While I still prepare interview-style questions, I allow conversations to flow naturally, creating space for authentic dialogue. Consent remains essential, I ensure participants agree to take part and to be recorded. However, visiting goes beyond standard interview practices by dedicating time for meaningful introductions. I start by sharing about myself and inviting participants to introduce themselves, allowing them to share as much or as little as they feel comfortable. Because of its conversational and relational nature, visiting requires more time than a typical interview or focus group, especially for fostering deeper conversations.
Know yourself
To build genuine relationships with Indigenous people and communities, it's important to first know yourself. This self-awareness helps you introduce yourself more meaningfully to participants.
Knowing yourself includes understanding:
Who are your ancestors?
Where were your ancestors from?
Which Nation or Nations do you belong to?
Whose land do you currently reside on?
Depending on the topics we plan to discuss, I might also share relevant work or volunteer experiences within the topic we are discussing to help us connect better and allow for a richer conversation.
Practice reciprocity
Visiting differs from interviews in that it’s common to be asked if your community has similar experiences. As visiting is meant to be a sharing of experience and knowledge, I follow the lead of those I’m visiting with. During some visits, participants have asked if my community has similar experiences. Building reciprocal relationships involves sharing information openly, ensuring that everyone in the conversation feels included and valued.
Reciprocity also involves sharing information you learn back with participants when possible. Be sure to consider if OCAP® applies to your project and how you will follow its principles of ownership, control, access, and possession.
When working on projects for a non-Indigenous organization aiming to improve its relationships with Indigenous peoples, communities, and organizations, I made it a priority to share information with participants after each visit. Since participants were contributing on behalf of their organization, I provided them with notes or transcripts from our discussions. They had the opportunity to review these documents and make any necessary changes or updates. Once the changes were made, the original files were updated before being used in data analysis. After all visits and analysis were completed, I shared a final report or presentation with the participants.
When working on projects for Indigenous communities and organizations that involve collecting data from their own people, the process is different. Since the raw data is intended for their report, I don’t share the gathered data directly with individual participants. Instead, this data is used to create a report for the Indigenous community, government, or organization. Participants will likely have access to the final report or presentation through their community, government, or organization, aligning with the OCAP® principle of ownership.
Consider whether honoraria or gifts should be offered as a way to honor and respect the contributions of Indigenous participants while demonstrating reciprocity in the relationship. Offering honoraria or gifts acknowledges the value of their time and knowledge. However, some participants may choose to decline, and it’s important to respect their decision without applying pressure.
Encourage conversation
From my experience with visits, I recommend sending questions in advance. This gives participants a better understanding of what will be discussed and helps create a more conversational atmosphere. By having time to reflect beforehand, participants can more naturally share their experiences and/or expertise. As a result, the visit feels less structured and more like a genuine, meaningful conversation between people.
Know when to adapt
I’ve found that visiting works best when Indigenous participants are sharing personal lived experiences or those of a family member. For participants approaching the topic from a more professional perspective, a semi-structured interview style often feels more appropriate. However, the distinction isn’t always clear, especially when speaking with someone from an Indigenous-run organization, as their perspective may blend professional expertise with lived experience. Determining the right approach often involves a bit of learning and adaptation in the moment.
In some projects I’ve worked on, a semi-structured interview style was initially planned with Indigenous participants, but I realized that a visiting approach was more suitable. To adjust, I would start with an open-ended question about their experience or role in the topic area. Their response guided whether I needed to share more about myself to encourage connection or continue with the planned interview structure. This flexibility helped me tailor the experience to the participant’s comfort and needs.
I’ve also had visits where a more structured interview style worked better. For instance, one participant appeared uncomfortable with the conversational visiting format. Their hesitation became evident during introductions, through closed-off body language and a quick, one-word response when invited to introduce themselves. Shifting to a semi-structured interview style in these cases seemed to ease their discomfort and allowed for a more productive conversation. Recognizing and responding to these cues early on, often during introductions, helped ensure that participants felt at ease and respected throughout the process.
Allow time and budget for needed resources
Relationships and natural conversations take time. I usually plan more time for visits than a standard interview or focus group. Just the introductions take more time, and you don’t want to rush. This is part of what can make visiting more resource-intensive. Budgeting for visiting is different than a standard interview or focus group as the time needed at the beginning can add up with the additional cost of honoraria if applicable.
Additionally, if you are visiting in person, this will also take travel time and add travel expenses. Since COVID-19, more people are open to meeting through online platforms, but this doesn’t work for everyone. Depending on who you are planning to visit with, travel might be necessary. Not everyone has access to the internet or phone service.
Key learnings
Visiting can feel both natural and foreign to those who practice it. In Dr. Gaudet’s article, she discusses how visiting was commonplace for First Nations and Métis people before its breakdown under colonialism. In my conversations with others who have also used this method, we discussed how visiting can feel awkward at first, as it felt like we needed to unlearn the standard interview format of asking questions and guiding conversations. However, with use, visiting does become more comfortable and natural. Visiting has an aspect of relearning Indigenous ways of being and doing as it incorporates how Indigenous people gathered and shared information.
Summary:
Determine how the visits will happen, whether it’s in-person, over the phone, or via video conferencing. When selecting what visiting options you will provide, be sure to keep time and resources in mind. I have found it helpful to have a couple of options, as not all video conferencing platforms work for everyone. Also, I prefer video conferencing or in-person to over the phone as building relationships feels more genuine in these formats. However, if a participant wanted to visit over the phone, I would accommodate their preference.
Determine what reciprocity looks like for your project and whether that includes following OCAP® or providing honoraria or other gifts.
Allow plenty of time; not all visits will take long, but ensure they are not rushed.
Send some information about keeoukaywin and questions in advance, this allows participants to understand that this is not a standard interview and decide what they would like to share in the conversation. This practice also allows for visits to be conversational.
If the visit style isn’t working for that participant, be prepared to switch your style to more of a semi-structured interview.