Indigenous Statistics: A Quantitative Research Methodology

by Maggie Walter

In the first book ever published on Indigenous quantitative methodologies, Maggie Walter and Chris Andersen open up a major new approach to research across the disciplines and applied fields. While qualitative methods have been rigorously critiqued and reformulated, the population statistics relied on by virtually all research on Indigenous peoples continue to be taken for granted as straightforward, transparent numbers. This book dismantles that persistent positivism with a forceful critique, then fills the void with a new paradigm for Indigenous quantitative methods, using concrete examples of research projects from First World Indigenous peoples in the United States, Australia, and Canada. Concise and accessible, it is an ideal supplementary text as well as a core component of the methodological toolkit for anyone conducting Indigenous research or using Indigenous population statistics.

Genres: Nonfiction, Indigenous, Research, Science

Hardcover

First published May 31, 2013

Reviews

[Katherine Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in my Ethnic Studies class and out of our collection of required texts, I appreciated the thoughtfulness and respect in their arguments and well-researched layout of various Indigenous tribes.

If one is not a math or in science research, a lot of terms may overwhelm people, like me! So, it takes great effort to make our what their arguments relate to, which is time consuming. This is why I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

[Anne Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute necessary read for Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers working with Indigenous peoples. This book helps you frame the epistemological, ontological, and axiological lens of your research questions.

[Kristen McKinney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting and important perspectives on methodology, but I felt it was more jargony than it needed to be, which made the for more difficult reading.

[Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work should be considered essential reading for any individual (academic or not) seeking to understand or engage in work utilizing statistics investigating the conditions and lived experiences of Indigenous peoples around the world (or any cross-cultural research for that matter). This book is not about mind-numbing statistical formulas and techniques, but rather is about questioning the very (philosophical) foundations of statistics today (e.g., objectivity), misconceptions about (and within) statistics, and how statistics may be better used to represent the diverse lived experiences of Indigenous peoples and their futures. Importantly, this book is about how we (should) see Indigenous peoples today.

To politicians, journalists, statisticians, qualitative researches, Indigenous researchers, non-Indigenous researchers, historians and so on, this book is a must read.

[Lauralea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be mandatory reading for every research methods course in social sciences. Excellent layout, argument, and ideas. Best book I have read in a very long time.

[Mills College Library]

305.80072 W233 2013