For many Native Americans, the term research carries negative connotations. It can be viewed as an extension of the colonial enterprise, another method by which Native peoples are robbed of their culture and identity. In fact, history is rife with examples of researchers entering Native communities—taking what they need—and returning to their academic institutions where the objects or data collected remain locked away, lost to the people from whom they were taken. The Plateau Center for American Indian Studies embraces a new paradigm, one that is community-based and tribally-driven. Within this model, tribes identify their research needs and partner with researchers to produce results that will be of direct benefit to the tribe. As full partners in a collaborative process, tribes articulate the research agenda in areas such as natural resources development, education, tribal histories, and cultural revitalization. The Plateau Center is here to help facilitate those collaborations, acting as a hub of communication between indigenous Columbia Plateau communities and the community of scholars at WSU.
