Creating Collaborative Visions with Aboriginal Women: A Photovoice Project

Abstract

This chapter provides a critical appraisal of cross-cultural research, using the photovoice method with Aboriginal women. Photovoice is defined as a participatory action research method, as well as a process towards health promotion. Participants take pictures to document their realities and engage in critical reflection individually and in a group process, using images and stories to advocate community and policy changes. This chapter focuses on some of the methodological challenges and accomplishments associated with photovoice and our project entitled Visualizing Breast Cancer . Our participants were 12 Aboriginal survivors of Breast Cancer from Saskatchewan, Canada. We discuss our collective successes as well as some of the responsibilities and risks of con- ducting research with Aboriginal women, including recruitment, participation, retention, community-building, advocacy and ethics. Interpretive boundaries and the “ truths ” of qualitative research (relative to the research setting) add a further appraisal of the complexities of this type of qualitative research and the powerful lessons of research and unplanned happenings.