Doing research with the aboriginal domain as a non-indigenous criminologist

Abstract

Examining the relationship between mainstream criminology and what anthropologists call the ‘Aboriginal domain’, the author argues that criminological research must be decolonized and a fresh partnership created with the Indigenous domain and its systems of knowledge. Many of criminology’s feeder disciplines are attempting to decolonize theory and practice and acknowledge their complicity in sustaining White colonial privilege and in validating systemic racism. Western criminology has contributed to the creation of what Edward Said called ‘imagined geographies’ of the Aboriginal domain as dysfunctional and hopeless. The author concludes that a decolonized criminology would challenge this imaginary by adopting research methods that promote Indigenous knowledge. Indeed, locally and internationally, Indigenous organisations are devising protocols for respectful engagement with the Indigenous domain that need to underpin collaboration.