Building Trust with Indigenous Communities: Key Practices for Equitable Arctic Research

Cana here. When conducting research in Arctic Indigenous communities, one thing matters above all else: building real, respectful relationships.

As an Iñupiaq scholar and professor from a rural Arctic community, I’ve lived these lessons—not just learned them. What follows are some key practices drawn from my lived experiences, my family ties, and my professional journey, offered with the hope that it helps you walk your research path with greater care and respect.

This post brings together reflections originally shared through a series of messages to subscribers of the Equitable Arctic Research (EAR) newsletter. We’ve woven them together here as a set of key practices to building relationships and trust in community-centered research.

Below are five key insights about how to approach relationship-building in ways that are genuine, respectful, and transformative for both researchers and communities.

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Why Building Trust Is Essential for Arctic Research

Strong, respectful relationships are at the heart of equitable Arctic research. Without trust, research projects risk causing harm, reinforcing extractive practices, and losing the opportunity to truly support Indigenous community goals. Building trust isn’t a preliminary step you check off—it’s an ongoing commitment throughout the life of your research and beyond.

In this post, you’ll learn five key practices for building trust with Indigenous communities while conducting research in the Arctic.

1. Show Up as a Whole Person

Share Who You Are – You’re Not ONLY an Arctic Researcher!

Building trust and rapport starts with showing up authentically. Take the time to genuinely get to know the people you’re working with—and allow them to know you, too. Share where you come from, who your family is, and what you are accountable to. This is something my sister Corina refers to as your “community CV”!

In Indigenous communities, accountability and kinship matter deeply. Being open about your background signals that you respect others as full people—not just “research subjects.”

For example, my collaborator and research partner, Corina Qaaġraq Kramer, is also my big sister. She probably knows me better than anyone in the world. Yet even with that deep personal connection, I still had to earn her trust as a research partner, professionally. It would have been disrespectful to assume our family relationship guaranteed professional trust. I had to show up with integrity, just like I would with any other community partner.

Hot Tip: Relationships are about respect, not shortcuts.

2. Remember That Arctic Research Relationships Are a Two-Way Street

Move Beyond Transactional Research

It’s obvious to communities when researchers are only thinking about their own goals.
Equitable Arctic research requires mutual benefit and shared investment.

Ask yourself:

• How can your work help strengthen local skills or resources?

• How can you support existing community-led initiatives?

Ongoing engagement means listening to what communities need, and adapting your work accordingly.

3. Support Community-Led Efforts with Arctic Research

Show Up Beyond the Research Agenda

Building trust means participating in the life of the community. If you’re invited to events—whether it’s a middle school basketball game, a bake sale, or a community meeting—make the effort to show up.

Your presence shows that you care about more than just research outcomes. It signals a commitment to respectful relationships and long-term partnership.

And always follow up with a note of thanks or acknowledgment for the invite. Small gestures of gratitude go a long way.

4. Be Responsive to Feedback—Especially When It’s Hard

Honor Critique and Disagreement

Community partners might tell you difficult things:

• “That won’t work here.”

• “That’s not a priority for us.”

• “I’m not sure about that.”

Rather than reacting defensively, see these moments as signs of deep trust.

Respectful research means honoring both consent and dissent.
Critique, disagreement, even rejection—these are acts of courage and care, not hostility.

The most revealing thing about a person is often how they respond to hearing “no.” Let it reveal something good about you.

Hot Tip: Your greatest test as a respectful researcher is how you respond when you are challenged.

5. Engage with Cultural Humility in Arctic Research

Practice Lifelong Learning and Unlearning

Cultural humility is the foundation of effective community engagement in equitable Arctic research. It means:

• Ongoing self-reflection

• Admitting what you don’t know

• Being open to change based on what you learn

Cultural humility isn’t a box you check—it’s a lifelong practice that creates space for deeper, more authentic relationships.

[Read more about cultural humility here]

[Read our national-award-winning article “Decolonizing Community Engaged Research: Designing CER with Cultural Humility as a Foundational Value”—open-access copy here]

Remembering Forward

In Indigenous communities, remembering is not just about looking back—it’s about carrying forward what matters most.

As you move through your research journey, remember:

• Relationships are not separate from your work. They are the work.

• Trust must be earned over time through presence, responsiveness, and humility.

• Real partnership means being there when it’s easy—and when it’s hard.

When we remember forward, we honor Indigenous communities through our actions, not just our intentions.
We help create a future where equitable Arctic research is the norm—not the exception.

Learn More: Strengthen Your Community Engagement Practice in Arctic Research

If you’re looking to deepen your skills in effective community engagement and build respectful, lasting partnerships with Indigenous communities, we invite you to explore our online, on-demand course: Effective Community Engagement in Arctic Research.

📖 Get a free copy of our guide to Equitable Arctic Research here.

Quyanaqpak for being part of this movement toward respectful, relational research. May your path be one of care, courage, and community.