16 Lessons From the Participants in Decolonising Research | Stuart Barlo Lessons From the Participants in Decolonising Research Stuart Barlo Gnibi Wandarahn, Southern Cross University stuart.barlo@scu.edu.au Keywords: decolonising research, yarning methodology, Indigenous Knowledge, participant controlled research Abstract This paper refects on research undertaken as part of a Doctor of Philosophy, focusing on the restoration of contemporary Aboriginal men’s dignity. These refections centre on how the research participants began to train this researcher in decolonising research practices. Personal discovery and growth, as well as developing strong, ethical and reciprocal relationships, are core to doing decolonising research. Yarning as methodology and art as a method of communicating research are presented as ways of building such relationships and promoting personal transformation in research. Key lessons from this research are shared and demonstrate that for this researcher, the greatest act of decolonising research started with addressing his own mindset, which led to the realisation that Indigenous Australia no longer wishes to be studied or seen as requiring someone to lift them up. Introduction While it was memorable and exciting to complete doctoral research, and be awarded a PhD, it was the process that I found the most rewarding. Within this process there is a large portion of personal discovery that has developed my understanding of research. It was the involvement of the participants and their willingness to share their lives, their understanding of the topic being discussed and their ability to train me in ways of Aboriginal research that opened my eyes and heart along with the importance of providing information back to the various stakeholders in a way that is appropriate in each setting. The people who took part in the research project all understood research as a colonising process, as they had sufered through the process a number of times. Smith (2012) argues that from an Indigenous perspective research is seen as a “dirty word” because of their previous experiences (p. 1). Mora and Diaz (2004) believe that the entire research endeavour must be participatory in nature to produce qualitatively diferent research that is based on community-identifed problems and needs. I would add that it is important that the methods used to gather the data be suitable for and understandable to the people participating in the research project. This article will refect upon three aspects of the journey associated with my PhD that demonstrate how the participants helped me decolonise the research process and empower individuals and their communities. This article will encompass refections on three research areas where the participants infuenced my understanding of Indigenous research and the decolonising process. The areas involve lessons about the process and protocols associated with Aboriginal controlled