Talking, Sharing, Healing: A Scoping Review of Indigenous Talking Circles as a Group Level Assessment Method

Abstract

Research practices developed by and for Indigenous peoples, including frameworks, methods, and study design continue to grow in presence and utilization, but lack recognition in comparison to Western research methods. The purpose of this scoping review was to determine the characteristics of a talking circle as a group level assessment method utilized in public health research regarding Indigenous North American populations in Canada and the United States. A PRISMA checklist and PICO analysis was completed utilizing five databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Embase, and the Bibliography of Indigenous Peoples of North America with no limitations on publication date. A total of 87 articles were included in this review. While several common characteristics emerged regarding common location, meal, and participant demographics, a lack of standardized protocol reporting limits the identification of best practices. Canada has produced nearly twice the number of publications using talking circles as a group level assessment method as the United States. While the majority of talking circles were used with a qualitative or community based participatory design, a wide variety of topics demonstrated the method’s relevance across public health domains. Commonly described benefits included increased trust, healing potential, and rich data, while commonly described limitations included lack of anonymity and difficulty maintaining focus. Additional research into talking circles as an intervention method and Indigenous research methodologies will continue to build lasting collaborative partnerships between academic and Indigenous institutions, bettering relationships and improving research outcomes.