Abstract
Indigenous women have a complex relationship to body image due to conflicting body ideals between Indigenous and Western cultures; however, little is known about young Indigenous women’s perceptions of their bodies in sport. Upon receiving IRB approval, this project began as a qualitative description and evolved into the co-creation of a story or narrative about a young Indigenous woman boxer. The current study is a narrative inquiry into co-creating a narrative and our process of responsiveness. Narratives involve the use of story to create meanings. Referencing the narrative analysis works of Smith and Sparkes (e.g., 2006; 2009a; 2009b) and Anishinaabeg story-telling methodologies (Doerfler, Sinclair, & Stark, 2013), our study purpose was to inquire into the process of co-creating a space for story-telling research and to inform sport body image research methodologies with Indigenous Peoples. Phase one involved approximately 12-hours of iterative discussions to co-create the story. Phase two involved approximately 9-hours of recorded and transcribed co-reflection and discussion about the development of the project and story. The following tensions emerged: (1) Feelings of responsibility, (2) Representation and relevance, (3) Dynamic collaboration, (4) Integrating diverse knowledges, and (5) Story-telling as a research medium. This inquiry identifies considerations for conducting research with Indigenous Peoples that accounts for Indigenous means of knowledge production and exchange. The findings also inform future approaches to sport body image research with Indigenous Peoples by articulating how creating a safe space for story-telling can produce mutually-relevant knowledge regarding the interrelatedness of race, culture, and sport body image.
