An Examination of the Constraints on Mutual Inquiry in a Participatory Action Research Project.

The article examines the use of a Participatory Action Research project in a Kahnawake Mohawk community in Montreal, Canada. The site of the research is a Mohawk community of approximately 8,000 just south of Montreal. It is a fairly high profile community, appearing in the media regularly over the last 20 years for protesting expropriation of their land, for taking internal control of their high school, and for creating an internal policing system— all initially disallowed by the Canadian government in 1990, a small group of Mohawks blocked a major highway into. Montreal that runs through the reserve. This threw the community into a state of siege for 56 days, surrounded by the Canadian and Quebec military, and seriously strained their relations with the Canadian government and nearby communities. The interviews revealed that there was considerable agreement on the ideals that should underlie community decision making, primarily the need to embody Mohawk culture, to treat everyone respectfully, and for all relevant information to be openly communicated. The goals of protecting Mohawk culture and land were also strongly and consistently emphasized by interviewees, interviews revealed considerable disagreement regarding the application of these ideals, such as the most appropriate way to consult the community and how decisions should be enforced.