Since the publication of Decolonizing Methodologies by Linda Tuhiwai Smith in 1999, a deconstructing discussion around the role and character of indigenous research in Western academia has gained momentum. Th is paper provides a general overview of an indigenous research paradigm which is an umbrella term for various theoretical and methodological approaches privileging indigenous worldviews in scholarship. While recognizing a possibility to defi ne foundational assumptions for indigenous

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... s, many scholars notice an inherent risk of essentialization that comes with such attempts. Th e development of Diné (Navajo) studies provides a specifi c example of how indigenous scholars construct culturally-relevant theoretical frameworks, implement culturally-appropriate methods, and negotiate their identities as members of academia and of their respective communities. Th e paper concludes with a brief discussion about the relations between indigenous studies and anthropology, the use of indigenous research methods in anthropology, and questions about future collaborations.