Queering Indigenous and non-indigenous research relations: a co-authored pedagogy of hope?

Indigenous and non-Indigenous collaborators embarked on the Dalarinji project to understand and promote the social, emotional, and mental well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQ+ young people in Australia. Initiated in 2019, this research fills a critical gap in academic literature, advancing national policy dialogue, and providing a robust evidence base for community research partners BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation. The exploration covers moments of partnership, collective contestation, and isolation, emphasising pedagogic moments and team efforts in maintaining participant safety and relationship integrity. Despite ongoing struggles, the team’s diverse identities enabled the building of solidarity, trust, and collegiality, fostering a dynamic learning environment. Inspired by bell hooks’ “Teaching Community”, the research team navigated these challenges, growing and learning from each other, while centring the rights, needs, and aspirations of Indigenous queer young people. The pedagogy of hope propelled the project forward, guiding research dynamics, and co-authorship processes.