Braided Rivers
Definition
Braided Rivers refers to a methodological and epistemological framework that combines Western and Indigenous perspectives to examine how Indigenous Peoples experience multiculturalism in post-colonial contexts. This approach recognizes that understanding acculturation processes and outcomes for Indigenous Peoples requires integrating historical contexts of colonization with contemporary multicultural conditions, moving beyond the conventional emphasis on immigrant experiences that has dominated acculturation science.
Sources: Ward et al. (2025)
Related Terms
Applications
Braided Rivers and Indigenous Acculturation
The Braided River framework examines how Indigenous Peoples experience and conceptualize multiculturalism in post-colonial settler societies. By combining Western and Indigenous perspectives, the framework reveals that Indigenous conceptualizations of multiculturalism overlap only limitedly with those found in acculturation science, highlighting the need to address social, political, and historical issues unique to Indigenous contexts.
Sources: Ward et al. (2025)
Braided Rivers and Decolonization of Science
The Braided River paradigm represents a methodological step toward indigenizing acculturation science by centering Indigenous voices and knowledge systems alongside Western research approaches. This integration acknowledges that conventional acculturation theory has overlooked the distinct experiences and operating constraints of Indigenous Peoples living on their ancestral lands.
Sources: Ward et al. (2025)
