Diné (Navajo) Philosophy and Indigenous Ways of Knowing

In the present, qualitative research methods have become a way for Native American/Alaska Native/Indigenous scholars to apply innate, Creator-given ways of being and knowing to their everyday lives, as well as to their lives in academia. These Indigenous ways of knowing and living have always been a part of our innermost being when applying them to our academic space, even if the academy has not always agreed. For Native people, in particular, these ways of knowing and being are woven into a qualitative posture regarding how new generations are guided or mentored. For many Native people, knowledge transfer has been a qualitative method of passing on old and new knowledge through generations from the beginning until today. The Diné (Navajo) philosophy of reflection, thinking, planning, implementation, and a return to reflection is qualitative in nature.