In a Canadian political context of reconciliation with First Nations, the recognition of Indigenous knowledge is increasingly influencing academia. Despite this trend and the realization that understanding management in an Indigenous context seems to present an opportunity to build a new relationship with what is referred to as management, management sciences struggle to integrate knowledge derived from First Nations practices. This article aims to clarify and address several issues that arise for non-Indigenous researchers in management sciences wishing to study and understand management issues in an Indigenous context: is it desirable to undertake such an understanding project? Is it feasible, and if so, with what epistemological and methodological challenges? In this text, we are not seeking to position ourselves as experts on management issues in an Indigenous context; rather, we seek to analyze the research practices of non-Indigenous researchers when they engage with such questions, based on a year-long intervention research with a Canadian Indigenous community reflecting on its governance and organizational structure. Our analysis identifies three main elements: the need for non-Indigenous researchers to understand the First Nations connection to the collective, the consideration of an appropriate research methodology, and the recognition of the limitations of traditional management approaches in the face of the holistic Indigenous perspective. These limitations, far from being obstacles, instead offer an opportunity: the unique perspective of First Nations on management provides a chance to enhance our understanding of management sciences, but this requires a redesign of our epistemological and methodological approaches.
