Climate change has been conceptualized as a form and a product of colonization. In this perspective, it becomes important to base climate change adaptation and transformation efforts on decolonizing practices and imaginaries. A central aspect of decolonization is contained in the Indigenous conceptualization of relationality. Exploring how decolonization and relationality might form the foundation for transformations research, we engage with the concept of ‘right relations’. In the context of this inquiry, we take ‘right relations’ to mean an obligation to live up to the responsibilities involved when taking part in a relationship—be it to other humans, other species, the land or the climate. We begin the paper by bringing together the literature on climate change adaptation, transformation and decolonization to show their interconnections and emphasize the need to engage with all three when talking about sustainability. Second, we invoke the idea of ‘right relations’ to address how non-Indigenous transformation researchers can further the process of decolonization as part of their research. Third, we offer insights from our own research experience with narrative practices to help exemplify how transformation researchers in all disciplines might embody ‘right relations’ centered around four characteristics: listening deeply, self-reflexivity, creating space and being in action. Embodying ‘right relations’ is a continuous process of becoming with no end point, and we do not wish to suggest that we hold the answers. Instead, we reflect on our role in this process and hope for these words to open a dialogue about how we might move towards a ‘decolonized humanity’. We suggest that willingness to be affected and altered by the process of reciprocal collaborations is key to imagining decolonial ways of being and that this in turn can be a powerful manner of generating equitable and sustainable transformations.

气候变化已被概念化为殖民化的形式和产物。从这个角度来看，将气候变化适应和转变工作建立在非殖民化的实践和想象基础上变得很重要。非殖民化的一个主要方面包含在关系的土著概念化中。探索非殖民化和关系如何构成转型研究的基础，我们研究了“正确关系”的概念。在此询问的上下文中，我们将“正确的关系”指义务履行与人际关系（包括对其他人类，其他物种，土地或气候的关系）中所涉及的责任。我们通过汇集有关气候变化适应的文献来开始本文，改造和非殖民化，以显示它们之间的相互联系，并强调在谈论可持续性时必须与这三个部门进行互动。其次，我们援引“正确关系”的思想来解决非土著转型研究人员如何将非殖民化过程作为其研究的一部分。第三，我们从自己的叙事实践研究经验中提供见解，以帮助举例说明各个学科的转型研究者如何体现围绕四个特征的“正确关系”：深刻倾听，自我反省，创造空间和行动。体现“正确的关系”是一个不断发展的过程，没有终点，我们也不想建议我们把握答案。反而，我们对自己在这一过程中的作用进行了反思，并希望这些话能就如何迈向“非殖民化人类”展开对话。我们建议，互惠合作过程会影响和改变意愿是想象非殖民主义存在方式的关键，而这反过来又可以成为产生公平和可持续转变的有力方式。