This research fieldwork note offers reflections on how to build effective partnerships with Indigenous communities to tackle insecurity and build peace. These insights were drawn from Managing Exits from Armed Conflict Project‘s 2024 collaboration with the Nasa Indigenous community in Northern Cauca to investigate whether sexual violence survivors in the community were joining armed groups due to the lack of justice and accountability for perpetrators. To avoid extractive practices and ensure ethical, community-centred research, the project employed a participatory approach that actively involved leaders from the Association of Indigenous Cabildos of Northern Cauca at every stage of the research process. Building on this ongoing partnership, the report offers emerging lessons learned from this experience that could be useful for policymakers and practitioners seeking to engage Indigenous communities in respectful, effective efforts to prevent and address conflict in Colombia and beyond.