Successful, sustainable initiatives in communities are community-based, community-paced, and community-led. In addition, the unique culture of each community is a protective factor, contributing to that community's physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health. Academic researchers working with six First Nations and one Metis Settlement asked, "What is our role as academic partners in building capacity for community-based participatory research?" The goal was to understand changes in the researchers' capacities and their roles in building the capacity of community members. The Public Health Agency of Canada's Community Capacity Building Tool ("Public Health Agency of Canada, 2007") served as the framework for two focus groups. A thematic analysis of the focus group transcripts resulted in insights into researcher capacity and potential contributions to community capacity building. Focus group participants validated the interpretations and four themes that emerged from the data: (1) Language and measures; (2) Community development; (3) Balancing capacity building; and (4) Capacity building: A positive, non-linear trajectory.