This article addresses critical issues of how Indigenous (Diné/Navajo) youth construct meaning of their racial, cultural, and linguistic identities within the historical, political, and socio-cultural contexts of the United States of America as a racialized, settler/colonial society. Using Tribal Crit theory, the author, a member of the Diné…

The importance of the arts and humanities in today's world cannot be overstated. Challenges to our common humanity are arising in all societies on the planet. The arts and humanities can reconnect people to our shared humanity. For Indigenous communities, the shock of dehumanization has been a part of our history. Tribal colleges and universities,…

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is a one-of-a-kind college dedicated to contemporary Native American arts and open to all peoples. The curriculum at IAIA includes innovative and integrative approaches to the arts as they connect to culture and science. The celebration of art and cultural identity are included in IAIA's Land-Grant…

The New Mexico Public Education Department's (PED) mission is to ensure all students in New Mexico receive the education they deserve and that students are prepared for college, career, and lifelong learning. To do this, the department is focused on supporting sustained learning and outreach to districts, charter schools, tribal education…

Course-based, service-learning, study-away opportunities for university students can result in transformational learning for students. Within the context of Mezirow's transformative learning theory (2008), this study explored university students' perceptions of a course-based, service-learning, study-away experience in a culture greatly different…

This brief highlights the success of the Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS) under Superintendent Christie Abeyta in achieving high graduation rates while emphasizing a culturally responsive and community-driven approach to education. Located in Santa Fe, NM, the school serves approximately 700 students from various Indigenous tribes. It has focused on…

A day-long geoscience educational module, "Sharing and Learning: The Natural Environments of Acoma Pueblo," provided an opportunity to explore the various connections that Acoma Pueblo community members make between their cultural values and geologic concepts. The purpose of such an exploration is to make explicit the cultural…

Preserving the Navajo language, or "Diné bizaad," is of profound importance for all Indigenous people in the United States, as Navajo is one of the more widely spoken Native languages yet is still facing the early stages of endangerment. Currently, the Navajo Nation, like other tribes, lacks a significant presence of community-based…

This article highlights core values linked with Indigenous ways of conceptualizing community and education. In doing so, this work explores Indigenous tensions with restrictive historical policies that have resulted in reconciliation with mainstream education, local perceptions of the need for adaptation, and the convergence of multiple…

In this case, readers will learn how the University of New Mexico educational leadership program intentionally created a doctoral cohort that is Indigenous based and focused that included Indigenous and tribal community narrative and feedback in its development. The NALE doctoral cohort program included these same communities as sites for…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to increase grit, growth mindset, and self-efficacy in pre-adolescent students attending a K-5 public elementary school in Northwest New Mexico by implementing intervention activities in which students were given opportunities to learn and develop grit and growth mindset, thus resulting in improved…

This qualitative study explored the impacts of a principal preparation program to prepare diverse candidates for leadership in New Mexico's Native-serving schools. Faculty at the state's flagship institution collaborated with Native scholars and Tribal members to identify the components of leadership that would honor traditional Indigenous values.…

As Indigenous communities envision their future, it is without question that the Indigenous youth play a significant role in sustaining their Indigenous lifeways and communities. They will no doubt be faced with the responsibility to navigate socio-cultural, environmental, political and economic issues while simultaneously preserving their…

Purpose: Indigenous ("Diné") communities have long endured high rates of behavioral and mental health diseases like depression, drug and alcohol dependency, and suicide due to historical trauma and posttraumatic stress disorders. Western research methods used to address these issues have often failed to provide sufficient understanding…

The mission of Land Grant Institutions (LGIs) and Cooperative Extension has always included the concepts of educational access and inclusion, but not all communities have equitable access to Extension programs. Specifically, Extension is currently only serving about 10% of Indigenous communities. Given the complicated history of Indigenous land…