This article describes the experiences of two Cree elementary school teachers who taught school mathematics through place-based education (PBE) in a Treaty 6 First Nations community in the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan. Using narrative inquiry, we discuss the teachers' understandings of Indigenizing school mathematics in relation to…

The application of appropriate forms of Native science, culturally responsive education, and creative strategizing in the teaching and learning of science enhances the participation of Native American students. The fact that science is presented in most American schools entirely from the Western cultural perspective can create very real…

This overview describes themes from the "Tribal Advocacy for Educational Change: Systemic Approaches" webinar. Tribal leaders from New Mexico and Washington addressed the ongoing realities of colonization that impact public education systems. They detailed how tribes, governments, and Native-serving organizations are designing systemic…

Oceti Sakowin means "Seven Council Fires" and refers collectively to the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people. Seven standards, make up the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards (OSEUS), developed to convey the rich history of the Oceti Sakowin in South Dakota, crucial ideas of culture and traditions, and descriptions of…

Sentimentalism as a genre is known for its association with melodramatic 19th-century novels, such as Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" or Alcott's "Little Women." But, as a cultural tendency, sentimentalism can be found in a range of 19th- and 20th-century cultural, social, and political phenomena, with philanthropic and educational…

In this theoretical article, I examine various conceptions of focused listening--including those held by specific First Nations communities--to determine how each conception might offer insights for listening while conducting cross-cultural music education research. First, I discuss the notion of "Big Ears," as it is understood by the…

This article chronicles a crisis of alignment regarding Critical Pedagogy due to the top-down power structures of White authority that is pervasive in the theory's North American academic environment. Contesting the often touted "radical" or "revolutionary" nature of Critical Pedagogy in higher education spaces, the author…

Indigenous communities worldwide face threats to their linguistic and epistemic heritage with the unabated spread of dominant colonial languages and global monocultures, such as English and the neoliberal, imperialistic worldview. There is considerable strain on the relatively few Elders and speakers of Indigenous languages to maintain cultures…

This article provides a descriptive account of the workings of an Indigenous-led teacher training initiative in the Peruvian Amazon (Formabiap) and considers the extent of its transdisciplinary pedagogic approach, with a special focus on the ontological and epistemological stakes of intercultural knowledge exchanges in the context of contemporary…

In this essay Justin Pack responds to Vine Deloria, Jr., and Daniel Wildcat's call to "indigenize education" by exploring what that entails both in his own life and for his teaching. Recognizing the power of "place" in Native American metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics is essential to the project of indigenizing education,…

Each day when the sun rises at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) professors reach back to the traditional teachings of their elders to prepare lessons for the students of today. It is the connection to Native cultures, attitudes, and philosophy that is what sets TCUs apart from mainstream colleges and universities. For most, teaching…

This qualitative study explored the dynamic aspects of American Indian language integration in education along with language revitalization efforts. Due to the special government to government relationship between the Tribes and the federal government, formal Native American education began with forced assimilation and language loss was linked to…

This paper explores the form and extent of sustainability uptake in education policy in First Nations-managed K-12 schools, and discusses strategies First Nations' educational communities use to overcome barriers encountered in sustainability education practice. Interviews were conducted with educators across four different Canadian schools and…

Using several case studies drawn from Freire's cultural context and contemporary Canadian Indigenous resistance movements, this article questions whether a Freirean approach to critical literacy can work with Indigenous literacy needs without reproducing colonial power structures. It also seeks to examine current scholarship in the literacy…

What does culturally sustaining pedagogy mean in the context of a global pandemic, uprisings for racial and decolonial justice, and an ongoing climate crisis? In this essay, I build from decades of strength-centered pedagogical research and practice as well as the work of contemporary organizers to engage how educators can join communities in…