Indigenous K-12 school leaders contribute to Tribal Nation building by leading schools that recognize and embed student culture. A large body of literature suggests the importance of culturally responsive leadership and recognizing students' cultural strengths within the foundations of the school. Indigenous K-12 school leaders' work toward…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to outline the contributions of Smiths legacy in Indigenous methodologies and to show how her interventions encourage and facilitate meaningful research relationships with Indigenous communities. It is also a practical guide for future Indigenous researchers who aim to work with their communities.…

Little research has been conducted on the multimodal writing of contemporary Native American women that would refute stereotypical and outdated notions of Indigenous peoples as a dying population. This case study was undertaken to address that gap in the extant research by examining the writing practices of a young Native American woman to…

Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) across North America are located in communities grappling with the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic has intensified the stress on many Native communities already struggling with issues of economic sustainability and public health. Yet COVID-19--or "Dikos…

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…

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…

There has been a steady decline in the number of Indigenous people pursuing and achieving PhD degrees in the U.S. In 2021, barely 0.3% of the 31,674 students in the United States who were conferred PhDs were American Indian or Alaska Native, as there has been lack of support for the advancement of Indigenous students to doctoral-level study. This…

Sacred places hold immense significance in Navajo traditions and communities, playing a vital role in cultural preservation and spiritual practices. These sacred sites are deeply intertwined with the Navajo way of life, serving as focal points for ceremonies, rituals, and connections to the spiritual world. The Navajo people revere various sacred…

In light of the current political climate and the effortlessness of disseminating information across social media platforms, the national conversation on information literacy has been focused on combating "fake news." While the urgency of this issue is also a concern in tribal colleges and universities (TCU) classrooms, the librarians at…

This qualitative portraiture examined Navajo Native Americans in the Southwest as an under-represented and resilient group in higher education. The scope of research focused on Navajo Native American students in higher education institutions utilizing cultural capitals and strengths to maneuver through four-year higher education institutions in…

Many of us have multiple stories that would be appropriate to tell given the theme of this Special Issue. I am compelled to tell a story about my work with teachers, teacher leaders, and other allies on the Navajo Nation. The Diné Institute for Navajo Nation Educators (DINÉ) was started by teacher leaders who envisioned a collaborative…

What key ingredients are needed to effectively promote the mental health and resilience of young children in American Indian and Alaska Native communities? What should non-indigenous allies know when working with Indigenous communities and partners to support young child wellness? What elements and contexts should be taken into consideration when…

Preserving the unique contours of cultural communities is integral to the rich weave of our collective human heritage. However, the postcolonial United States (US) educational paradigm, reflected in curricula and standards based on white middle-class norms, has a flattening effect on the vibrancy of diverse languages and community traditions.…

This article aims to examine the factors which must be taken into consideration before attempting to utilize Kasper and Petrello's nonjudgmental approach to English composition classes at a small 2-year college in the American Southwest. The majority of the students there are Navajo. Navajo oral tradition and syntax are two important factors to…

Understanding how young children are socialized to the process and products of storytelling as part of everyday family life is important for language and literacy instruction. A language socialization framework was used to understand storytelling practices on the Navajo Nation. This study examined how three young English-speaking Navajo children,…