Disrupting harmful legacies of Western education by honoring the living heritage of Indigenous knowledge systems
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Indigenous peoples have knowledge systems that have sustained cultural teachings and lifeways for thousands of years. Settler colonial logics and systems have disrupted and threatened Indigenous knowledge systems through multiple forms of oppression, including land dispossession, linguicide, and disrupting traditional kinship relationships. Western education systems are central and foundational to this violent process; our paper describes efforts to challenge these colonial legacies of harm through the Sapsik’ʷałá Program, an Indigenous education program. The three focus areas are: 1) Relationality, 2) Community, and 3) Intergenerational teaching and learning. Through these efforts, the Program is instrumental in reclaiming Indigenous knowledge systems. We conclude that such efforts are important for Indigenous peoples and all peoples who have been harmed by the violence of imperialism and colonialism.
Authors: Michelle M. Jacob, Leilani Sabzalian, Haeyalyn Muniz, Rena Joy Dunbar, Heather Kliever, Sage Hatch, Nicole Butler-Hooton, Spirit Brooks, Amanda Morris
Institutions: University of Oregon, Oregon State University
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4414340701