Engaging in educational leadership: the generosity of spirit

Abstract

This study presents key principles and a model of engaged leadership in indigenous communities. Engaged leadership champions children and youth, delivers learning and teaching within the context of place and spirit, and occurs in partnerships with diverse communities. Stories of educational leaders grounded in the concepts of ha, place, relations, and collective action are included to: (a) posit the need for alternative indigenous educational settings that emerge from indigenous lifeways; (b) suggest a model of indigenous educational leadership that engages, ensures, and nurtures an ethos of collective will and supports indigenous sovereignty, culture, and language; and (c) share the reflections of educational leaders that articulate a vision for leading, learning, teaching, and living that is culturally respectful and socially just.

Rethinking conceptions of educational leadership within a First Nations setting in Canada

“…The emphasis Bertrand and Valois attribute to the symbiosynergetic paradigm as a teleological concept of life and to meaningful integration of subjective experience of all sorts (intuitive, mystic, religious, and psychic) resonates powerfully with First Nation cultures (Paquette and Fallon, 2010). Claims made by First Nations scholars like Benham and Murakami-Ramalho (2010) reflect a similar conclusion about the relevance of the symbiosynergetic paradigm to understanding First Nation cultures by noting that indigenous groups "view life as an 'interconnected web,' a 'system view of the world' that comes as a natural perspective through which to view leadership" (p. 78).…”

Reflections on the Concept of Authentic Leadership: From an Indigenous Scholar/Leader Perspective

“…I want real relationships, not a lot of them, but enough of them that I do not feel alone in this work. As Benham and Murikami (2013) argue, “We [as Indigenous people] lead because our relations challenge us to make a difference” (p. 163). This means that the paths we take are often guided by those with whom we are in relation and to whom we have a great sense of accountability and responsibility.…”

“…As a member of the academic community, I find myself constantly questioning what it means to work effectively in an environment that is often at odds with my identity as 1 University of North Carolina, Wilmington, USA an Indigenous scholar, yet is an environment in which I have been called upon to live out my professional life. As illustrated by Benham and Murikami (2013), one of the challenges for me is that the decision to live out my professional life in the academy is not a decision that I make independent of others, but one that was, and is, directed by my elders, and others (e.g., Marker, 2004;Mihesuah & Wilson, 2004;Rains, Archibald, & Deyhle, 2000) who cite the need for Indigenous peoples and voices within the academy. In heeding this call, I have a unique opportunity to give back to those who make this life possible, by remaining in the academic trenches, and working to ensure that this place and space, hears and sees the work of Indigenous scholars and recognizes our rightful place within the academy.…”

Exploring the Concepts of Traditional Inuit Leadership and Effective School Leadership in Nunavut (Canada)

“…Leon (2012) believed that strong Aboriginal leadership is dependent on four key points-interaction with the land, promotion of language and culture, promotion of family, and community service. Other authors describe how Aboriginal leadership is akin to transformative leadership, which is rooted in collective values and co-determined outcomes aimed at social equality and change, when needed (Benham & Murakami, 2013;Leon, 2012). Somewhat similar to the concept of servant leadership (Sergiovanni, 2013), Aboriginal leadership is about attending to the community's needs, above individual needs (Julien, Wright, & Zinni, 2010).…”