Indigenous learning on Turtle Island: A review of the literature on land‐based learning

Abstract

Land has played an integral role in Indigenous education since time immemorial. In Indigenous ways of knowing and being in the world, land is the basis of all life and therefore the foundation for all cultural and traditional teachings. Learning takes place in cooperation with the rhythms of everyday life, including land‐based activities such as hunting and gathering. This form of education is in contrast with western systems that continue to perpetuate colonialism through the erasure of Indigenous lives, cultures, and knowledge. The authors of this paper explore the meaning of land‐based learning, wise practices for its facilitation, and the barriers impeding the widespread practice of land‐based learning. The findings of this review have important implications for the revitalization and perpetuation of Indigenous knowledge, in an Indigenous way, among future generations. Land‐based learning, in its authentic form, is a powerful tool in the continuing process of decolonization. In being on the land, Indigenous and non‐Indigenous peoples are able to come together and draw strength from their ancestors, relationships, and histories in order to heal and transcend the trauma caused by past and present colonial processes.

Education in uncertainty: Academic life as Indigenous health scholars during COVID-19

“…in land-based learning) refers to the learning that takes place on and with the land in an Indigenous way. Though practices vary to match the diversity of Indigenous peoples, in many Indigenous ways of knowing, land is seen as the basis of all life, and is therefore the foundation for all cultural and traditional teachings(Bowra et al 2020). 3 For more information about the Master of Public Health (MPH): Indigenous Health, visit https ://www.…”

Azhe'é Bidziil (Strong Fathers): Study Protocol for the Pilot Evaluation of an American Indian Fatherhood Program to Improve the Health and Wellbeing of Diné (Navajo) Fathers

“…This approach allows flexibility in gauging and responding to sensitive discussions. For example, in discussing trauma with participants, the facilitators often shift to land-based learning, which acknowledges that land plays “an integral role in Indigenous education” ( 59 ). Land-based learning reconnects participants to the land, promotes holistic perspectives, and encourages self-reflection, all of which can be transformative and healing processes ( 59 ).…”

“…For example, in discussing trauma with participants, the facilitators often shift to land-based learning, which acknowledges that land plays “an integral role in Indigenous education” ( 59 ). Land-based learning reconnects participants to the land, promotes holistic perspectives, and encourages self-reflection, all of which can be transformative and healing processes ( 59 ). Other cultural elements such as Native parenting principles, revitalizing the kinship social support system, and Native gender roles are also unique cornerstones of this study that aim to reinvigorate Native fatherhood practices.…”

Surveying Land-Based Learning for Engineering Education: Preliminary Steps

“…Land-based learning, or Indigenous land education, describes a broad array of ways of learning that fundamentally engage with the land as first teacher [6], [17]. The wide variety of approaches to land-based learning are connected through their roots in Indigenous traditional practices that hold spiritual connections and relationships with the land at their center [26].…”

“…Existing land-based learning efforts demonstrate how they can reshape both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants' relationships with the land and increase their engagement and perceived connections with community. Through this (re)establishment of relationships with the environment and with people, land-based learning can contribute to reconciliation, to healing from traumas of colonization , and to repairing the harms of settler colonialism [6] [24], [49], [50], [51]. As engineering educators and students, we also recognize the potential of land-based approaches to reframe engineers' beliefs about their work and profession beyond engineering's historically capitalist, colonial, and patriarchal worldview [32].…”