Educational Issues of Indigenous Peoples: Past, Present, and Future Snapshots

Abstract

Educational issues of Indigenous peoples cannot be said to revolve around a single concept, but indigeneity is a provocative lens for calling attention to European origins of sovereignty. Colonization, a pivotal concept, permeates educational studies and, in recent times, educational leadership. Decolonization and other Indigenous concepts like self-determination, sovereignty, and futurity target the continuing plight of Indigenous peoples in global cultures. Past, present, and future snapshots are provided of grave global educational matters concerning the USA, Canada, and Australia. Within the context of cultural genocide, such issues include colonial policy, compulsory boarding schools, educational disparity, and racism. Conveying the call for “unsettling” colonial ideologies, policies, and settlements with deliberate intent to assert freedom and self-determination, activists forge pathways for educating Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike. Implications for educational leadership and administration are decolonizing colonial settler mindsets and opposing White hegemony and its normalization at the expense of Indigenous engagement, empowerment, and sovereignty. All education stakeholders are called upon to play a vital role in promoting Indigenous justice on behalf of tribal rights and the well-being of every Indigenous child for a more inclusive, better tomorrow.