A proposal from Emma Elliot (assistant professor, College of Education) has been selected for a Global Innovation Fund research award from the UW Office of Global Affairs.
Fostering Equitable University-Tribal Collaborations: An International Education Initiative in the Pacific Northwest employs Participatory Design Research (PDR) to co-develop a land-based education initiative that centers Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and reciprocal partnerships between universities and Indigenous communities in British Columbia and Washington State. The initiative prioritizes reciprocal university-Indigenous partnerships in British Columbia and Washington State, aiming to transform higher education institutions so that pedagogy and degree programs can be fully community-based.
Historically, colonial education policies in the U.S. and Canada have disrupted Indigenous governance, cultural transmission, and ecological relationships (Brayboy & Lomawaima, 2018; TRC, 2015). This project responds by engaging Indigenous leaders, scholars, and educators in co-designing educational pathways that align with Indigenous self-determination and environmental stewardship (Simpson, 2017; Pashby & de Oliveira Andreotti, 2016). Through PDR, this initiative will lay the groundwork for the collaborative development of land-based programming offered across multiple Indigenous communities while addressing systemic barriers to Indigenous educational sovereignty. By fostering cross-institutional and inter-tribal collaborations, this work contributes to global movements for educational justice, cultural resurgence, and climate resilience (Pewewardy et al., 2022).
This project will facilitate two site visits to Kwakwaka’wakw, BC, and Pune’luxutth, BC, with four research team members traveling for three days and two nights to strengthen partnerships with Indigenous communities. At each site, the team will conduct five interviews with Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers to ensure that community perspectives shape the development of a sustainable, land-based education model. Through these engagements, the project will develop international and institutional partnerships between the University of Washington (UW), the University of Victoria (UVic), and Indigenous communities, laying the groundwork for future community-based higher education programs. By centering Indigenous self-determination, the project will address systemic barriers in higher education by envisioning structures that enable Indigenous-led pedagogy and degree programs to be delivered entirely within communities, rather than requiring relocation to university campuses.