This qualitative study explored leadership in higher education through the perspectives of six Native American women faculty at a southwest university. The study utilized a Dine informed conceptual framework incorporating the Dine Philosophy of education, the Dine philosophy of life (Sa'ah Naaghai Bik'eh Hozhoon - SNBH), and the Dine ceremonial…

This study aims to discover the existing experiences that lead to local rural knowledge (LRK) of specific rural Northeast Nebraska communities. This information will assist in understanding the impact that LRK has on young children's science knowledge in rural communities. By engaging in hands-on experiences and interactions, science learning…

This phenomenological study explores the essence of ancestral knowledge from a belief in reincarnation and consciousness, as it relates to the lived experiences of diverse educational professionals, and its contribution to their growth and development. The study investigates the lived experiences of adult educators from four distinct teaching and…

Indigenous Alaska Native first-generation college students bring a wealth of knowledge and skills yet struggle in Western institutions. The problem is that many Alaskan postsecondary faculty continue to design courses based on Western academic instructional practices instead of culturally responsive strategies when teaching Indigenous Alaska…

Teaching topics on Indigenous people and culture can be challenging for educators in K-12 classrooms for a multitude of reasons. This dissertation examines the epistemological complexities that teaching Indigenous identity, cultural teachings, and futurities are met with in mainstream classrooms. In the early chapters, I spend time describing what…

Rooted in Chicana/Latina feminism and interdisciplinary frameworks, this dissertation uses autoethnographic (Behar, 1996), participatory (Baquedano-Lopez, 2021; Irizarry & Brown, 2014), and art-based research (Leavy, 2015; Delgado Bernal, Burciaga & Flores Carmona, 2012) to document Mexicana/Latina campesinas' education in agriculture in…

This study explores the transformative and healing experiences of doctoral students enrolled in the first fully online Indigenous Health Ph.D. program at the University of North Dakota. The research aims to understand the unique experiences and supports influencing the success of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in this program. The…

This qualitative, phenomenological study examined the impact of the Puko?a Kani ?Aina grant project that provided eight instructors at the University of Hawai?i West O?ahu a professional development opportunity. This study examined how the eight, representing the Mathematical, Natural and Health Science [BSNS, STEM Degrees] Division, were offered…

This dissertation draws on Indigenous research paradigms including Critical Indigenous Research Methodology, the 4 Rs, and Indigenous Storywork to explore the ways Indigenous student affairs professionals (SAPs) navigate the university. Conversational interviews and talking circles were the primary methods for gathering Indigenous SAPs stories of…

Given the significance of school leaders and leadership to teaching, learning, and student success, research on school principal leadership has expanded from its foundations in Western Anglo-American nations to international, diverse, and historically marginalized contexts. However, an enduring critique and limitation of the educational leadership…

Native American students in higher education are often asked to find a sense of belonging in places and spaces that do not reflect their cultures or worldviews. This can lead to isolation and a feeling of having to choose between themselves and their identities as Indigenous peoples. This contributes to poorer mental health, loss of well-being,…

An ancestral skill is a "first" skill that may have originally been used for survival purposes but is no longer considered by Western culture to be required knowledge for human survival. Ancestral Skills Education is a method of sharing this ancestral knowledge through participatory, informal learning practices, in non-competitive…

Indigenous-language immersion (ILI) is a form of schooling where all, or nearly all, classroom instruction in every subject area is conducted in an Indigenous language. This dissertation comprises three case study comparisons of neighboring pairs of ILI and English-medium school programs. The first case study examines two elementary schools in the…

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore the experiences of African immigrant farmers in the U.S. Data were collected from eight participants who have experienced the phenomenon using in-depth interviews and field observation. Findings revealed that Immigrant farming is anchored on cultural practices resulting from parental…

To increase equity and inclusion for underserved and excluded Indigenous students, we must make efforts to mitigate the unique barriers they face. As their knowledge systems have been historically excluded and erased in Western science, we begin by reviewing the literature on the inclusion of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in biology…