“Light a Little Candle in Their Hearts”: Learning From Educators of Indigenous Youth About Culturally Sustaining/Revitalizing Teaching Practices in Contemporary Contexts

Abstract:Educators of Indigenous youth provide important insights about teaching Indigenous youth in contemporary educational contexts. Yet their perspectives about what constitutes effective pedagogical practices are often underappreciated. This qualitative study explores the different ways that nine educators of Indigenous youth constructed their pedagogical practice based on key features of Indigenous education and their cultural strengths. Three themes emerged from the study that reinforce the significance of (1) Indigenous content knowledge integration in school curriculum, (2) student and teacher relationships, and (3) educators’ reflective thinking. The implications of this study for teacher education highlight the need for all educators to be conscious of what constitutes culturally revitalizing/sustaining pedagogy from the perspectives of Indigenous educators. Finally, the findings point to the need for more research on teaching Indigenous youth using Indigenous-centered pedagogy for contemporary practice.