Over the past few decades, Indigenous peoples across the globe have increasingly gained access to formal education. In some rare cases, self-determination efforts have led to the establishment of culturally-driven programs that recognize indigenous languages and knowledge systems to varying degrees. For the majority of indigenous children and youth, however, education remains a space of colonial oppression, perpetuating, and sometimes advancing the hegemonic status-quo. One of the main challenges of indigenous peoples in contemporary nation states is finding the right balance between national and indigenous citizenship. On the one hand, indigenous peoples have the right to equal access to the knowledge and skills available to all nation citizens through formal education. On the other hand, they have the right to maintain and develop their indigenous knowledge, values and practices.
The conference Indigeneity and Education, to be held 26-27 September 2019, at the University of Tromsø, the Arctic University of Norway, will look at the tension between the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination within formal education, and the challenges that state institutions continue to impose on such efforts. We invite papers that approach the issue from different critical perspectives. We would like to solicit contributions that explore: the tension between indigenous and national citizenship within the context of formal education; the challenges associated with the use of indigenous languages in schools; indigenous curricula and indigenous content in mainstream curricula; and citizenship education and self-determination.
The conference is preceded by a 2-day workshop on Hunter Gatherer Education, and participants are invited to participate in it, too. More information about the workshop can be found here.
The Conference is hosted by the Centre for Sami Studies (SESAM) and the Indigenous Citizenship and Education project.
UPDATE: We regret to inform you that Anna-Lill Drugge has to cancel her key-note speech. In her place, Hilde Sollid and Torjer A. Olsen will present the following conversation: "(Re)conceptualising Indigenous Education: Theorising on basis of empirical observations."