ABSTRACT
Within the field of education, Indigenous teachers are frequently expected to navigate the complexities of working to enact elements of culturally responsive pedagogy among diverse Indigenous communities. However, teacher education has not fully contextualized “how” one identifies and includes Indigenous knowledge in curriculum and pedagogy. ln many instances, Indigenous knowledge is not reflected in the curriculum serving Indigenous students, leaving educators with the responsibility of becoming “Indigenous researchers” who seek answers to complex questions regarding Indigenous knowledge and values. Thus, like academic researchers employing Indigenous research methods, Indigenous teachers have to enter the space of being cautious and intentional about how they will (re)present the knowledge entrusted in them. This dialogue with Hopi educators proposes to generate critical insights to the nuances (i.e. questions teachers ask, interpretations and inclusion of shared knowledge/sacred knowledge, moments of negotiation) embedded in developing Indigenous curriculum and pedagogy that is rooted in Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies. Specifically, this work will include two Hopi teachers (co-authors) who are working to address the central question of: How might Indigenous research methodologies be enacted by Indigenous educators working to include Indigenous knowledge, values, and language in their curriculum and pedagogy? The co-authors (Jeremy Garcia, Samuel Tenakhongva, and Bryant Honyouti) are all members of the Hopi Tribal community. Tenakhongva and Honyouti are Hopi elementary school educators working to include Hopi culture, language, history and knowledge within their curriculum. The chapter will center on how they utilize aspects of Indigenous Research Methodologies to inform and develop culturally responsive pedagogy that is inclusive of Hopi epistemologies into their curriculum.
