ABSTRACT
This chapter emphasizes the significance of relationships for achieving language revitalization, academic success, and strong community and school partnerships. When relationships and partnerships are prioritized, education and language revitalization become focused on supporting communities for both linguistic/cultural continuity and academic achievement. K’é, a Diné (Navajo) term expressing the cultural relationships and dynamics with family and community, is an example of the cornerstone of many Indigenous people’s values and cultural practices. Fostering relationships rooted in practices such as k’é can strengthen school-community connections. This chapter shares Indigenous language teachers’ stories of their relationships with students to provide examples of the significance of k’é for strengthening schools and communities, for students’ success in school, and for language revitalization. The teachers show that schools can forge a space for the holistic development and wellbeing of Indigenous children by attending to their academic achievement through Indigenous languages, knowledge systems, and values.
