Skip to main content

Decolonizing pedagogy

"Decolonization, once viewed as the formal process of handing over the instruments of government, is now recognized as a long-term process involving the bureaucratic, cultural, linguistic and psychological divesting of colonial power." (Smith, 1999, p. 98)  

Decolonization - selected books & articles

Abdi, A.A. (ed.) (2012). Decolonizing philosophies of education. Boston: Sense Publishers. (ebook)

Battiste, M.A. (2013). Decolonizing education: nourishing the learning spirit. Saskatoon: Purich Publishing. (print book)

Battiste, M. A. (ed.) (2000). Reclaiming Indigenous voice and vision. Vancouver: UBC Press. (ebook)

Battiste, M. (ed.) (2016). Visioning a Mi’kmaw humanities: indigenizing the academy. Sydney, Nova Scotia: Cape Breton University Press. (ebook)

Battiste, M., Bell, L., & Findlay, L. M. (2002). Decolonizing education in Canadian universities: An interdisciplinary, international, indigenous research project. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 26, 82–95.

Cajete, G. A. (2015). Indigenous community: rekindling the teachings of the seventh fire. St. Paul, MN: Living Justice Press. (print book)

Corntassel, J. (2012). Re-envisioning resurgences: Indigenous pathways to decolonization and sustainable self-determination. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1), 86-101.

Dei, G. S. (2012). Indigenous anti-colonial knowledge as ‘heritage knowledge’ for promoting Black/African education in diasporic contexts. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1),102-119.

Fast, E. & Drouin-Gagné, M. (2019). We need to get better at this! Pedagogies for Truth Telling about Colonial ViolenceInternational Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 10(1), 95-118. 

Gaudry, A. & Lorenz, D. (2018). Indigenization as inclusion, reconciliation and decolonization: navigating the different visions for indigenizing the Canadian academy. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples 

Gaudry, A. (2016). Paved with good intentions: Simply requiring indigenous content is not enough. Active History

Henhawk, D.A. (2013). My critical awakening: a process of struggles and decolonizing hope. International review of Qualitative Research, 6(4), 510-525. 

Johnson, J.T. & Larsen, S.C. (2013). A deeper sense of place: stories and journeys of indigenous-academic collaboration. Baltimore: Oregon State University Press. (ebook)

Kennedy, D. K. (2016). Decolonization: a very short introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. (print book)

Mccracken, K. (2019). Challenging colonial spaces: Reconciliation and decolonizing work in Canadian archives. The Canadian Historical Review 100(2): 182-201. 

McFarlane, P. & Schabus, N. (2018). Whose land is it anyway? A manual for decolonization. Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC. (ebook)

Memmi, A. (1967).The colonizer and the colonized. Boston: Beacon Press.

Memmi, A. & Bononno, R. (2006). Decolonization and the decolonized. University of Minnesota Press. (print book)

Mignolo, W.D., & Walsh, C. E. (2018). On decoloniality: concepts, analytics, and praxis. Durham: Duke University Press. (print book)

Munroe, E.A., Borden, L.L., Orr, A.M., Toney, D., & Meader, J. (2013). Decolonizing Aboriginal education in the 21st century. McGill Journal of Education, 48(2), 317-337. 

Nadeau, D.M. & Reder, D. (2020). Unsettling spirit: a journey into decolonization. Montreal: Mcgill-Queen's Press. (ebook)

Pete, S. (2016). Commentary: 100 ways: Indigenizing & decolonizing academic programs. Aboriginal Policy Studies 6(1): 81-89.

Pete, S., Schneider, B., & O’Reilly, K. (2013). Decolonizing our practice – Indigenizing our teaching. First Nations Perspectives, 5(1), 99-115. 

Sium, A., Desai, C., & Riskes, E. (2012). Towards the ‘tangible unknown’: Decolonization and the Indigenous future. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1), I-XIII. 

Tuck, E. & Yang, K.W. (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1), 1-40.

Tuhiwai-Smith, L. Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W. (eds). (2018). Indigenous and decolonizing studies in education: mapping the long view. New York: Routledge. 

Wane, N.N., Todorova, M.S., & Todd, K. L. (Eds). (2020). Decolonizing the spirit in education and beyond: resistance and solidarity. Palgrave. (ebook)

Decolonizing pedagogy  - selected books & articles

Five-year strategic implementation plan on decolonizing and Indigenizing curriculum and pedagogy (2023-2027) - This plan sets evolving priorities for the decolonization of curriculum and pedagogy at Concordia. 

Battiste, M. (2002). Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy in First Nations education: A literature review with recommendations. Ottawa, ON: National Working Group on Education and the Minister of Indian Affairs, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.  (PDF)

Cajete, G. (2020). Native minds rising: exploring transformative Indigenous education. British Columbia: JCharlton Publishing. (print book)

Cajete, G. (2015). Indigenous community: rekindling the teachings of the seventh fire. St. Paul: Living Justice Press. (print book)

Christensen, J., Cox, C., & Szabo-Jones, L. (eds). (2018). Activating the heart: storytelling, knowledge sharing and relationship. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press. (ebook)

Chrona, J. (2022). Wayi wah!: Indigenous pedagogies: an act for reconciliation and anti-racist education. Winnipeg: Portage & Main Press. (print book)

Cornelius, C. (1999). Iroquois corn in a culture-based curriculum: a framework for respectfully teaching about cultures. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. (print book)

Cote-Meek, S. & Moeke-Pickering, T. (2020). Decolonizing and Indigenizing education in Canada. Canadian Scholars Press. (ebook)

Darder, A., Torres, R.D., & Baltodano, M. P. (2017). The critical pedagogy reader, 3rd edition. New York: Routledge. (print book)

Dattan, R. (ed). (2023). Decolonization in practice: reflective learning from cross-cultrual perspectives. Canadian Scholars Press. (ebook)

Dei, G.J.S. (2011). Indigenous philosophies and critical education: a reader. New York: Peter Lang. (print book)

Dion, S.D. (2007). Disrupting molded images: Identities, responsibilities, and relationships.Teaching Education 18(4): 329-342. 

Goulet, L. M., & Goulet, K. N. (2014). Teaching each other: Nehinuw concepts and Indigenous pedagogies. Vancouver: UBC Press. (print book)

Grande, S. (2004). Red pedagogy: Native American social and political thought. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. (print book)

Iseke-Barnes, J. M. (2008). Pedagogies for Decolonizing. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 31(1), 123-148. 

Kanu, Y. (2011). Integrating aboriginal perspectives into the school curriculum: purposes, possibilities and challenges. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. (print book)

Louie, D. W., Poitras-Pratt, Y., Hanson, A. J., & Ottmann, J. (2017). Applying Indigenizing Principles of Decolonizing Methodologies in University ClassroomsCanadian Journal of Higher Education 47(3): 16-33.

Lynn, M., & Dixson, A. D. (2013). Handbook of critical race theory in education. New York: Routledge. (print book)

Malott, C. (2008). A call to action: an introduction to education, philosophy and native North America. New York: Peter Lang. (ebook)

McGregor, D. (2018). From 'decolonized' to Reconciliation research in Canada: Drawing from Indigenous research paradigmsACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies 17(3): 810-831. 

McKinley, E.A. & Tuhiwai Smith, L. (2019). Handbook of Indigenous education. Singapore: Springer Nature. (ebook)

Mihesuah, D. A., & Wilson, A. C. (eds). (2004). Indigenizing the academy: transforming scholarship and empowering communities. Lincoln: University of Nebraska.  (print book)

Moore, S. (2017). Trickster chases the tale of education. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. (print book)

Nakata, N. M., Nakata, V., Keech, S., & Bolt, R. (2012). Decolonial goals and pedagogies for Indigenous studiesDecolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1), 120-140. 

Ormiston, T.L., Green, J., & Aguirre, K. (2020). S'teṉistolw̱: moving Indigenous education forward. British Columbia: JCharlton Publishing.  (print)

Pratt, Y.P. & Bodnaresko, S. (Eds). (2023). Truth and reconciliation through education: stories of decolonizing practices. Edmonton: Brush Education Inc. (print book)

Pidgeon, M. (2016). More than a checklist: meaningful Indigenous inclusion in higher education. Social Inclusion 4(1), 77-91. 

Petrovia, J.E., & Mitchell, R. (eds). (2018). Indigenous philosophies of education around the world. New York: Routledge. (print book)

Pirbhai-Illich, F., Pete, S., & Martin, F. (eds). (2017). Culturally responsive pedagogy: working towards decolonization, indigeneity and interculturalism. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. (ebook)

Quinless, J.M. (2022). Decolonizing data: unsettling conversations about social research methods. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. (print book)

Ragoonaden, K. & Mueller, L., (2017). Cultural responsive pedagogy: Indigenizing curriculum. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 47(2), 22-46. 

Sammel, A., Whatman, S., Blue, L. (Eds). (2020). Indigenizing education: discussions and case studies from Australia and Canada. Singapore: Springer. (ebook)

Sefa Dei, G.J., Karanja, W., & Erger, G. (2022). Elders' cultural knowledges and the question of Black/African Indigeneity in education. Springer. (ebook)

Styres, S.D. & Kempf, A. (Eds). (2022). Troubling truth and reconciliation in Canadian education: critical perspectives. University of Alberta Press. (ebook)

Tomlins-Jahnke, H., Styres, S., Lilley, S. & Zinga, D. (eds). (2019). Indigenous Education: new directions in theory and practice. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press. 

Toulouse, P.R. (2018). Truth and reconciliation in Canadian schools. Winnipeg: Portage & Main Press. (print book)

Universities Canada. (2023). Universities Canada’s Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation. (PDF)

Wane, N.N., & Todd, K.L. (eds). (2018). Decolonial pedagogy: Examining sites of resistance, resurgence and renewal. Switzerland: Palgrave MacMillan. (ebook)

Wilson, K. (2018). Foundations - Pulling together: A guide for Indigenization of post-secondary insitutions. BC Open Textbook Project. (ebook)

Decolonizing pedagogy - discipline specific resources

Literature

Indigenous Authors in the Spotlight Series: Indigenous Poetry books at Concordia

Chamberlin, J. E. (2006). If this is your land, where are your stories? : Finding common ground. Manchester: Carcanet. (print book)

Dillon, G. L. (ed). (2012). Walking the clouds: an anthology of indigenous science fiction. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. (print book) 

Dion, S.D.. & Dion, M.R. (2009). Braiding histories: learning from Aboriginal Peoples' experiences and perspectives. Vancouver: UBC Press. (print book)

Justice, D. H. (2018). Why indigenous literatures matter. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press. (ebook)

King, T. (2003). The truth about stories: a native narrative. Toronto: House of Anansi Press. (print book)

Martin, K. (2012). Stories in a new skin: approaches to Inuit literature. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. (ebook)

McCall, S., Reder, D., Gaertner, D., & Hill, G. L. (eds). (2017). Read, listen, tell: Indigenous stories from Turtle Island. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press. (ebook)

Mullen, C.A. (2020). Canadian Indigenous literature and art: decolonizing education, culture and society. Boston: Brill Sense. (ebook)

Poitras Pratt, Y. (2020). Digital storytelling in Indigenous education: a decolonizing journey for a Metis communityRoutledge. (print book)

Reder, D., & Morra, L. M. (eds). (2016). Learn, teach, challenge: approaching indigenous literatures. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press. (ebook)

Sugars, C. (2004). Home-work: postcolonialism, pedagogy and Canadian literature. Ottawa: University Of Ottawa Press. (ebook)

Teuton, S. K. (2018). Native American literature: a very short introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. (print book)

Sciences

Baldy, C.R., & Yazzie, M. K. (Eds). (2018). Special Issue: Indigenous Peoples and the Politics of Water. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society 7(1): 1-214. 

Jacobs, D.T., Four Arrows, Cajete, G. & Lee, J. (2010). Critical neurophilosophy and indigenous wisdomRotterdam: Sense Publishing. (print book)

Cajete, G. (2000). Native science: natural laws of interdependence. Santa Fe, NM: Clear Light Publishers. (print book)

Cajete, G. (1994). Look to the mountain: an ecology of indigenous education. Durango: Kivaki Press. (print book)

Hay, T. (2021). Inventing the thrifty gene: the science of settler colonialism. University of Manitoba Press. (ebook)

Kassam, K. S. (2009). Biocultural diversity and indigenous ways of knowing: human ecology in the Arctic. Calgary: University of Calgary Press. (print book)

Kim, E.A. (2021). Integrating Indigenous and Western education in science curricula: relationships at play. Palgrave. (ebook)

Kulnieks, A., Roronhiakewen, D., & Longboat, K. Y. (eds). (2013). Contemporary studies in environmental and indigenous pedagogies: a curricula of stories and placeBoston: Sense Publishers. (ebook)

Medin, D. L., & Bang, M. (2014). Who's asking?: Native science, Western science, and science education. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. (ebook)

Neidhardt, J. & Neidhardt, N. (eds). (2019). Groundswell: Indigenous Knowledge and a Call to Action for Climate Change. Strong Nations Publishing. (print book)

Nicol, C., Archibald Q'um Q'um Xiiem, J., Glanfield, F., & Dawson, A.J. (Eds). (2020). Living culturally responsive mathematics education with/in Indigenous communities. Brill Sense. (print book)

Schiebinger, L., & Swan, C. (eds). (2007). Colonial botany: science, commerce, and politics in the early modern world. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. (print book)

Snivley, G., & Williams W. L. (eds). Knowing home: Branding Indigenous Science with Western science. University of Victoria. (ebook)

Sutherland, D., & Swayze, N. (2012). Including Indigenous knowledges and pedagogies in science-based environmental education programs. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 17: 80-96. 

Turner, N.J. (2020). Plants, people, and places: the roles of ethnobotany and ethnoecology in indigenous peoples' land rights in Canada and beyond. McGill-Queen's Press. (ebook)

Whitt, L. (2009). Science, colonialism and indigenous peoples: the cultural politics of law and knowledge. New York: Cambridge University Press. (print book)

Back to top

© Concordia University