Leaders can create inclusivity by understanding students\u2019 diverse experiences.<\/p>\r\n
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As a non-Native teacher and school leader, I was in the Alaska school system for more than a decade, teaching in rural schools across the state, where most of my students, colleagues, and community members were Alaska Native. I arrived with a desire to serve and quickly discovered that my own upbringing and education hadn\u2019t prepared me for the deep well of Indigenous culture and community priorities I encountered. I saw firsthand how school leadership decisions, particularly those that did not recognize Native\u2002sovereignty, could greatly affect the health and success of Native students and their families.<\/p>\r\n
I learned early on that well-meaning policies and practices, when created without real consent or respect for tribal authority, resulted in feelings of exclusion and distrust. There were textbooks devoid of Native history or values, courses of study that failed to take into account the wisdom of local elders or tribal leaders, and important decisions about what kids were taught were made when parents weren\u2019t looking. School events would occur without acknowledging the land\u2019s original stewards, and decisions about language instruction or cultural activities were often made by outsiders rather than taking into account the community\u2019s expertise and desires<\/p>\r\n
Students felt alienated from their heritage. Families and elders disengaged from school activities, and community trust deteriorated, a reality that complicates the relationships so desperately\u2002needed to ensure student success.<\/p>\r\n
I observed how a lack of substantive recognition\u2002for the land and for sovereignty both led Native students to feel invisible and marginalized. It wasn\u2019t just what the words said; it was whether those on\u2002the campus wanted school to really \u201csee\u201d and see, to respect and value people.<\/p>\r\n
Studies and recent news from Alaska reflect what I saw. When they\u2019re done thoughtfully, land acknowledgements aren\u2019t just symbolic gestures; they represent a first step toward recognizing Indigenous sovereignty, building relationships, and beginning a decolonization process.<\/p>\r\n
\u00a0\u201cLand acknowledgements\u2002are supposed to be an introduction to a relationship and process of decolonization where we acknowledge the impact and historical violence of colonization on Indigenous peoples,\u201c Linda Tuhiwai Smith, a prominent scholar in Indigenous studies, writes.<\/p>\r\n
But the damage is very real when\u2002these acknowledgments are not made, or are replaced with vague statements that erase Indigenous presence and authority. The case of the Mat-Su Borough School District, where land acknowledgement plaques were removed without consulting tribes, is a clear case in point. Tribal and education leaders said the absence of land acknowledgment plaques in schools and at district events slowed cultural affirmation for Native students, weakening ties\u2002with the community. The Mat-Su Borough School District (MSBSD) is no longer displaying Indigenous land acknowledgment plaques in district schools or reading a statement of acknowledgement before official districtwide events.\u00a0 The act of ignoring also sent a message: Native voices and histories could be tucked away in the margins in the service of \u201cunity\u201d or to avoid discomfort.<\/p>\r\n
Some critics are concerned that land acknowledgements may veer toward the performative\u2002or even divisive. I\u2019ve heard these in Alaska as well, where some\u2002non-Native colleagues were worried that acknowledging Native land or sovereignty would \u201creopen old wounds\u201d or make people feel guilty. But Indigenous scholars and community leaders have made it clear: Discomfort\u2002is part of the process of truth-telling and reconciliation. Acknowledgments like these, as Smith observes, require \u201ctrue humility and respect,\u201d but they must be followed by action.<\/p>\r\n
\u201cLand acknowledgements can be a jumping-off point for honest conversations about how non-Indigenous\u2002people can support Indigenous sovereignty, but not if they\u2019re lies and don\u2019t hold anyone accountable.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
The gap between tokenism and meaningful practice lies in relationships and actions. The most meaningful acknowledgements I observed grew out of relationships with local tribes, spoke to the land and its people, and were connected to actions.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
The effects of this failure to recognize\u2002Native sovereignty in students\u2019 education are tremendous. “The lack of acknowledgement of an Indigenous Peoples’ land, and they’re the host people here,” said Charlene Teters. “People don’t realize that when our schools are not reflective or honoring\u2002Indigenous leadership and authority in schools, there is cultural and social isolation for kids, a decrease in academic achievement. even psychological harm.” Trust among communities is damaged, and the opportunity for reconciliation and cooperation passes. Conversely, when schools practice recognizing Native sovereignty, recognizing land, centering Indigenous knowledge, and sharing decision-making, students flourish, families become committed resources for their implementation, and communities find healing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
Twelve years in Alaska\u2019s Native schools taught me that paying lip service to sovereignty is not simply a matter of saying the right\u2002words. It\u2019s about relationships and sharing power, centering Indigenous ways of knowing in every aspect of a school. It\u2019s about being willing to feel uncomfortable,\u2002to listen, and to engage.<\/p>\r\n
For non-Native educators\u2002and leaders, the issue is not performative expression but making genuine pledges to work together moving forward. That may involve consulting with local tribes, offering specific and actionable acknowledgments, and ensuring that every student exits their school building not only with their culture, language, and identity intact but\u2002also celebrated.<\/p>\r\n
Refusing\u2002to acknowledge Native sovereignty in Alaska\u2019s schools is making our children disconnected, distrusting, and hurt. Intentional land acknowledgements\u00a0 created in collaboration with\u2002Indigenous communities and combined with action\u00a0 are a step toward healing, inclusion, and student success.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
Lambert, M. C., Sobo, E. J., & Lambert, V. L. (2022). Rethinking land acknowledgments. Anthropology News, May\/June, 3\u20136.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
Rethinking Land Acknowledgments<\/a><\/blockquote>