Decolonizing Environmental Education: A Resource Guide for Non-Indigenous Educators

The field of environmental education is shaped by pervasive narratives and ideologies of settler colonialism. Many scholars cite the need for Indigenous voices and perspectives to be centered in education in order to move towards a process of decolonization, reconciliation, and support for ongoing Indigenous resurgence. In order for non-Indigenous educators to be able to guide students towards critical understanding of the history and context of land in environmental education, they must first investigate their own identity and assumptions within settler colonial society and education. This capstone project provides a resource guide in the form of a website for non-Indigenous environmental educators seeking to critically examine their own role in settler colonial systems and engage in co-resistance and Indigenous resurgence by centering Indigenous voices in their teaching. Using transformative learning and social justice education frameworks, the resource guide includes self-reflective practices and resources for critical analysis to decolonize curriculum and center Indigenous perspectives, as well as teaching resources exclusively created by Indigenous authors for use with students in the classroom or field. Intended for use by both formal and informal environmental educators, the resource guide is publically accessible and self-paced. Annotated resources allow readers to choose the most appropriate tools to further investigate internal biases and develop a personal path towards self-decolonization in order to facilitate similar critical and transformative learning experiences for students. (224 words