Relational Scholarship With Indigenous Communities

Confronting Settler Colonial Social Studies

Edited by:
Christine Rogers Stanton, Montana State University
Cynthia Benally, University of Utah
Brad Hall, Blackfeet Community College

A volume in the series: Research in Social Education. Editor(s): Brad M. Maguth, The University of Akron.

Published 2024

All education and educational scholarship occurs on Indigenous Lands. Despite this reality, U.S. social studies education and scholarship has reinforced settler colonialism through curricula, teacher education, professional development, policy research, and more. To confront settler colonial social studies and transform the field, educators and scholars must engage relational approaches, prioritize community and student expertise, and commit to action that recognizes Indigenous Ways of Knowing.

This book brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, practitioners, and community partners from across the U.S. to share experiences of, stories about, and hopes for anti-colonial social studies. By sharing these examples, the book also provides methodological guidance for researchers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers looking to learn about scholarly processes and partnerships with Indigenous communities. In addition to individual chapters, contributors engaged in conversations and collaboration between chapters and about
the book as a whole.

Chapter co-authors and thought partners dialogued about the following questions:

• What is relational research, and how can it help confront settler colonial content, processes, and praxis within social studies education?
• How has social studies education and research (mis)represented and (mis)applied Indigenous Ways of Knowing?
• How can a re-envisioning of social studies educational research be more intentionally participatory and relational to improve social studies teaching and learning, especially for and with Indigenous communities and youth?

ENDORSEMENT:
"Through relational scholarship, the co-editors and contributing scholars bring forward an essential call to action that centers Indigenous identities, histories, relations to land, and sovereignty. Embodied in Indigenous research and anti-colonial research methods, the collective work uniquely privileges Indigenous Peoples at the core of transforming the field of social studies for Indigenous futurities. Threaded throughout this book, are critical questions we should all be asking ourselves as we engage in advocacy, agency, and resurgence with and for Indigenous Peoples." — Jeremy Garcia (Hopi/Tewa), University of Arizona

CONTENTS
Introduction, Cynthia Benally, Brad Hall, and Christine Stanton. A Love Letter to My Granddaughter: Confronting Settler Colonialism in Social Studies Education and Scholarship through Relational Sense-Making, Aldora White Eagle with Christine Stanton and Marty Conrad. Engaging Relational Scholarship to Desettle: Social Studies Literature and Literature Reviews, Christine Stanton, Jenni Conrad, Rachel Talbert, and Brad Hall. “More Than One Cup of Coffee”: Co-Thinking About Settler Scholar Responsibility and Social Studies Curriculum With/in Indigenous Communities, Sarah B. Shear in conversation with Christine Stanton. “If This Isn’t Lifework, I Don’t Know What Is”: Challenges, Joys, and Healing Through Relational Scholarship, Robert Petrone and Nicholas Rink. “You Listen and You Understand”: (Re)Presenting Native History and Government Through Relational Policy Scholarship, Cynthia Benally. “Why Don’t We Get to Go Learn About That Stuff?” Relational Teacher Education and Professional Development Towards Transformational Desettling in Social Studies Education, Shawna Campbell-Daniels and Vanessa Anthony-Stevens. Walking and Thinking Together: Transforming Views of Relational Scholarship to Advance Reciprocity Within the Academy, Profession, and Community, Michael M. Munson and Timothy San Pedro. Conclusion—Toward Anti-Colonial Futures: Gratitudes, Hopes/Actions, and Questions for Relational Social Studies Scholars, Christine Stanton, Cynthia Benally, and Brad Hall. Contributors and Thought Partners.