Doctoral Dissertation Research: Ecosystems of Teaching and Learning: An Ethnography of Two Inupiaq Dance Groups

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Teaching and learning in Indigenous contexts differ from activities and experiences within the Western educational tradition. This ethnographic research explores how teaching and learning occur within two Alaska Native dance and drumming groups. Dance, song, and drumming are integral Indigenous educational activities, with culturally distinct traditions across the Arctic. These activities are embodied modes of teaching and learning that encode information about interpersonal relations, social values, language, animals and the environment. This research focuses on how members of dance groups develop and maintain communities of practice united by common interests and evaluates the role of dance in youth empowerment, cultural transmission, and engagement with social issues. Methods employed in this project include ethnographic interviews with Alaska Native Elders, educators and youth, participant observation, and document analysis. Research will take place in Anchorage and Utqiaġvik, Alaska, followed by qualitative textual analysis. Project dissemination plans will be developed in consultation with Alaska Native collaborators. Anticipated outcomes include scholarly presentations, a dissertation, and intellectual contributions to comparative education, Indigenous pedagogy, and practice theory.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.