Indi(genius) as Counterforce to Cultivate Warrior-Scholars and Challenge the Power Elite

• In Event: Transformative Pedagogies: Uplifting and Protecting the Genius of Teachers and Students of Color

Abstract

Objectives and Research Questions
The American power elite are an immense force (Mills, 2000) working to create a less democratic world (Brandt et al., 2019). These dangerous ideologies and practices permeate all elements of our society, including the US education systems. Within this sociopolitical context, I lean on my own genius as a queer-decolonizing-indigenous educator and utilize Muhammad’s (2020) notion of “cultivating [the] genius” of students of color and the concept of untested feasibility (Freire, 2000) as a counterforce within the social science classroom to help learners develop their own identity and sense of criticality (Muhammad, 2020) on the conditions and structures that keep much of society in a submerged state of consciousness (Freire, 2000). I examine this question: How can Indigenous educators and teachers of color in social science use their own ancestral genius to facilitate the process of developing students’ identity and criticality while empowering them to challenge the harmful ideologies and practices of the American power elite?

Theory
My teacher research is grounded in emancipatory culturally responsive pedagogy to confront the preceived notions of “absolute authority” (Gay, 2018) and Freire’s concepts of limit situations (2000) - conditions and structures that keep much of society in a submerged state of consciousness - to help students theorize their own transformative ideas and actions. Additionally, I apply elements of Muhammad’s (2020) Historical Responsive Literacy framework and the “problematizing” history inquiry approach (Bain, 2008) to examine how students’ articulation, development, and reflection of their own foundational values can facilitate the process of attaining deeper self-awareness while promoting community action.

Methods/Data Sources
The research takes place in a traditional public high school located in southern California with a predominantly first and second generation Latinx population, but also a substantial immigrant community. Using Grounded Theory methodology (Chun Tie et al., 2019), I examine one year of AP US Government and Politics and a class called Student Voice, drawing from self-reflections, surveys, and student work to address the research question. I analyze the ways in which I incorporate indigenous perspectives on American authoritarianism, the climate emergency, societal imbalance and interconnectivity as my own pedagogical “counterforce.”

Findings and Significance
This investigation reveals the importance of relying on the ancestral values and knowledge deeply rooted in myself and community. Openness about my own indigenous history/present and harnessing this perspective to frame mainstream historical accounts creates a vital opening for students of color to dialogue and reflect genuinely on the power elite as they work to develop their own sense of identity, intellect, and criticality. Articulation of foundational values is vital in helping students define themselves and draw connections between their lived experiences to the societal challenges impacting them and their communities. Most students identified systemic sexism and racism as the main driver of oppression in their lives. In this study, I demonstrate that utilizing my own sacred perspective grounded in ancestral knowledge is critical in facilitating the process of helping students contextualize the power elite and developing their sense of self.

Author

• Edgar Orejel, Native American Community Academy
  Presenting Author