“It Ain’t Gonna be MY History”: Collaborative Meaning-Making to Advance Curricular Sovereignty With(in) Rural, Indigenous-Serving Schools

This article describes storywork and collaborative meaning making as relational practices that can support stakeholder learning about curricular sovereignty with(in) rural Indigenous-serving school districts. While various treaties and policies exist to protect the educational interests of Indigenous Nations, enacting curricular sovereignty often demands extensive resources that are limited in many rural reservation and reservation bordertown contexts. The authors, who have a long-standing relationship as co-learners, exchange stories about their experiences as an Indigenous student and non-Indigenous educator within such contexts, and then engage in collaborative meaning making to think more deeply about these experiences as curriculum decision makers and scholars. Outcomes demonstrate the need for curricular sovereignty to reduce harm to students, meet treaty/trust responsibilities, and support cultural revitalization and student success. While the conversation exposed many painful realities, it also illuminated opportunities for teachers, leaders, scholars, curriculum developers, and community members to re-envision curricular decision-making processes with(in) rural, Indigenous-serving schools.