Sustainability Education in First Nations Schools - A Multi-site Study and Implications for Education Policy

Oct 15, 2026

This paper examines the form and extent of sustainability integration in education policy within First Nations-managed K-12 schools, and analyzes strategies used by educational communities to address barriers in sustainability education practice. Semi-structured interviews with educators across four Canadian schools and content analysis identify themes around relational ties to land, culturally and geographically relevant pedagogy, and systemic constraints. Under-resourcing and administrative challenges limit sustainability across curricula, though community resources help indirectly embed sustainability, with implications for educators, policymakers, and agencies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Sustainability Education in First Nations Schools

Policy context and related literature

Study findings and identified themes

Barriers and strategies for implementation

Implications and recommendations

Sustainability Education in First Nations Schools: A Multi-site Study and Implications for Education Policy Davida Bentham, Alex Wilson, Marcia McKenzie, & Lori Bradford University of Saskatchewan Abstract This paper explores the form and extent of sustainability uptake in education policy in First Nations-managed K-12 schools, and discusses strategies First Nations’ educational communities use to overcome barriers encountered in sustainability education practice. Interviews were conducted with educators across four different Canadian schools and content analysis was used to draw out key themes of analysis. These include educators’ articulations of relationships to land, including a relational legacy of living in an implicitly sustainable and respectful way. Participants also described how culturally and geographically relevant pedagogical approaches to sustainability are challenged by systemic and localized barriers. Participants perceived that under-resourcing and administrative challenges limit the integration of sustainability across curricular areas, hindering educators’ abilities to develop appropriate innovative programming and resources for First Nations’ students. They have been able to overcome these obstacles, to some extent, by harnessing community resources to indirectly include sustainability in the curriculum. Implications for educators, policy makers, and agencies are discussed. Keywords: First Nations, Indigenous, education policy, sustainability education, environmental education Indigenous1 peoples are the fastest growing population in Canada, one that, between 2006 and 2016, increased at a rate more than four times that of the rest ofthe country’s population (Statistics Canada, 2018. The Indigenous population, as a whole, is much younger than the rest of the country’s population. Over the same decade, the number of Indigenous youth (15 to 34 years old) increased at a rate (39%) more than six times that of the rest ofthe country’s youth population. An important investment in the future of Indigenous youth is to ensure they have access to culturally-relevant education, which is already available to many other Canadian youths in the public education system. It is well documented that culturally-relevant education is a critical contributor to Indigenous student success, which often includes a focus on land and issues of cultural and environmental sustainability (Anuik, Battiste, & George, 2010; Baker, 2008; Canadian Council on Learning, 2009; Henderson, Carjuzaa, & Ruff, 2015; Lewthwaite, & McMillan, 2010; Mombourquette & Bruised Head, 2014; Preston, 2016; Preston, Claypool, Rowluck, & Green, 2015 Toulouse, 2016) . This paper explores how sustainability is being incorporated into K-12 education policy in First Nations schools, drawing on the experiences and perceptions of research participants working in four First Nations-managed schools2. We also explore perceived barriers to incorporating sustainability education ¹ Indigenous herein means descendants of the original inhabitants of Canada which includes: First Nations people (referring to status and non-status), Inuit (the Indigenous peoples ofthe Arctic), and Métis (defined by the Métis National Council (2011, p. 2) as “a person who self-identifies as Métis, is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples, is of historic Métis Nation Ancestry and who is accepted by the Métis Nation”). First Nation also refers to a geographical place where a group of First Nations people live on land set aside for them specifically. ²Sustainability” is defined here, and in the broader Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN) project, as including a minimum a focus on land or environment, regardless of the terminology used. Interwoven aspects of cultural knowledge and relevancy, well-being, or other considerations may also be included. from the points of view of educators and administrators, including how they have overcome these barriers. In what follows

FAQs

What does the study focus on regarding sustainability in First Nations schools?

It explores how sustainability is taken up in K-12 education policy in First Nations-managed schools and examines the extent of that integration.

How was the research conducted in the paper?

Interviews were conducted with educators across four Canadian schools, and content analysis was used to draw out key themes.

What main barriers limit sustainability education across the curriculum?

Participants reported under-resourcing and administrative challenges that constrain integration of sustainability into curricular areas.

Oct 15, 2026

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