The Slippery Bluff as a Barrier or a Summit of Possibility - Decolonizing Wild Pedagogies in Alaska Native Children’s Experiences on the Land

Oct 15, 2026

The research explores wild pedagogies enacted through an inquiry space where culture and nature binaries are blurred and contrasted. Using qualitative insights from 14 children from an Alaska Native village, primarily mixed Iñupiaq and Yup’ik heritage, the study examines lived, storied entanglements with the Land and how emotional and behavioural interactions shape what children know. It also proposes a decolonizing approach to environmental education by naming and questioning colonial forces that implicitly teach separation from place.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Focus of the study

Participants and qualitative approach

Decolonizing wild pedagogies

Narrative interaction example

The Slippery Bluff as a Barrier or a Summit of Possibility: Decolonizing Wild Pedagogies in Alaska Native Children’s Experiences on the Land Carie Green, South Dakota State University, USA Abstract The research presented in this article contributes to our understanding of wild pedagogies, put into practice through the exploration of a space where culture/ Nature binaries are blurred and contrasted. The observations andfindings challenge the way we “see,” come to know, and position ourselves as part of or separate from the natural world. This qualitative study provides the insight of 14 children from an Alaska Native village, primarily of mixed Iñupiaq and Yup’ik heritage, into their lived, storied entanglements with the Land in order to explore Western and Indigenous ways of relating to the Land. It provides narratives of ways in which the children’s emotional and behavioural interactions shape how they know and come to understand their place. This article also offers a decolonizing approach torewilding environmental education by naming and questioning the colonial forces that inexplicitly teach our children to separate themselves from their place. Résumé La présente recherche enrichit notre compréhension des pédagogies de la nature, mises en pratique à travers l’exploration d’un espace où la dualité nature/cultures’estompe et exprime ses contrastes à la fois. Les observations et les résultatsmettent en doute notre manière de « voir », d’acquérir des connaissances et de nous croire séparés du monde naturel ou intégré à celui-ci. La présente étude qualitative expose les liens riches et concrets avec le territoire qu’entretiennent 14 enfants d’un village autochtone d’Alaska, principalement d’appartenance mixteiñupiaq et yup’ik; et on étudie ensuite la manière dont Occidentaux et Autochtonesentrent en relation avec la Nature. Ces récits montrent comment les interactions des enfants avec l’environnement et les émotions qui en découlent modèlent leur compréhension de la place qu’ils occupent dans la nature. L’article présente également une approche de décolonisation permettant de ramener l’éducation à l’environnement aux sources de la nature en nommant explicitement et en remettant en question les forces coloniales qui enseignent implicitement à nos enfants à se séparer de leur milieu. Keywords: early childhood environmental education, wild pedagogies, decolonization, Alaska Native, children’s agency Mots-clés : éducation à l’environnement de la petite enfance , pédagogies de la nature, décolonisation , Autochtones d’Alaska, capacité d’agir des enfants Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 25, 2022 83 “I see a moose,” 4-year-old Chloe shouted, pointing to a grassy ridgeline several kilometres away. “You see a moose? Where do you see a moose?” the researcher asked. “Uh huh,” Chloe said, “Titto! Titto!” Lucas stood near to Chloe. “I see the moose,” he said. “Show me,” the researcher said. “Titto!” Chloe called, excitedly, “I see it walking. “Oh there is a moose. Right there—straight up that hill,” Ms. Lizzie confirmed. “See!” Chloe yelled, “Titto!” Chloe intently watched the ridgeline. Her classmates, teachers, and the researcher gathered over driftwood on the rocky beach, looking out across the tundra towards the hill to see if they could spot it. After several seconds, Chloe looked away. “I see a moose nowhere,” she said. “Who ha!” her friends called for the moose. “I see nowhere,” Chloe repeated. A teacher asked her if she wanted her school lunch: a peanut butter sandwich, a packaged granola bar, an apple and a glass of milk. Chloe joined her friends on a log to eat. A few minutes went by, and Chloe muttered to herself,“There’s a moose.” Ms. Lizzie asked her if the moose had antlers. Chloe said no. “Nope, it was a mama one?” Ms. Lizzie confirmed. “Yeah,” Chloe said. At four years old, Chloe is tuned into the Land 1 and the beings with whom she shares it. Her spotting of

FAQs

What does the article examine about wild pedagogies?

It explores wild pedagogies practiced through investigating a space where culture/nature binaries blur and contrast, shaping how children see and position themselves in relation to the natural world.

How many children were included, and who were they?

The study draws qualitative insights from 14 children from an Alaska Native village, primarily of mixed Iñupiaq and Yup’ik heritage.

What approach does the article propose for environmental education?

It offers a decolonizing approach to wilding environmental education by naming and questioning colonial forces that implicitly teach children to separate from their place.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Danger Angel