This six-week course continues our journey into Indigenous lifeways, expanding our lens to include global Indigenous educational movements and cultural exchanges. Inspired by the 2025 World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE) in Aotearoa (New Zealand), we will explore how Indigenous communities across the world are reclaiming knowledge systems, revitalizing languages, and renewing relationships with land and spirit.

Through stories, scholarship, and community dialogue, we’ll connect the Pacific Northwest’s rich Indigenous heritage with global movements of sovereignty and healing. Each session invites participants to reflect on their own place in the story—honoring the wisdom of elders, the resilience of youth, and the responsibilities we carry forward.

Themes include Relational Sovereignty: How Indigenous peoples define and live sovereignty through kinship, land, and education; Language as Breath: Revitalization efforts from the Northwest to Aotearoa; Healing Across Waters: Indigenous approaches to wellness, cultural continuity, and environmental stewardship; Educational Pathways: What Indigenous-led education looks like today—and how it shapes tomorrow; Global Solidarity: Lessons from WIPCE on intercultural exchange, Indigenous futurism, and shared resistance; and Living the Teachings: A closing reflection on how we walk forward together in relationship with land, story, and community.

This course is designed for honored life long learners seeking meaningful engagement with Indigenous knowledge, history, and contemporary movements. No prior experience is required—only a willingness to listen, learn, and participate in respectful dialogue.

Course Features: Guest speakers and recorded presentations from WIPCE 2025; Land-based learning and place-based reflection; Optional readings and multimedia resources; and Group discussion and community storytelling.

Your instructor: Professor Ron Johnson is an enrolled member of the Makah Nation in Neah Bay. His mother, Julie, is an enrolled member of the Lummi Nation. Ron has worked in a variety of natural resource fields, has three beautiful children and is currently pursuing his Doctorate degree. Ron has taught courses at The Evergreen State College and currently teaches at Northwest Indian College.

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