A Critical Review of the United States Government’s Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge

The Department of Education in Perspective

Chika Ezeanya Esiobu, Opal Almerica, Sakura Arai, Franny DePhillips, Michael Dickson, Ge Xiyang, Angelina Goodhue, Sarah Johnson, Hiromi Kawai, Zama Kunene

Abstract

Perhaps the most significant milestone in the United States Government’s advancement of indigenous knowledge in the 21st century was the recently released White House First-of-a-Kind Indigenous Knowledge Guidance for Federal Agencies. The Government Wide Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge was released on November 30, 2022, with the primary objective of equipping federal agencies and departments with clear directions on respectfully acknowledging and integrating Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge in their decision-making processes.
There is an urgent need for the Department of Education to integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into K-12 curricula. The need has never been greater for inclusive and honest discussions within educational spaces regarding the importance and value of indigenous knowledge. This article offers many possible solutions to the absence of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in K-12 curricula as developed and practiced by Indigenous Peoples. This paper seeks to advance this objective by critically reviewing the Government Guidance, exploring the importance of TEK in K-12 curricula and drawing from examples around the world, emphasizing countries that effectively integrate TEK and uphold the voices of Indigenous Peoples in the classroom.
The paper first presents a critical overview of the “Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge.” It goes on to address the issue of the dearth of TEK in K-12 curricula. It follows with a call to action to the Department of Education on ways to implement techniques included in the “Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge,” as well as other possible solutions. After proffering solutions, the paper acknowledges places worldwide that have already attempted to integrate TEK in K-12 curriculum, before the concluding paragraph.