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Handbook of Indigenous Education pp 1–21Cite as

Reflections on the Purpose of Indigenous Environmental Education

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Abstract

The essay offers reflections on the purpose of Indigenous environmental education. Indigenous peoples engage in wide-ranging approaches to environmental education that are significant aspects of how they exercise self-determination. Yet often such educational practices are just seen as trying to genuinely teach certain historic traditions or scientific skill-sets. Through reviewing the author's experiences and diverse scholarly and practitioner perspectives, the essay discusses how Indigenous environmental education is best when it aims at cultivating qualities of moral responsibilities including trust, consent and accountability within Indigenous communities. The concept of collective continuance is one way of thinking about how moral responsibilities play significant roles in contributing to social resilience. Understanding education in this way can be used to address some of the major issues affecting Indigenous peoples everywhere, including environmental justice, gender justice and the resurgence of traditions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Kyle Powys Whyte

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  1. Kyle Powys Whyte
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Correspondence to Kyle Powys Whyte .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Melbourne, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Elizabeth Ann McKinley

  2. Office of the Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori, The University of Waikato, Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand

    Linda Tuhiwai Smith

Section Editor information

  1. Arizona State University, Arizona, USA

    Bryan Brayboy

  2. College of Education, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Megan Bang Assistant Professor

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Whyte, K.P. (2018). Reflections on the Purpose of Indigenous Environmental Education. In: McKinley, E., Smith, L. (eds) Handbook of Indigenous Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1839-8_66-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1839-8_66-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-1839-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-1839-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Reflections on the Purpose of Indigenous Environmental Education
    Published:
    07 June 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1839-8_66-3

  2. Reflections on the Purpose of Indigenous Environmental Education
    Published:
    21 April 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1839-8_66-2

  3. Original

    Reflections on the Purpose of Indigenous Environmental Education
    Published:
    08 March 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1839-8_66-1

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