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Giles, 2013) and that does not understand Indigenous cultural values (Indian Child
Welfare Act Amendments of 1997). Experiencing others’ lack of understanding may
lead to feelings of abandonment and conflict regarding one’s Indigenous identity
(Dillard & Manson, 2000).

Perspectives
Empowerment via emphasis on perspectives can be developed by using
Dr. Kathleen Rice storytelling as an instructional method in all classrooms as a medium to foster not
is Associate Dean only support to Indigenous students but also enrichment to all students through
of Graduate Studies the cross-cultural interactions that stories bring (Godwin, 2021b; Ladson-Billings,
in the College of
Education and an 2021). Teaching through stories can be particularly beneficial for those who are from
associate professor marginalized communities (Ladson-Billings, 1998) because they rely much more on
in the Department of narrative analysis to tell the stories of oppression than they would trust a textbook or
Counselor Education curriculum to preserve “their side” of the story. By purposefully including counter
at Sam Houston State narratives using authentic voices and stories in instructional practice, teachers can
University. enrich students’ understanding of their own folk culture (Adam, 2021; Bishop, 1990;
kar084@shsu.edu Bruner, 1990; Howard, 1991).
Allowing students the space and time to share and hear each other’s stories also
supports collective efficacy (Goddard, 2001) of the teachers and staff involved in the
teaching process. According to Kafele (2013), this is so because
knowing who they are in history increases the probability that students will
develop a deeper sense of purpose for their lives; it gives their existence in
the world greater meaning when they know about those who struggled so
they could have the opportunities that they now have. (p. 115)
Sharing authentic stories can help students “celebrate differences rather than go out
of [one’s] way to say one is better or best” (DeGrasse, 2020), and hearing stories
offers students direct or indirect information about the world in which they live
(Koss & Paciga, 2020). “Teachers who respect and invite students’ cultures into
the classroom have opportunities to expand the understanding and perspectives
of everyone” (Ladson-Billings, 2021, p. 76), and story-sharing not only supports
culturally relevant pedagogy but is also supported by culturally sustaining pedagogy.
Community narratives are transmissions of truth (Shyman, 2020) that can be
transformative (Kester, 2008). Stories “provide a context for our relationships, our
identities, our sense of right and wrong, and our willingness to become involved in
something or not” (Shyman, 2020, p. xiii). By allowing for and encouraging the
use of Indigenous community stories in a classroom, teachers can help Indigenous
students feel empowered by their identities (Johnson, 2003).

Political Nationhood
In the classroom, it is important to consider the power that nationalism has when
narrating the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the nation. After all,
political and cultural nationalism often underlie education in all subject areas in the
United States (Rippberger & Staudt, 2003; Torres, 1998). For Indigenous students,
this manifests in school textbooks and curricula that overlook the diversity of tribes
that vary in culture, language, and attributes. It is notable that public education in the
United States is determined by legislation and that, even in its earliest stages, “The
task of governments was to carve the mould—the education institutions—in which
the children of nations should be shaped” (Wiborg, 2000, p. 235). For Indigenous

16 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators