Indigenous invisibility: Gaps in education about Indigenous peoples among environmental decision-makers

Abstract

Millions of Indigenous people belong to hundreds of Tribal nations and selfdetermined communities throughout the United States. Many of these groups continue to steward lands and waters that have shaped their distinct cultural and political identities since time immemorial. Increasingly, environmental professionals acknowledge the need to respect, understand, and defer to Indigenous knowledge about Earth’s stewardship, but substantial barriers prevent full realization of these goals. One deep-seated barrier is a widespread deficiency in basic education about Indigenous peoples. Education on Indigenous peoples in schools is often fraught with two problems: erasure and stereotypes. Thus, students who pursue environmental careers often lack basic knowledge about the specific Indigenous groups in their region or about Indigenous peoples generally. Despite this lack of education, environmental professionals are entrusted with a variety of decisions that directly affect Indigenous peoples as well as their lands and waters, a situation that has implications for environmental justice. Here we report on a study designed to gauge, in detail, knowledge about Indigenous peoples held by a group of environmental professionals, asking questions such as: What did you learn in school about Indigenous peoples? What do you know about Indigenous people today as it pertains to your work? We found that study participants generally learned little in school about Indigenous peoples, that their learning was demarcated by common stereotypes, and that the bulk of their learning was rooted in Eurocentrism. We provide recommendations on how environmental professionals can fill specific gaps in their education about Indigenous peoples and build partnerships for future work.