CHANGING THE CULTURE OF SCHOOLING - NAVAJO AND YUPIK CASES

Here we present two cases in which indigenous teacher groups are trans forming the culture of schooling. Working within a community school an d on the margins of schooling, Navajo teachers at Rough Rock and Yup'i k teachers and elders in southwestern Alaska are finding creative ways to use their culture, their knowledge, and their language in the cons truction of curriculum and pedagogy. These teacher groups have created zones of safety in which resistance to conventional practices can be expressed and innovative approaches to schooling investigated and prac ticed. The work of these teacher groups has theoretical implications f or community-based teacher preparation. The challenge remains in trans ferring these cultural creations to the wider institution of schooling .