Confronting settler colonialism: Theoretical and methodological questions about social studies research

ABSTRACT

In this conceptual piece, we situate settler colonial theory and qualitative inquiry in a discussion about the research(ing) of social studies education. The context for this article includes our visit and conversations with 9th grade Oklahoma history teachers and their teaching and curriculum within Indigneous contexts. Although not focused as an analysis of our conversations with teachers, our discussion asks many questions about how we engage in social justice work and the choices we make in our research methodology.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical theory
• indigenous studies
• qualitative research
• settler colonial theory

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank our colleagues in Indigenous studies, social studies education, and qualitative inquiry for their support and input throughout the journey of this manuscript: Dr. Leilani Sabzalian, Dr. Amy Mungur, Dr. Tommy Ender, Dr. Becky Christ, Dr. Lisa Mazzei, Shakealia Y. Finley, Ryan Oto, and Bretton Varga.

Notes

1. Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians, Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, Cherokee Nation, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Comanche Nation, Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe of Indians, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Kaw Nation, Kialegee Tribal Town, Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, Quapaw Tribe of Indians, Sac and Fox Nation, Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Seneca-Cayuga Nation, Shawnee Tribe, The Chickasaw Nation, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, The Osage Nation, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco, and Tawakonie), Wyandotte Nation (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2016).

2. There are 573 federally recognized Native nations within the United States, as well as additional nations recognized at the state level (National Congress of American Indians, 2018).

3. We acknowledge that umbrella terms often the risk of collapsing the diversity and plurality of histories, experiences, languages, governments, religions, languages, and political movements. In our work, when not addressing a specific person or nation, use the naming phrase “Indigenous” when referring to of peoples and nations living on the lands now called the United States since time immemorial. We purposefully choose to capitalize terms (e.g., Arvin, Tuck, & Morrill, 2013; Sabzalian & Shear, 2018).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Penn State Altoona [No Grant No. – Internal Research Travel Grant].