Past to Present Reflections: Reclaiming Indigenous Education Through Relationships, Sovereignty, and Systemic Change in Kansas

Abstract

This qualitative dissertation examines how Indigenous-centered professional development influences K–12 educators’ understandings and classroom practices related to Indigenous peoples, sovereignty, and curriculum in Kansas. This study considers the persistent erasure and historical framing of Tribal Nations within Kansas curriculum guidelines, where Indigenous peoples are often represented only in the past rather than as contemporary sovereign nations. Grounded in the work of the Kansas Advisory Council for Indigenous Education (KACIE), this research explores educators’ approaches to engaging with Indigenous-centered professional development designed to support more accurate, relational, and sovereignty-centered teaching practices. Using a qualitative research method informed by Indigenous Storywork and the Transformational Indigenous Praxis Model (TIPM), the study draws on semi-structured interviews with four Kansas educators who participated in KACIE professional development. Data analysis centered relational accountability through the Four Rs: respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility. Findings uncovered five major themes: a shift from historical removal narratives toward contemporary Indigenous resilience; increased educator confidence through Indigenous-led professional development; greater integration of tribal sovereignty into the curriculum; stronger relational accountability to Indigenous students and communities; and recognition of institutional obstacles that limit sustained implementation. Ultimately, the study shows that Indigenous-led professional development can move educators beyond superficial inclusion toward transformational and action-driven practices that uphold Indigenous sovereignty, educational equity, and systemic change in K–12 education.