Cultural Humility, Cultural Relevance and the Cultural Landscape

The Albuquerque, New Mexico, Public School system is working to connect outdoor learning with local and Indigenous knowledge, according to an article from the Hechinger Report, which notes, “Authorities as disparate as UNESCO and the U.S. Forest Service have underlined the value, not only of specific place-based and historical knowledge of flora and fauna, but of traditional ways of relating to and understanding humans’ place in the natural world as we seek to adapt to and mitigate climate change.” Through the program, third grade students visit the Los Padillas Wildlife Sanctuary and learn from Indigenous educators like Jered Lee, who remarks, “What they learn in the classroom is very important, yes. But what they learn through their own healthy exploration of their senses, that’s also important.” Lee shares his Navajo culture and language and seeks commonalities with students of all backgrounds: “Here in Albuquerque there’s different cultures. And I’ve realized this about many cultures around the world, the more you talk to them, our language, our customs may be different but the root of our cultural values are very similar.” Supporting programming for Los Padillos and other outdoor experiences, educator Monie Corona acknowledges this collaboration “has been a long time coming.. As a [white] teacher coming in 30 years ago, I was not prepared for working with Native American students and their culture. There’s a lot of things we have to understand and be able to respect as well.” Corona’s ‘watchwords’ are “cultural humility, cultural relevance and the cultural landscape.” The 2024 World Forum on Early Care and Education, in Vancouver, BC, Canada, will include a focus on climate change and young children, Indigenous perspectives and experiences, and ways educators worldwide are connecting young children with the natural world, to engage participants in rich dialog and new possibilities.

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