Breathing with the World

Citation: Underwood, C., Goodman, S., Richtman, E., Walker-Davis, S., &Whittaker, L. (2025, July 14–17). Breathing with the world: Building reciprocal relationships with Indigenous peoples, places, and perspectives [Panel presentation]. Natural Start Alliance Annual Conference, Virtual.

While Indigenous education benefits all children, many non-Indigenous teachers hesitate to incorporate it, fearing cultural appropriation. This session addresses these concerns through insights from a Community of Practice (CoP) where teachers collaborate with Indigenous mentors and elders to respectfully integrate Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing into their nature-based teaching practice. Panelists share experiences and journey toward authentic engagement with Indigenous peoples and perspectives. Practical strategies, stories, and examples illustrate how these approaches nurture children’s connections to the natural world, and honor Indigenous lands and communities. Framed within the goal of decolonization, participants will gain tools for building reciprocal relationships and incorporating Indigenous knowledge ethically and respectfully.