Privileging tribal values and knowledge in educational leadership

The preparation of educational leaders in the United States and across the globe has long been dominated by a Eurocentric epistemology and ontology which privileges the research of White male scholars. The increasingly diverse student population in K-12 schools and the interconnected nature of our world, demand a shift from the prevailing Euro-centric models of leadership to models that are more inclusive and holistic. Much of the research that informs leadership preparation today is insufficient for developing such leaders, and as such, we argue that Indigenous ways of learning and concepts of community have much to offer. Our article explores this perspective, while also describing the American Indian School Leadership program (AISL), at Northern Arizona University (NAU), which was specifically designed in response to a request from Tribal leaders for a leadership programme that embraced Indigenous-based leadership concepts and mainstream leadership practices.