Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute Launches Year of Transformative Learning Through Indigenous Pedagogy

For two weeks this summer, educators from across disciplines gathered through the Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute (YSTI) to engage with Indigenous knowledge keepers, scholars, artists, and community leaders in an immersive exploration of Indigenous pedagogy. What began as a professional learning experience has now evolved into a year-long collaborative effort that will culminate in a public symposium in May 2027, where participants will present the projects they have developed and implemented in partnership with Indigenous communities.

 

This year’s institute was thoughtfully curated in partnership with a planning committee comprised of educators, scholars, and community partners from across the region. Each played a vital role in ensuring that the histories and stories we shared were both accurate and expansive. It centered on the theme of Indigenous pedagogy, inviting teachers to examine approaches to learning grounded in storytelling, intergenerational relationships, place-based education, community connection, and reciprocity. The program encourages educators to think critically about how Indigenous stories are incorporated into the classroom and inclusive histories more broadly. This work extends beyond introducing new content; it also requires rethinking how these stories are presented to students. We have found that a collaborative model, one that brings together teachers, historians, and community members to share their expertise, can lead to truly transformative educational experiences. Through field visits, conversations with Tribal Nations, hands-on learning experiences, and collaborative inquiry, participants were challenged to reconsider traditional educational frameworks and explore new possibilities for teaching and learning.

One of the key topics teachers explored was the Pequot War, a defining moment in regional history that led to the enslavement of many Pequots and significantly reshaped tribal governance. The war is discussed in the Yale and Slavery book, providing important historical context for understanding its lasting impact. Through conversations with members of the Eastern Pequot and Mashantucket Pequot Tribes, teachers gained insight into how this history continues to influence tribal communities and governance today.

 

The impact was immediate and measurable. According to post-program survey results, 100 percent of participating educators reported that the Institute expanded their historical knowledge, while familiarity with key concepts such as Indigenous pedagogy, storytelling, sovereignty, land-based learning, and community-centered learning increased significantly across every measured category. Educators overwhelmingly agreed that the Institute deepened their understanding of how to incorporate Indigenous pedagogical practices into their classrooms.

 

Participants also described the experience as personally transformative. One educator reflected that Indigenous pedagogy is "often directly at odds with Western models of education," emphasizing educators' responsibility to bring storytelling, intergenerational learning, place-based learning, and community-centered approaches into their classrooms. Another participant summarized their biggest takeaway in a single word: "Relationship." Others cited gratitude, respect, reciprocity, and community as central lessons they would carry forward into their teaching practice.

 

During the second week, educators formed collaborative project teams that will continue meeting throughout the academic year. Guided by Indigenous partners and community review processes, participants are developing educational resources to bring Indigenous histories, perspectives, and pedagogies into K-12 classrooms in meaningful, culturally respectful ways.

 

Among the projects underway are a teacher guide accompanying a Connecticut documentary on Tribal governance; curriculum resources based on Quarter Acre of Heartbreak, a history of the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe's fight to preserve one of the nation's oldest Indian reservations; a framework and lived experience database designed to connect schools with Indigenous scholars, artists, elders, and knowledge keepers; and storytelling-centered lessons developed in collaboration with Indigenous community partners. Additional groups are exploring environmental education through Traditional Ecological Knowledge, developing activities for the Tomaquag Museum, and creating geography lessons that connect students to the Indigenous histories and place names of Dawnland, the region now known as New England.

The collaborative nature of the work emerged as one of the Institute's defining strengths. Survey participants repeatedly highlighted the value of learning alongside educators from different disciplines, grade levels, and school districts. Many described interdisciplinary collaboration as a catalyst for innovation and a model they hope to bring back to their own schools. One participant noted that the experience inspired them to advocate for school-wide interdisciplinary frameworks in their district, while others spoke of a renewed commitment to creating more connected, authentic learning experiences for students.

 

The program's impact extended beyond pedagogy to personal growth and professional purpose. Participants described feeling energized, humbled, and newly connected to a broader community of educators and Tribal partners committed to advancing more complete and honest understandings of history. Several noted that the Institute restored their faith in education and renewed their commitment to lifelong learning, community engagement, and educational justice.

 

That spirit of shared responsibility now guides the Institute's project phase. Throughout the coming year, teachers will continue to refine, test, and strengthen their work through collaboration with Indigenous partners, peer feedback, and ongoing research. The process is deliberately designed, emphasizing relationship-building, community consultation, and ethical engagement as much as the development of educational materials.

 

In May 2027, the educators will reconvene for a public symposium to share the results of that work. The gathering will mark the conclusion of the year-long program and provide an opportunity to celebrate the partnerships, resources, and new approaches to teaching that have emerged from the Institute. More importantly, it will showcase how educators are carrying the lessons of Indigenous pedagogy into classrooms and communities, ensuring that the learning begun this summer continues to ripple outward long after the program concludes.