Indigenous knowledge for sustainability in early childhood education (INDearly)

Our overall goal is to build a collaborative network of scholars that aims to develop and strengthen an Indigenous-based pedagogy and courses for sustainability within the fields of Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Early Childhood Teacher Education (ECTE). The idea of Indigenous-based education is to share and develop knowledge across the circumpolar north based on Indigenous values, knowledge, practices, and ways of being in the world. This network aims to serve as a think tank and a driving force for developing explorative education and research on Indigenous-based pedagogy for sustainability in the formative years of children. This implies deepening our insights into Indigenous values and knowledge systems that values reciprocity and care and exploring ways to implement them in ECE and ECTE. We will exchange teaching approaches and online guest lectures on topics that have relevance for ECTE programs on Indigenous-based pedagogy. The aim is that our collaborative work will influence policy makers to include the voices of children, ECTE students and our mutual Indigenous ancestors to build a sustainable future.

Participants: Veronica Bergan (UiT), Anne Myrstad (UiT), Marikaisa Laiti (Sámi Allaskuvla), Jaana Juutinen (University of Oulu), Angela A. Lunda (University of Alaska South East), Karl Viktor M. Johansson (Nord University), Carie Green (South Dakota State University) and Marianne Presthus Heggen (HVL). 

We have had a network seminar in Kautokeino 5.-8. January 2025:

From left: Marikaisa, Marianne, Jaana, Angie, Viktor, Anne, Veronica and Carie.

Here we got to now each other and we explored land-based knowledge from interactions with local knowledge holders from Sámi culture. The picture is from the day with reindeer herder Aslak Sokki at Sokki Adventure. We also prepared a meal with local fish in collaboration with Adam K. Hætta and lavvustallan with Ánte Mihkkal Gaup and Solveig Joks.

We have done a small research project interviewing Indigenous parents and their experiences from early childhood education and care (ECEC) for their children. Preliminary results have been presented on the XI conterence of childhood studies in Joensuu in Finland 6.-8. May 2026.

From left: Veronica Bergan and Jaana Juutinen.

We had a new seminar in Tromsø 17.-21.may 2026 exploring how we can proceede with our research findings and the way forward on our collaboration.

From the left: Jaana, Marikaisa, Viktor, Veronica, Anne, Angela, Marianne and Carie.

The seminar program started with an international celebration of the 17th of May, with full regalia, parade, concert with the Arctic Philharmonics and a wonderful home-made dinner at Anne Myrstad's residence.  

From left: Veronica Bergan and Carie Green

The research focus of the week was on a collaborative interview-study of indigenous parents from South-Dakota, Alaska, Norway and Finland. For embodied meetings and an expansion of views we visited a Sámi and an outdoor kindergarten.

We also met the artist Joar Nango in his really interesting exhibition Girjegumpi, a nomadic library of Sámi architecture at Nordnorsk kunstmuseum (https://nnkm.no/en/girjegumpi).

The seminar ended at beautiful Sommarøy, which made a great frame for our circumpolar collaboration. We did not see the midnightsun, but some of us bathed in the sea :-)

Our next aim is to attend Norsk barnehageforskningskonferanse in Bergen in October 2026 with our research findings.