“A major strength of Hopkins’ book is its recognition that successful reform of Indigenous education in the United States will take concerted and cooperative efforts by both the dominant Euro-American settler group and Indigenous Nations to achieve reconciliation and chart a path forward. Such work is predicated on mutual respect and the development of trust, not just between individuals, but between institutions and governments.”
—Teachers College Record
“Hopkins (Saint Martin's Univ.) provides the next steps forward for improving indigenous education in public schools. He engages several important questions, such as whether Native Americans and public-school educators can have authentic conversations, whether current reforms can reconcile tensions, and which reform strategies should be implemented. Hopkins first examines the historical and contemporary circumstances of Native American schooling in both broad and specific ways, providing a segue into a detailed look at Montana’s 50-year effort to establish today’s Indian Education for All policy. As Hopkins accurately points out, however, mere inclusion of Native-themed coursework is not enough to effect systemic change. Drawing on indigenous studies concepts such as survivance, he argues that a process of decolonization within the school systems must occur. Hopkins indicates that tribal critical race theory (TribalCrit) should be used to deconstruct how settler colonialism continues to pervade education for and about Native peoples.”
—CHOICE
“This important and highly accessible book is a must-read for students, practitioners and policymakers. Indian Education for All provides insights into the problems of the education policy of inclusion, moving toward decolonization and reconciliation.”
—Sir Read a Lot
“Hopkins offers insightful critiques of educational disparities fueled by settler colonialism and practical suggestions for meaningful Indigenous education reform that is centered on Montana’s Indian Education for All act. His proposal for a desettling learning process for White teachers is especially needed. A must-read for educational justice across Indian Country.”
—K. Tsianina Lomawaima, School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University
“In a time of widening inequities, what should education reform entail? Focusing on Montana’s Indian Education for All, Professor Hopkins urges a move beyond inclusion toward serious engagement with decolonization and reconciliation. More than critique, the book offers concrete strategies for disrupting coloniality and enacting transformative education partnerships. This important, highly accessible book provides a needed shift in stance whereby anti-colonialism becomes a vital education project for all.”
—Teresa L. McCarty, GF Kneller Chair in Education and Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles
“Hopkins offers important insights into the problems of paradigms of inclusion as an approach to educational policy change and suggests, ultimately, that inclusion serves settler-colonialism. He compellingly argues that we must move to a politics of reconciliation and survivance through decolonizing conversations as the foundation of educational change efforts.”
—Megan Bang, professor of the learning sciences and psychology, Northwestern University; Senior Vice President, the Spencer Foundation
“This is exactly the right book at the right time. While it speaks directly to teachers and teacher educators, this book serves as a guide for all educators working to move from policy to effective practice. Grounded in place and the specificities of Montana’s Indian Education for All Act, Hopkins aims to desettle reformist strategies of inclusion and guide readers through the more culturally sustaining and revitalizing processes of reconciliation. It’s a must-read for students, practitioners, and policymakers.”
—Sandy Grande, professor of education and director, Center for the Critical Study of Race and Ethnicity, Connecticut College
