Promoting Decolonized Classrooms Through an Introductory Linguistics Course for Future Teachers in Alaska

Abstract

Abstract What does decolonization mean in the context of linguistics teaching in an institution of higher education in Alaska? In this chapter, the authors share some reflections based on their experience teaching and taking an undergraduate linguistics course aimed at future teachers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). After providing a brief overview of both the Alaskan educational context and linguistics at UAF, they offer a description of the course, as well as an assessment of the course’s strengths (e.g., affirming students’ emotions) and limitations (e.g., missed opportunities to indigenize knowledge). The chapter concludes with a testimony from a past student of the course, illustrating and emphasizing the need for community-school-university partnerships.