Learning from Other Doctoral Indigenous Research

Review of Doctoral Dissertations
My research question looks at how Indigenous picture books shape cultural understanding in K-5 classrooms in Canada, and how publishing practices influence which stories are created, published, and shared with children. I am especially interested in how some stories center trauma while others celebrate culture, identity, and community. To explore this, I searched ProQuest, Thesis Canada, and EBSCO Open Dissertations using keywords like Indigenous picture books, Indigenous Storywork, cultural competency, elementary education, and publishing. I was looking for recent dissertations that connected to Indigenous storytelling, publishing, or early years pedagogy. The results were quite limited, which didn’t surprise me since this field is still emerging in Canada. It reminded me that research like this is still growing, and that sometimes we are building the path as we walk it. Many of the dissertations I did find were from the U.S., Australia, or Aotearoa/New Zealand, and most followed a similar academic structure: acknowledgments, abstract, introduction, methodology, literature review, analysis, and conclusion. When I reflected on my own master’s thesis, I realized that I had only touched the surface of what I wanted to explore. At the time, I had just one or two semesters to complete it and was still learning how to connect theory, story, and lived experience. Now that I am in my PhD, things are starting to come together. Over the past six months, I’ve gained a much deeper understanding of frameworks like Jo-Ann Archibald’s Indigenous Storywork and how to bring community, relationships, and storytelling into research in meaningful ways. This shift has helped me think more deeply about what it means to do research that is accountable to the community and rooted in relationship, rather than distant or detached.

One dissertation that really stood out to me was Stories of Resistance: Indigenous Women’s Stories Through Strength by Sequoia Dance-Leighton (2025, Washington State University). Her work uses Indigenous Storywork as the foundation for her methodology and storytelling, and she organized her research around story sessions with seven Indigenous women across four seasons. She was guided by the seven principles of Storywork: Respect, Responsibility, Reciprocity, Reverence, Holism, Interrelatedness, and Synergy. What inspired me most was how her participants reviewed and approved their stories, ensuring that each representation was accurate and relational. This approach reminded me that research is not just about collecting knowledge, but about building trust, respect, and mutual care. What I loved about Dance-Leighton’s work is how she reframed Indigenous women’s stories as acts of strength, survivance, and dreaming. Her dissertation pushes back against deficit-based narratives and instead highlights story as a form of resistance, healing, and possibility. Reading her work gave me a clearer sense of direction for my own research and reminded me why this work matters. I want to explore how Indigenous picture books can nurture belonging and understanding, while also challenging the publishing world to reflect the diversity of Indigenous experiences beyond trauma. Storytelling, like research, is relational and circular, with each generation of scholars building on the work of those who came before them.
As I continue reading dissertations like hers, I am starting to notice familiar names of Indigenous scholars who are creating incredible work in this area. Seeing these names feels like finding kin in the literature. In my Nisg̱a’a language, we say Sayt-K’ilim-Goot, which means one heart, one path, one nation. That phrase describes exactly how it feels to be part of this growing circle of Indigenous researchers and storytellers, each connected by our shared purpose and our commitment to story, community, and learning.
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References 
Archibald, J. (A. 2008). Indigenous storywork: Educating the heart, mind, body, and spirit. UBC Press.
Dance-Leighton, S. (2025). Stories of resistance: Indigenous women’s stories through strength [Doctoral dissertation, Washington State University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

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Q’um Q’um Xiiem (Dr. Jo-ann Archibald): The Power of Indigenous Storytelling

Q’um Q’um Xiiem, also known as Dr. Jo-ann Archibald, is a Stó:lō and Xaxli’p scholar whose work in Indigenous Storywork has shaped Indigenous education across Canada and beyond. Her teachings remind us that stories carry heart, mind, body, and spirit, and that storytelling is not just about sharing knowledge but about building relationships, showing respect, and carrying responsibility. I’m sharing this video because her words continue to influence my journey as a writer and researcher, and they remind me that learning through story can be both healing and transformative.

​As I go further into my PhD research, I’ll be using Indigenous Storywork as my main framework to guide how I approach stories and relationships. Her seven principles of Respect, Responsibility, Reciprocity, Reverence, Holism, Interrelatedness, and Synergy really speak to the kind of work I want to do. My research looks at how Indigenous picture books shape cultural understanding in K–5 classrooms and how publishing choices influence the stories that reach children. Q’um Q’um Xiiem’s teachings remind me that stories are alive. They connect us to community, family, and ancestors, and they come with care and accountability. I want my research to honour that, and to approach storytelling as something living, relational, and rooted in community.

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Indigenous Literatures Matter with Dr. Daniel Heath Justice

Dr. Daniel Heath Justice is a Cherokee scholar, author, and professor whose work has brought so much visibility and care to Indigenous literatures. In this talk, shared by BlackCoffeePoet, he explores why Indigenous stories matter and how they connect to identity, community, and sovereignty. What really stood out to me was how he describes story as both resistance and renewal. That idea feels close to my own work and what I hope to do through writing. His reminder that Indigenous literatures are vital to understanding who we are and how we care for one another connects deeply to my research, which looks at how Indigenous picture books can build empathy and understanding in classrooms. His message also makes me think about how publishing can either limit or strengthen which voices are heard. Like Q’um Q’um Xiiem’s work, his words remind me that stories are living relationships and that writing and research can be acts of love, connection, and responsibility.