Indigeneity in Global Contexts: Critical Literacy, Postcolonial Perspectives, ESD and Global Citizenship Education
What do we mean when we talk about “Indigeneity”—and who gets to define it? This seminar introduces diverse meanings and debates around indigeneity and connects Critical Literacy with postcolonial perspectives, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCE).
Using accessible examples from media representations, NGO communication and self-representations, students practise step by step how to analyse constructions of indigeneity with postcolonial tools, focusing on perspective, language, power relations and recurring narratives.
The seminar includes (online) input from representatives of Indigenous communities and an NGO, creating opportunities for dialogue and direct exchange. In addition, students will engage with contributions from scholars from the Global South and the Global North, bringing different research perspectives into the seminar. Students develop a small research question, work with selected materials in a research-oriented way, and translate insights into school-related contexts informed by ESD and GCE.
The seminar is closely connected to the international Summer School “Learning for Change: Rethinking Teacher Education through Indigenous Perspectives“ (July 20 – 31, 2026) within the CHANGES project. Together with partner universities from Canada, Indonesia, Argentina, and South Africa, it offers a space for exchange and collaboration across borders.
No prior knowledge is required; key concepts and methods will be introduced and developed throughout the seminar.
This seminar places a strong emphasis on international dialogue and exchange. International students are warmly welcome, and their diverse linguistic and cultural perspectives are considered an important part of the learning process.
Many course materials are in English, and discussions will often take place in English. Language support (e.g. clarification of key terms and guided reading strategies) is provided throughout. The seminar offers a supportive environment to develop language skills at an individual pace; less confident speakers are explicitly encouraged to participate.
The seminar is open to students from all teacher education programmes.
Friday, 24 April 2026, 3:00–3:45 PM (online)
Information and introductory session (via Zoom):
https://uni-potsdam.zoom-x.de/j/65189081354
Meeting-ID: 651 8908 1354
Password: 53235593
In this session, we will introduce the course concept and programme and answer any questions you may have. You are welcome to attend and decide afterwards whether to continue.
Friday, 19 June 2026, 3:00–6:00 PM
Preparatory meeting (in person)
Kassel Institute for Sustainability, Mosenthalstraße 8, 3rd floor, Room 3001
20–31 July 2026
Summer School “Learning for Change: Rethinking Teacher Education through Indigenous Perspectives”:
During the first week of the Summer School, students will engage with international perspectives on Indigeneity together with students from the Sustainability Studies programme, drawing on interactive inputs from academia, Indigenous communities and an NGO. In the second week, these perspectives will be applied to school and educational contexts.
Friday, 25 September 2026, 1:00–5:00 PM
Review meeting
Location: tba
Registration & Participation
Please register by email at zlb[at]uni-kassel[dot]de. You may attend the first session before deciding on full participation.
Teaching Team & Guest Speakers
Programme Design, Coordination & Contact:
Dr. Ellen Christoforatou is the Executive Director of the Center for Teacher Education (ZLB) at the University of Kassel. She initiated the study profile InterESD (Internationalization and Education for Sustainable Development) and leads the DAAD-funded project “CHANGES. Exploring Critical Sustainable Development Education from Global Perspectives” within the “Lehramt.International” programme. Across her publications and contributions, she focuses in particular on sustainability-oriented transformation, (critical) Global Citizenship Education, internationalisation, and climate justice in educational and professionalisation contexts.
Stefanie Goertz coordinates the project “UP Network for Sustainable Teacher Education” at the Center for Teacher Education and Education Research at the University of Potsdam. As part of an interdisciplinary team, she was responsible for the conception and implementation of the international Summer School “Teaching the SDGs” within the project. As a co-editor of the resulting volume Educating Teachers for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship, she also contributed as a co-author to a scholarly reflection on the course. Through her own periods spent abroad as well as her personal background, she developed a particular interest in questions of global justice, engagement with diversity, and the wide range of discourses on Indigeneity.
Teaching Team & Contributors (in alphabetical order):
Dr. Ellen Christoforatou is the Executive Director of the Center for Teacher Education (ZLB) at the University of Kassel. She initiated the study profile InterESD (Internationalization and Education for Sustainable Development) and leads the DAAD-funded project “CHANGES. Exploring Critical Sustainable Development Education from Global Perspectives” within the “Lehramt.International” programme. Across her publications and contributions, she focuses in particular on sustainability-oriented transformation, (critical) Global Citizenship Education, internationalisation, and climate justice in educational and professionalisation contexts.
Contribution:
- Opening Session
- Session “Why am I here?”
- Panel Discussion
Andreas Eis is Professor of Social Science Education at the University of Kassel. His teaching and research focus on transnational democracy, European Citizenship Education, learning within social movements, and education for socio-ecological transformation.
Contribution:
- Workshop “Global Citizenship Education: Between emancipation, solidarity and (western) hegemony”
Ines Fehrmann is an independent educator in the field of sustainability education and a naturopathic practitioner. Several years spent in tropical regions provided her with insights into Indigenous plant knowledge, which later informed her focus on traditional European medicine. In her seminars, workshops, and educational events, she brings together traditional knowledge, storytelling, and scientific research. She also integrates creative, philosophical, and artistic approaches to create opportunities for learning, reflection, and personal experience.
Contribution:
- Medical Plants Tour
Stefanie Goertz coordinates the project “UP Network for Sustainable Teacher Education” at the Center for Teacher Education and Education Research at the University of Potsdam. As part of an interdisciplinary team, she was responsible for the conception and implementation of the international Summer School “Teaching the SDGs” within the project. As a co-editor of the resulting volume Educating Teachers for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship, she also contributed as a co-author to a scholarly reflection on the course. Through her own periods spent abroad as well as her personal background, she developed a particular interest in questions of global justice, engagement with diversity, and the wide range of discourses on Indigeneity.
Contribution:
- Opening Session
- Session “Why am I here?”
- Workshop “Introduction to Critical Literacy / Critical Pedagogy”
- Reflection Sessions “What have we learned?”
Nilda Inkermann is a sociologist and political scientist and works as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Political Education at the University of Kassel. Her research focuses in particular on global education and education for sustainable development as forms of political education in the context of socio-ecological transformation. Nilda is also part of the ILA collective (https://www.ilakollektiv.org/), in which young scholars and activists take an interdisciplinary approach to addressing the challenges posed by imperial modes of life and production, exploring alternatives based on solidarity, and examining issues of transformation.
Contribution:
- Workshop “Global Citizenship Education: Between emancipation, solidarity and (western) hegemony”
Dak’äläma, (Da-kal-a-ma) Jocelyn Joe-Strack is an Indigenous storyteller, scientist, artist, and influencer from the Yukon’s Champagne and Aishihik (Ay-zhe-ak) First Nation. From her deep work with youth, and creation of the Yukon First Nation’s climate plan, the Reconnection Vision, Jocelyn promotes education reform and societal transformation through spirituality, story, music and creative experiences. She is currently Board Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation and has led in past roles as Interim Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action, Trustee of the First Nations School Board, and Senior Advisor to the Auditor General of Canada. Jocelyn lives in Whitehorse with her husband, two daughters, and Yukon community.
Contribution:
- Keynote Performance Education from the Old Ways, Yukon Indigenous storytelling, music & spirit for a disconnected World
- Workshop “Whole Person Education – the importance of doing & being in nurturing community”
- Panel Discussion
Ahmad Junaidi, Ph.D., is a lecturer in English Education at Universitas Mataram as well as an education activist and consultant. Alongside his academic work, he has long been involved in social and educational initiatives across Indonesia. He currently serves as an expert aide to the Governor of West Nusa Tenggara. His professional interests include language education, alternative learning models, and community development. Outside academia, he enjoys music, especially Pink Floyd. On Instagram, he is active under the account @junaydfloyd , where he has approximately 111K followers.
https://fkip.unram.ac.id/englishedu/member/ahmad-junaidi/
Dr. Gabriela Leighton holds degrees from the University of Buenos Aires, the University of Luton (UK), and the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Argentina). Her research focuses on postcolonial women’s literature in English, foreign languages, and gender studies. She is the author of several academic publications and has been a visiting researcher at Lancaster and Liverpool universities. She has also worked as a referee for the University of Oxford. Currently, she is a professor and researcher at UNSAM and serves as Secretary for Science and Technology at the University of Morón.
https://investigadores.unsam.edu.ar/eng/investigador/34/Leiton-Gabriela-Delia
Contribution:
- Workshop “The Palimpsest of Empire: Postcolonial Identity, Gender, and the Green Illusion”
Tata Francisco is a guardian of fire and cacao from Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, belonging to the Kaqchiquel Maya people. He comes from a lineage that has preserved the wisdom, rituals, and ancestral knowledge of the Maya for generations. He studied directly with Mayan elders and shamans, learning the medicines and ceremonial traditions of fire and cacao. Today, he shares this knowledge internationally through ceremonies, teachings, and cultural exchange, creating spaces for connection, healing, and spiritual reflection.
https://www.tatafrancisco.com/
Contribution:
- Fire & Cacao Ceremony
- Panel Discussion
Dr. Nazmun Nahar is a postdoctoral researcher at the Kassel Institute for Sustainability. She has a background in anthropology and epidemiology and has led several multidisciplinary research projects on pandemic preparedness, One Health, vaccine trial preparedness, and the socio-cultural dimensions of infectious diseases in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Her research focuses on understanding how local communities perceive, experience, and respond to health challenges. She is particularly interested in how local understandings can inform culturally tailored interventions to reduce the risk of disease emergence. In Bangladesh, she has worked with Indigenous communities involved in bat hunting and mobile pig raising to better understand and address cultural, economic, and ecological factors related to infectious disease risks.
Contribution:
- Panel Discussion
Thando Nkohla-Ramunenyiwa is a philosophy lecturer and researcher. She specializes in ethics and AI in the context of African communities and value systems. Further, she is multimedium visual artist that uses memories as archives of telling stories about freedom and joy. Thando is inspired by artworks such as the cave paintings done by the Khoi San in southern parts of Africa. The content of these paintings are not just memorial archives of historical African way of life, but also remind humanity of the importance of unison between man and nature. A worldview that the technological society is for the most part compromising. https://www.up.ac.za/philosophy/staff-profiles/thando-nkohla-ramunenyiwa
Contribution:
- Workshop “Indigenous communication systems through practices and artefacts: A Khoi-San study”
Joseph Oleshangay is a lawyer and activist based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Originally from the Ngorongoro area, he is a Maasai advocate dedicated to defending the land rights of local communities and supporting their efforts to protect their ancestral territories.
Contribution:
- Panel Discussion
As an architect and urban planner, Sabine Schaub has worked in a variety of roles in integrated urban development planning. Through leadership positions in public administration, she developed a research interest in the factors that enable regenerative urban and regional development, which she further explored through a part-time Master's degree in Coaching, Organizational Consulting, and Supervision. Today, she works at the Kassel Institute for Sustainability as part of the TORCH project, focusing on reflection and resilience, while also supporting individual and organizational development processes through her independent consulting practice.
Contribution:
- Workshop “Reflective Dialogue”
- Workshop “Analysis and In-Depth Analysis for Panel Discussion and Gallery Walk “
Viktoria Wölfl works for Survival International in Germany — the global movement for the rights of Indigenous peoples. In her role in digital communications, she strategically develops the organization’s online networks to strengthen both reach and impact. She continuously explores new approaches and uses creative storytelling to make complex issues accessible and to spark public debate. Another key focus of her work is the critical examination of racist and stereotypical narratives, and their influence on perceptions of Indigenous people. This led to the creation of the campaign “Escaping Winnetou,” which helps shift perspectives and foster a more nuanced understanding of the realities faced by Indigenous communities.
Contribution:
- Panel Discussion