Bringing indigenous educational leadership perspectives into social work leadership education

Abstract This article explores how educators benefit from partnerships with Indigenous peoples and collaborations across disciplines and positionalities in responding to policy calls to transform social work teaching environments to better reflect Indigenous voices. Drawing on an “Indigenous ethical space of engagement” (Ermine 2007: 194), the authors share their experiences collaborating on an Indigenous teaching project entitled “Matoogiying Gaminigowiziying (Sharing our Gifts): Indigenous Learning Bundles” at Western University. They worked together to introduce Indigenous educational leadership content into a graduate-level Administration and Supervision social work leadership course at King’s University College during the 2023 and 2024 academic years. Drawing on a conversational approach, the authors will begin by locating themselves, then reflect on social work leadership education, the gaps in Indigenous social work leadership research, and outline the value in drawing on Indigenous educational leadership research to fill gaps in teaching social work leadership. They will describe the creation and content of the Indigenous Learning Bundles, the social work education policy context, and how the leadership bundle was integrated into the graduate social work leadership course. To conclude, they will share personal insights they have garnered by reflecting together through a conversational approach centered on their collaborative teaching experience.