Introduction

Astronaut John Herrington (Chickasaw) with AISES students in Anchorage, Alaska.

The Indigenous Education Institute (IEI) was created in 1995 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) institution with a mission to preserve, protect and apply traditional Indigenous knowledge in a contemporary setting, that of Indigenous peoples today, around the world. IEI has developed numerous projects that preserve traditional knowledge, protect the knowledge in terms of Indigenous protocol, and apply it to areas such as astronomy and other science disciplines.

IEI works closely with many Indigenous organizations and institutions and also with mainstream universities and K-12 schools. IEI personnel have given countless presentations around the world, in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Wales, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, and all through the continental United States. They have worked with many scientific organizations and institutions such as American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), Canadian Aboriginal Science and Technology Society (CASTS), Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA), Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California-Berkeley, Space Telescope Science Institute, and the Native Science Academy.

Our Future - Navajo Child

IEI is located in Bluff, Utah, and involves key administrators from the Navajo Reservation. The Board of IEI is comprised primarily of Indigenous leaders, with an International Advisory Board of noted individuals from all walks of life. IEI develops educational materials such as the poster of the Dine (Navajo) Universe, CD of Navajo Astronomy Stars Over Dine Bikeyah, and a cross cultural astronomy book: Sharing the Skies: Navajo Astronomy - A Cross Cultural View, with comparisons of Navajo, Greek and NASA Space Science worldviews. IEI has developed the Dine Cosmic Model: Strategic Planning and Evaluation in accordance with the Natural Order as perceived by the Navajo. IEI is known for development of curriculum relevant to Indigenous communities, such as "Traditional Indigenous Geography," a traditional Indigenous introduction to GIS technology.

The work of IEI is focused on the boundaries between traditional Indigenous science and western science, sometimes places of tension, but also places where the most fruitful exchange of knowledge can take place. The work of IEI is centered on the task of helping young native people find their own sense of self-identity and self-esteem in the world today, based on a firm foundation of thousands of years of cultural knowledge.

Welcome Message

Evelyn Conley Evelyn Conley, Chair
Norman, OK,
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee
  • by Evelyn Conley, Chair
  • Indigenous Education Institute (IEI)

On behalf of the Indigenous Education Institute and the Board of Directors, I welcome you to our website. The Indigenous Education Institute is an Indigenous-based organization with broad and strategic objectives to preserve and apply ancient Indigenous knowledge in a contemporary way. As you navigate the website, you will read about significant on-going activities of IEI, as well as past accomplishments and developments, both locally and globally. We have many partners and are very active in networking and interacting with major institutions and organizations. IEI has been especially active in working with both Western science and Indigenous science in informal and formal settings. We look forward to the years to come, to continue our mission and goals, and we welcome you to read about our progress and become an integral part of our work.