Embodying decolonization in a settler faith community: the Living Justly in this Land curriculum

John R. Henry
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:44:20 PDT

The curriculum project Living Justly in this Land seeks to spark a conversation among primarily non-Indigenous adults who live in a country with a history of settler colonialism. This curriculum is based on theories from the place-based education model of Land education, which has been created primarily by Indigenous scholars. Inspired by teaching styles used by many different Indigenous peoples, as well as the research method of Participatory Action Research, this living curriculum was co-created during the process of the project. I authored the basic structure of the lessons, but allowed the participants, from a majority white settler faith community, to help guide and add to the conversation with their input. The result of this five-week project was a 53-page curriculum with participant-provided thoughts, reflections, and resources for further learning. Keywords: Indigenous, Cross-Cultural Education, Decolonization, Environmental Education, Racial Justice, Place-Based Education, Land Education, Progressive Religion.