A transformative initiative led by Dr. Sylvia Moore of the Labrador Campus at Memorial University is reshaping how professional learning is delivered to educators working in Indigenous and Northern communities. Funded by the Indigenous and Northern Collaborative Research and Education Engagement Fund, the project titled Professional Learning for Educators: Nurturing Indigenous Pedagogies and Place-based Knowledges in the Circumpolar North has brought together educators, Elders, and researchers from across Canada, Alaska, and Norway to explore culturally grounded professional learning rooted in Indigenous pedagogies.
This project is the first research collaboration of the Verdde Thematic Network (TN) of UArctic. “Verdde,” a North Sámi term meaning “mutually beneficial exchange,” guided the work, which focused on land-based learning, Indigenous languages, cultural knowledge, and building community-driven educational practices. The network’s revitalization was a significant outcome of the project, including a renaming to the Thematic Network on Verdde Indigenous Education, the formation of a new steering committee with leaders from Sámi University of Applied Science, Memorial University, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the role of an Elder Advisor for the network.
Verdde Indigenous Thematic Network leader Dr. Laiti (Sámi University of Applied Sciences) states:
"Project Professional Learning for Educators: Nurturing Indigenous Pedagogies and Place-based Knowledges in the Circumpolar North brought together academic staff and Indigenous educators from different Indigenous communities for sharing and reflecting on their experiences in Indigenous education from early childhood education to the academic level. This funding provided the opportunity to meet regularly with colleagues across the Arctic to share and experience issues connected with Indigenous education. These meetings became a safe, collaborative space where we worked out of our own ways of organizing, such as having regular online sharing circles. This positively impacted the participants, especially by making them feel stronger as they recognized the similarities of needs, approaches, and experiences in Indigenous education."
Dr. Moore states, “This was the first research project of the Verdde Indigenous Education Network and all aspects of the research were collaboratively determined by the participating network members. Even more important than answering the research questions was the deep conversations we had about how to engage in research and what it means to recognize and celebrate the pedagogies and knowledges of Indigenous educators. The research was meaningful work by and for Indigenous educators who persist in centering cultural teachings regardless of assimilative pressures and colonial education structures.”
Among the project’s highlights was a research exchange involving four Sámi educators visiting the Labrador Campus in June 2022, and Labrador Inuit educators visiting the Sámi University of Applied Sciences in Norway. Four Nunatsiavut Inuit teachers and an Elder participated in hands-on learning and shared pedagogical insights during the exchange in April 2023. The group later co-presented their experiences at the Sámi Education Conference and were featured in CBC interviews, sharing the importance of land, language, and relationship-building in professional learning.
The research, conducted using a self-study methodology, emphasized shared reflection and writing among participants, leading to deeper collaboration and community-based insights. Educators explored questions like: What does Indigenous pedagogy look like in our regions? How can we best support language revitalization and land-based learning? What are the systemic challenges, and how do we address them together?
The project’s impact is evident in the strengthening of relationships amongst Indigenous Circumpolar educators, the development of an active and research agenda, and the generation of practical tools for improving teacher training in Indigenous contexts. The outcomes included the drafting of a discussion paper for education authorities, the development of a publishable academic article, and the co-creation of a follow-up project on using arts and crafts (duodji and Ilusivut) as pedagogy.
Ultimately, this project demonstrates how Indigenous-led professional learning that is rooted in place, language, and community can strengthen education across the North. It also highlights the importance of international collaboration and the power of educator networks in advancing reconciliation and culturally nourishing pedagogies. As one participant noted, “This was more than research—it was about connection, identity, and building futures that reflect who we are.”