INDIGENOUS EDUCATION AND THE STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Indigenous education represents a holistic, land based, and relational system of knowledge transmission that predates modern sustainability discourse. Although sustainable development gained global recognition through the United Nations 2030 Agenda, Indigenous communities have long practiced ecological stewardship, intergenerational responsibility, and social balance. This chapter examines Indigenous education as a foundational pathway to sustainable development by integrating ecological, epistemological, cultural, and institutional perspectives. It synthesizes empirical insights, theoretical frameworks, and policy considerations to demonstrate that Indigenous education is not merely compatible with sustainable development but offers an alternative epistemological foundation capable of transforming contemporary development paradigms.