FROM ANCESTRAL WISDOM TO DIGITAL WORLDS: INDIGENOUS YOUTH REIMAGINING LEARNING

Abstract

Indigenous youth today navigate complex educational spaces shaped by globalization, digital technologies, and historically rooted inequities in formal schooling. While conventional education systems have often marginalized Indigenous knowledge systems, the digital age presents new possibilities for reclaiming identity, strengthening cultural continuity, and reimagining learning experiences grounded in Indigenous pedagogy. This chapter critically examines how digital technologies can support Indigenous youth in negotiating identity, knowledge, and learning within culturally responsive and community-centered frameworks. Drawing upon Indigenous epistemologies, decolonizing educational theory, and global case perspectives, the chapter explores digital storytelling, social media, mobile learning, and online platforms as pedagogical tools for empowerment rather than assimilation. It further highlights ethical considerations related to intellectual sovereignty, cultural representation, and digital equity. By positioning Indigenous youth as active knowledge producers rather than passive learners, this chapter argues that technology—when guided by Indigenous values—can become a powerful medium for educational transformation, cultural resilience, and intergenerational knowledge transmission in the digital age.