Drawing on participatory action research conducted at a Canadian university that has formally committed to Indigenizing its academic programs, the article identifies a range of orientations among faculty members. These approaches vary from inclusion-focused strategies to more transformative, decolonial practices. The analysis demonstrates that these orientations are closely tied to distinct forms of academic agency, revealing how faculty engagement is neither uniform nor straightforward, but instead mediated by disciplinary norms, institutional expectations, and available supports.
A key finding of the study is the limitation of individual moral commitment when it is not accompanied by structural reinforcement. Without collaborative departmental cultures, institutional recognition, and meaningful support for decolonization work, faculty efforts often remain fragmented or constrained. In this sense, the article underscores the importance of embedding Indigenization within collective and systemic frameworks rather than relying solely on individual initiative.
Conceptually, the article advances an important intervention by reframing common challenges in this field. Rather than viewing epistemic friction and pedagogical uncertainty as obstacles to be overcome, it positions them as integral to the process of engaging in Decolonization Studies. These tensions, the study argues, are not signs of failure but indicators of meaningful engagement with complex and contested knowledge systems.
By shifting the focus from awareness to practice, the article contributes to ongoing scholarly conversations about Indigenization in higher education. It highlights how settler faculty work is less about achieving a fixed state of understanding and more about continuously navigating institutional terrains shaped by colonial histories and power relations.