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Topic

Leadership Models Embedded in Ceremony

Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies

Date & location

• Friday, January 10, 2025

• 9:00 A.M.

• Virtual Defence

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Catherine McGregor, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

• Dr. Darlene Clover, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, Uvic (Member)

• Dr. Shauneen Pete, Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads University (Outside Member) 

External Examiner

• Dr. Yvonne Poitras Pratt, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary 

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Kara Shaw, School of Environmental Studies, UVic 

Abstract

Indigenous leadership is an emerging area of focus within both leadership studies and Indigenous scholarship. This research project aims to illuminate Nuu-chah-nulth leadership practices, specifically by exploring the leadership models embedded in ceremonial practices. Applying the theory of tsawalk (Atleo, 2004), the knowledge gathered (data collection) for this study involved Nuu-chah-nulth community members. Contributors (participants) shared their stories and experiences through group knowledge (focus group) discussions and individual conversations (interviews). The sense-making (analysis) processes encompassed a range of methods including categorization, mind-mapping, and weaving to identify and present the thematic interpretation.

Central to this inquiry is understanding the ancestral ways of knowing and being, also referred to as hišukiš ćawaak, or everything is one, the Nuu-chah-nulth worldview wherein teachings are inherently embedded within an individual’s łimaqsti, or one’s own spirit or one’s inner feelings. By using what was given to us by our ancestors, referred to as ʔiqḥmuutsnaʔaał, Nuu-chah-nulth leaders embody the values that enable them to represent themselves, their families and their communities with respect, integrity, and accountability. Through this examination, leadership models derived from ancestral knowledge systems offer a framework for strengthening contemporary forms of Nuu-chah-nulth leadership practice. While the knowledge in this study is specific to Nuu-chah-nulth contexts, parallels can be drawn to broader Indigenous leadership frameworks and contribute to the ongoing evolution of leadership discourse within the field of leadership studies.

Keywords: Indigenous leadership, Nuu-chah-nulth leadership, ancestral knowledge