Abstract
This report presents findings from the 2025 Faculty and Educator Summit hosted by the University of Idaho's Indigenous Knowledge for Effective Education Program (IKEEP) in collaboration with the Nez Perce Tribe and Coeur d'Alene Tribe Departments of Education. The summit convened Tribal education leaders, K-12 teachers and administrators, university faculty, higher education students, and Idaho Department of Education administrators to examine how prekindergarten through postsecondary (PK-20) education can sustain Tribal cultural identity, uphold Tribal treaty rights, and strengthen sovereign-affirming education. The report analyzes 54 participant-generated images and notes and video recordings and transcriptions of the summit presentations using an inductive, relational accountability approach. Five themes organize the findings: educational policy reform, well-being and holistic education, trust and youth empowerment, tribal governance and educational autonomy, and cultural preservation. Key findings identify language immersion, intergenerational learning, culturally informed pedagogy, treaty education, and tribal-focused curriculum design as features of reciprocal relationships, and they describe actions that administrators and teachers can take, including honoring treaty-based rights, consulting with Tribes, and integrating land-based and place-based learning. Implications suggest that partnership, accountability, and a commitment to Indigenous histories and futures will advance sovereign-affirming education. The report includes the summit agenda, session descriptions, attendance data, and participant action statements.