Introduction to Case Studies Section

Abstract

Looking deeply into our own community histories and learning from one another’s experiences provides us with new paths into the future. By becoming aware of the patterns in community processes for cultural self-determination, and by sharing stories across communities, we can build on our strategies and our understandings of one another’s solutions to create realities that reflect our local Indigenous values and practices. Similar community-transforming strategies may lead to very different outcomes, due to the profound diversity across Indigenous cultural settings. Indigenous communities that invest in taking risks to try new things and search for effective solutions to persistent issues will continue to grow the circle of beneficial innovation as they document and share their experiences. Understanding the successes of different Indigenous groups and learning how to make appropriate and responsive adjustments are important steps to accelerating cross-community diffusion of powerful, values-aligned approaches.