Gifts of Indigeneity: Contributions to ELT/TESOL from Indigenous Miskitu teachers of English in Honduras

Abstract

The intersection of Indigeneity and English Language Teaching (ELT) remains critically underexplored in ELT/TESOL. This article examines how two Indigenous Miskitu teachers of English in Honduras draw upon their Indigeneity to inform their professional identities and pedagogical practices. Grounded in turi aisa ya, an Indigenous Miskitu methodology rooted in dialogical storytelling and relational accountability, the study reveals how multilingualism, cultural sustaining practices, and relationality inform their teaching praxis. Findings show that Indigeneity operates as an anchor for professional motivation, a framework for reciprocal and student-centered pedagogy, and a transformative force in reimagining ELT beyond monolingual, hierarchical, and Eurocentric models. The teachers normalize translanguaging and affirm students’ linguistic and cultural identities as central to learning. Their praxis reflects Indigenous values of care, reciprocity, and sovereignty, offering critical insights for decolonizing ELT/TESOL and reorienting teacher education toward culturally sustaining approaches. This work contributes to broader calls for linguistic justice during the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), highlighting the urgency of centering Indigenous educators as knowledge holders, change agents, and creators of more equitable and relational models of language education.

Keywords

Indigeneity, English Language Teaching (ELT), TESOL, applied linguistics, Indigenous epistemologies, Indigenous research, multilingualism, Miskitu, Honduras

How to Cite