Journal of Policy & Governance

(ISSN: 2564-212X; CODEN: JPGOC8; DOI: 10.33002/jpg) is an international, scientific double blind peer-reviewed open access journal published 2 times a year online by The Grassroots Institute.

Open Access—free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.

High Visibility: Indexed in HEIN. Indexing is proposed in the WoS, Scopus and other databases.

Time for Processing: Primary acceptance to the submitted article is given in 1 week time. After consent of author(s), manuscript is peer-reviewed, and a first decision provided to authors in 2-4 weeks after submission.

Recognition of Reviewers: The reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in the journal, in appreciation of the work done. Reviewers also receive Certificate for their voluntary service.

thumb-0502 | Journal of Policy & Governance

Journal of Policy & Governance is comprehensively covering the subjects of policy and governance in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach. By bridging both academic and professional domains, the journal provides professionals, practitioners, researchers, students, and policymakers, and any other persons with information on developments in the field of policy and/or governance.

VOLUME: 05(02) (DECEMBER 2025)

Download Full Volume

M – 00596Analytical Article

From Dust We Came and from Dust We Shall Return: Settler Scholar Positionality, Equity and Collaborative Commitment in Higher Education Reform

Dan Frederick Orcherton

Professor and Founding Dean, School of Environment and Climate Change, The University of Natural Resources and Environment, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Email: orchertonandsudario@gmail.com

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0859-2592

Journal of Policy & Governance, 05(02) (December 2025), 21-56. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg050202

Received: 20 August 2025

Published: 18 December 2025

Reviewed: 18 October 2025

Accepted: 30 October 2025

No. of Views:

web counter

No. of Paper Downloads:

ABSTRACT

This essay interrogates settler scholar positionality in relation to equity and collaborative commitment within higher education reform, arguing that meaningful decolonization requires reflexive, ethically grounded partnerships with Indigenous communities. Drawing on frameworks such as Two-Eyed Seeing, Movement-based Participatory Action Research, and transformative leadership, the paper situates settler scholars within colonial legacies that shape knowledge production, curriculum, governance, and climate justice narratives. It explores how entrenched power dynamics and systemic barriers—manifested in curricula, institutional policy, and philanthropic reconciliation discourses — undermine Indigenous epistemologies and perpetuate exclusion unless actively addressed. Through case studies and theoretical synthesis, the work articulates models for equitable engagement, including the institutionalization of Indigenous Knowledge Holders Councils, co-created research agendas, and culturally responsive pedagogy. The analysis emphasizes the necessity of accountability, sustained reflexivity, and ethical research practices that center Indigenous agency, data sovereignty, and shared governance. Challenges in forming genuine partnerships are examined, including historical distrust, divergent epistemic expectations, and institutional inertia, along with strategies to overcome them. The essay concludes with a call to action for settler scholars: to move beyond performative allyship toward sustained structural change by embedding Indigenous methodologies, supporting Indigenous leadership, and co-developing knowledge systems that advance equity, resilience, and reconciliation (John et al., 2024).

Keywords: Settler scholarpPositionality; Decolonizing higher education; Indigenous–Settler partnerships; Two-eyed seeing; Indigenous knowledge systems; Ethical and reflexive research practice; Shared governance and data sovereignty

REFERENCES

Ananya, R., Terra, G., & Powers, A. (2025). Insurgent Ground: Land, Housing, Property. E-Scholarship,

Andress, L., Hall, T., Davis, S., Levine, J., Cripps, K., & Guinn, D. (2020). Addressing power dynamics in

Antifaeff, P. (2024). Transforming Hearts and Minds: Racial Equity Through Human Resources Policies

Archer, B. M. L. (2024). Weaving New Stories: Decolonizing and Transforming Secondary Schools for Equity,

Avramovic, L. (2024). The Heart of School Leadership: Supporting the Health & Well-being of Teachers in

Balasco, L., Garnsey, E., Kurze, A., & Lamont, C. K. (2024). Justicecraft: Imagining Justice in Times of.

Barron, P. F. (2024). When good intentions aren’t good enough: Dismantling colonial praxis in educational

Belarde-Lewis, M., Littletree, S., Braine, I. S., Srader, K., Guerrero, N., & Palmer, C. L. (2024). Centering

Bell, M., & Lewis, N. (2023). Universities claim to value community-engaged scholarship: So why do they

Bennett, C., Fitzpatrick-Harnish, K., & Talbot, B. (2022). Collaborative untangling of positionality,

Beresford-Dey, M. (2025). Educational Leadership: Enabling Positive Planetary Action Through

Blaschke, L. M. (2012). Heutagogy and lifelong learning: A review of heutagogical practice and self-

Butin, D. W. (2007). Focusing our aim: Strengthening faculty commitment to community

Canning, N. (2010). Playing with heutagogy: Exploring strategies to empower mature learners in higher

ChatGPT. (2025). Compiled references from literature search results (Version 5.1) [Large language model

Comunidad, E. (2024). ¿ Dónde Vive la Ciencia en su Comunidad?: How a Community Is Using Photovoice

Constant-Inglis, H. (2023). Archaeological Interpretive Design for Wanuskewin Heritage Park from the

Cueva, A. R. B., Giri, K., Caitlin, H., & Shepherd, L. J. (2024). A decolonial feminist politics of fieldwork:

Cutter, S. L., Barnes, L., Berry, M., Burton, C., Evans, E., Tate, E., & Webb, J. (2008). A place-based model

Daly, K., & Kelly, L. (2024). Indigenous Nurse and White Settler Nurse Teaching Teams: Learning to

Danvers, E. (2019). Individualised and instrumentalised? critical thinking, students and the optics of

Datta, R. (2013). A relational theoretical framework and meanings of land, nature, and sustainability for

Davis, C. (2020). How Canadian public schools undermine indigenous humanity: Educational

Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (2017). Critical race theory: An introduction (3rd ed.). New York University

Fine, M. (2007). Witnessing with an agenda. In, Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed., pp. 251-280).

Fisk, J. M., Leong, K., M., Berl, R. E. W., Long, J. W., Landon, A. C., Adams, M. M., Hankins, D. L.,

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum. Gabriel, L. M. (2025). Curricular

 Guzman, G. (2024). A Call for Afro & Indigenous Latinx Liberation!  A Guidebook Re-Envisioning Critical

Hase, S., & Kenyon, C. (2000).  From andragogy to heutagogy: A review of self-determined learning.

Henry, A. P. (2024). Narratives That Perpetuate, Narratives That Disrupt, and Narratives That Heal: One

Homan, E. (2025). Kill'em with Kindness: Midwest Nice as a Mechanism of Whiteness. Education

Isaac, G., Burgio-Ericson, K., McChesney, L., Green, A. G., Charley, K. K., Church, K., & Dillard, R. W.

Islam, M. R. (2025). Ethics in Social Science Research: Challenges and Future Directions. In, Ethics in

Jeung, D. Y., Kim, C., & Chang, S. J. (2018). Emotional labor and burnout: A review of the literature.

Jewell, E., & Mosby, I. (Eds.). (2022). Calls to action accountability: A 2022 status update on reconciliation.

John, D. R., Davis, C., Locker, V., Shwan, D. (2024). Colonial Genocide in Intercultural and

Johnson, T. N. and Endres, D. (2021). Decolonizing settler public address: the role of settler scholars.

Jopling, M., Stewart, G. T., Orchard, S., Suoranta, J., Tolbert, S., Cheilan, L., Yan, F., Price, C., Hayes, S.,

King, J. (2023). Indigeneity, positionality, and ethical space: Navigating the in-between of Indigenous and

León, K (2025). Ethnic Studies for Secondary Schooling: Collaborative Curricular Insights from a Working

Leonardo, Z., Singh, M. V., & Noguera, Z. D. (2023). Education and colonialism: Three frameworks.

Lukens, A. (2013). Theorizing food justice: Critical positionality and the political economy of community

Machado-Escudero, Y., Gilliam, C. C., & Prussia, L. (2025). Righting relationships: Reclaiming places,

Macoun, A., & Strakosch, E. (2013). The ethical demands of settler colonial theory. Settler Colonial

Mad Plume, L. M. (2024). Applied Indigenous Knowledge Translation: Naatookyookaasii. Theses and

Mad Plume, L., Carroll, D., Nadeau, M., & Redvers, N. (2024). Measuring Wellness through Indigenous

Maliha, J. M. (2024). There's a Camel in My Office” Nurturing Agents of Transformation: Equipping

Manglicmot, J.S. (2025) Constructing Portraits of Elementary Teachers of Ethnic Studies: Examining the

Mannergren, J., Björkdahl, A., Buckley-Zistel, S., Kappler, S., & Williams, T. (2024). Peace and the politics

McCagg-Nystrom, H. (2024). The Integration of the Indigenous Knowledge Holders Council into a Post-

McCubbin, L. L. D., & Moniz, J. (2014). Ethical principles in resilience research: Respect, relevance,

Miller, M. (2024). From Bureaucracy to Belonging: An Equity-Oriented Cultural Shift in Preservice

Molla, T. (2024). Engaged scholarship: paradigmatic and pragmatic drivers. International Review of

Molla, T. (2025). Engaged scholarship and its discontents. Social Inclusion, 13(1), 1–10.

Molla, T. (2025). Engaged scholarship and its discontents. Social Inclusion, 13.

Morales, M. P. E. (2016). Participatory action research (PAR) cum action research (AR) in teacher

Nieminen, J. H., & Pesonen, H. V. (2022). Anti-ableist pedagogies in higher education: A systems

Omodan, B. I. (2025). The roles of epistemology and decoloniality in addressing power dynamics in

OpenAI (2025a). Commitment to reflexivity and anti-oppressive practice: Pathways to enriched

OpenAI (2025b). Dismantling hegemonic structures enables the incorporation of Indigenous worldviews,

OpenAI (2025c). From dust we came, and to dust we shall return (Genesis 3:19). Illustration integrates

Orcherton, D. F (2023a). Bridging Cultures in Distance Education: A Confluence of Critical Pedagogy

Orcherton, D. F (2023b). Reconciling the Dual Worldviews of Ancient Wisdom and Modernity:

Orr, A. (2017). An Introduction to Eco-theology: Eco-Congregation Ireland. Retrieved from:

osas, L. G., Dharmar, M., Norris, K., Tiscareño, L., & Padilla, J. (2024). Engaging stakeholders to

Pelican, M., Zafer, K., & Bollig, M. (Eds.) (2025). Decolonising the Future Academy in Africa and Beyond:

Pewewardy, C., & Lees, A. (Eds.) (2022). Unsettling settler-colonial education: The transformational

Phillips, P. (2025). The Transeunt Listener: Towards Futurities of Re-learning in Truth and Reconciliation

Pollack, J. R. (2024). From Neoliberal Turnaround Toward Liberatory Cultivation: Countering Color-Evasive

Potocki, E (2025). Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Environmental Education: Creating

Reid, A. J., Eckert, L., Lane, J., Young, N., Hinch, S. G., Darimont, C. T., Cooke, S. J., Ban, N. C., &

Renner, M. V. (2025). Arroyo Seco Placekeepers: The Use of Dramaturgy to Cultivate Creative

Ricco, C. (2024). Principal Leadership from a Settler Canadian's Perspective. The Organizational

Rudolph, S; Mayes, Eve; Mekonnen, Tebeje Molla; Chiew, S; Abhayawickrama, N; Maiava, N; et al.

Sahoo, S. (2025). Critical Pedagogy Empowers Students Through Transformative Education. Journal

Secules, S., McCall, C., Mejia, J. A., Beebe, C., Masters, A. S., Sánchez-Peña, M. L., & Svyantek, M.

Shackeroff, J. M., & Campbell, L. M. (2007). Traditional ecological knowledge in conservation research:

Shaw, R. M., Howe, J., Beazer, J., & Carr, T. (2019). Ethics and positionality in qualitative research with

Shoman, H., Ajour, A., Ababneh, S., Jabiri, A., Pratt, N., Repo, J., & Aldossari, M. (2025). Feminist

Sims, D. A. (2023). Reimaging reflexivity through a critical theoretical framework: Autoethnographic

Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples (2nd ed.). Zed Books.

St. Denis, V. (2011). Silencing Aboriginal Curricular Content and Perspectives Through Multiculturalism:

Symons, D., & Blannin, J. (2019). Empowerment and disempowerment in peer observation within

Tarisayi, K. S. (2023). Autoethnography as a qualitative methodology: Conceptual foundations,

Trimble, S. (2024). Canadian settler philanthropy and reconciliation: A critical textual analysis. Doctoral

Tuck, E. (2009). Suspending damage: A letter to communities. Harvard Educational Review79(3),

Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W. (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education &

Umamageswari, G., & Bagyalakshmi, C. (2023). Equitable learning environments: Advancing professional

Vander Kloet, M. A. (2025). Taking time and planting seeds: learning, relationships and equity work in

Vang, M. H. (2024). Activist Scholars: Faculty of Color Navigating Institutional Rewards and

Viswanathan, M., Ammerman, A., Eng, E., Garlehner, G., Lohr, K. N., Griffith, D., Rhodes, S.,

Watkins, S., Dewar, B., & Kennedy, C. (2016). Appreciative Inquiry as an intervention to change nursing

Watson, K., & Jeppesen, S. (2021). Settler fragility: four paradoxes of decolonizing research. Revista de

 Weiler, C., Brinegar, K., DeMink-Carthew, J., & Smith, K. (2025). Scaffolding Subversion: Preparing

Weir, J. K., Morgain, R., Moon, K., & Moggridge, B. J. (2024). Centring Indigenous peoples in knowledge

Weuffen, S. (2024). Positionality: The foundational threshold concept for decolonising practices.

Wrigley, K. A. (2024). Care-full climate justice organising: Movement-based participatory Action Research on

Yee, J. Y., Hackbusch, C., & Wong, H. (2013). An anti-oppression (ao) framework for child welfare in

HOW TO CITE THIS PAPER?
APA Style

Orcherton, D. F. (2025). From Dust We Came and from Dust We Shall Return: Settler Scholar Positionality, Equity and Collaborative Commitment in Higher Education Reform. Journal of Policy & Governance, 05(02), 21-56. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg050202

Harvard Style

Orcherton, D. F. (2025). From Dust We Came and from Dust We Shall Return: Settler Scholar Positionality, Equity and Collaborative Commitment in Higher Education Reform. Journal of Policy & Governance, 05(02): 21-56. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg050202

ACS Style

Orcherton D. F. From Dust We Came and from Dust We Shall Return: Settler Scholar Positionality, Equity and Collaborative Commitment in Higher Education Reform. Journal of Policy & Governance, 2025, 05 (02), 21-56. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg050202

Chicago/Turabian Style

Orcherton, Dan Frederick. 2025. “From Dust We Came and from Dust We Shall Return: Settler Scholar Positionality, Equity and Collaborative Commitment in Higher Education Reform”. Journal of Policy & Governance, 05 no. 02: 21-56. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg050202

AAA Style

Orcherton, Dan Frederick. 2025. “From Dust We Came and from Dust We Shall Return: Settler Scholar Positionality, Equity and Collaborative Commitment in Higher Education Reform”. Journal of Policy & Governance, 05 (02): 21-56. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg050202

ABSTRACTING LINKS
Crossref: https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg050202
EuroPub: https://europub.co.uk/articles/786279
Scilit: https://www.scilit.com/publications/b18f6db2f01ba3dc7a38f8a1c146a60d
Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/164905657/From_Dust_We_Came_and_from_Dust_We_Shall_Return_Settler_Scholar_Positionality_Equity_and_Collaborative_Commitment_in_Higher_Education_Reform
Dimensions:
ZENODO: https://zenodo.org/records/18833074
OpenAIRE: https://explore.openaire.eu/search/result?pid=10.33002/jpg050202
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/document/1006282056/From-Dust-We-Came-and-from-Dust-We-Shall-Return-Settler-Scholar-Positionality-Equity-and-Collaborative-Commitment-in-Higher-Education-Reform
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/398916679_From_Dust_We_Came_and_from_Dust_We_Shall_Return_Settler_Scholar_Positionality_Equity_and_Collaborative_Commitment_in_Higher_Education_Reform?_sg=IjNhPoG4-AWjI0Ijr7nCQaD66dSmF9cN5pzn7FXOCGckUYu1myJ_sOcogZryjydAOJjgd5vM_NzXj5U&_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6Il9kaXJlY3QiLCJwYWdlIjoiX2RpcmVjdCJ9fQ
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=From+Dust+We+Came+and+from+Dust+We+Shall+Return%3A+Settler+Scholar+Positionality%2C+Equity+and+Collaborative+Commitment+in+Higher+Education+Reform&btnG=

ARCHIVE & REPOSITORY LINKS
Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/m-00596
WorldCat: https://search.worldcat.org/title/11053835439

ARTICLE METRICS

© 2025 by the author(s). Licensee Journal of Policy & Governance. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). We allow to freely share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially) with a legal code: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.

Creative Commons Licence
Journal of Policy & Governance by The Grassroots Institute is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License based on a work at www.grassrootsjournals.org.

In Partnership with

Lviv Polytechnic National University
Lviv Polytechnic National University

Advisory Board

    Advisory Board

    * Prof. Dr. Ivanyshyn Volodymyr (Ukraine)

    * Mr. Tony Sevelka (Canada)

    Editors

    Executive Chief Editor

    Dr. Hasrat Arjjumend President & CEO

    The Grassroots Institute, Canada

    Deputy Editor-in-Chief

    Prof. Dr. Larysa Klymanska, Professor

    Department of Sociology and Social Work

    Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine

    Associate Editor

    Dr. Mohanasundari Thangavel

    Assistant Professor (Economics)

    School of Humanities and Social Sciences

    Indian Institute of Technology Indore, India

    Dr. Ansari P. A.

    Post Doctoral Researcher

    Centre for West Asian Studies

    Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University), India

    Ms. Nusrat Yaqoob

    PhD Fellow

    Department of Economics

    University of Karachi

    & Member, UNESC0-Water (Scientific Committee)

    & Global Climate Ambassador, GYCN-WBG MTE Cohort 2022

    Editorial Board

    * Prof. Dr. George Mavrotas (Belgium)

    * Dr. Sigrid Pauwels (Belgium)

    * Prof. Dr. H. Hassan-Yari (Oman)

    * Dr. Noor Sulastry Y.A. (Oman)

    * Prof. Dr. Honor G. Fagan (Ireland)

    * Dr. Romeo B.Pacudan (Brunei Darussalam)

    * Prof. Dr. habil. Corina M. Radulescu (Romania)

    * Dr. Margarita Cheshmedzhieva (Bulgaria)

    * Dr. Kamelia Assenova (Bulgaria)

    * Dr. Virgil Nicula (Romania)

    * Dr. Vesna Mrdalj (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

    * Prof. Dr. Shulga Ievgenii Viktorovich (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Olena Khrushch (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Lesya Ilchenko-Syuyva (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Iryna Golyash (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Sam Noshadha (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Alla Pecheniuk (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Rinata Kazak (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Orobets K. Mykolaiovych (Ukraine)

    * Stephen J. Ternyik (Germany)

    * Prof. Dr. Scott Valentine (Japan)

    * Dr. Ornanong Benbourenane (UAE)

    * Dr. Bashir AbulQaraya (UAE)

    * Dr. Amany A. El Anshasy (UAE)

    * Dr. Mehrdad Mozayyan (UAE)

    * Dr. Sasidaran Gopalan (UAE)

    * Dr. Sumaia A. Al Kohlani (UAE)

    * Dr. Amani Abdullatif Omer (UAE)

    * Dr. Riham Khafagy (UAE)

    * Dr. Sabiha Alam (India)

    * Dr. Jatswan Singh (Malaysia)

    * Prof. Dr. Shakila Yacob (Malaysia)

    * Dr. Raja Noriza R. Ariffin (Malaysia)

    * Dr. Md. Nazmus Sadekin (Bangladesh)

    * Dr. Evelie P. Serrano (Philippines)

    * Prof. Dr. Judith D. Serrano (Mexico)

Share
Related Articles

Go to Top