Rethinking expertise: Creating a decolonial space in a university setting by broadening (and sometimes narrowing!) who we think knows what

Abstract

This paper focuses on the development, planning, and implementation of Numu (Northern Paiute) language classes at the University of Nevada, Reno. The authors’ engagement with the Numu classes as well as the description and analysis presented in this paper are guided by principles of decolonization, language reclamation, and community-based research. Our analysis is based on participant observation, informal discussions with the instructor and other community members, and interviews with students. The primary claims of the paper are (1) that because an Indigenous elder has the autonomy to teach the classes however he sees fit, the Numu classes have created a decolonial space at the university, and (2) that a rethinking of expertise has been critical to this creation of a decolonial space within a colonial context. The findings from our study inform a broader understanding of how universities can provide spaces for decolonization, how community-based linguistic projects can be more attuned to community needs and interests, and how broadening notions of expertise can help disrupt the replication of colonial structures.