‘We don’t believe they are dead, they are just resting’: Indigenous Knowledges as epistemological reclamation in planning

The integration of Indigenous Knowledges in planning represents an ongoing dilemma. On the one hand, involvement in the planning process enhances a decolonial space for Indigenous Peoples. On the other, it legitimates the coloniality of planning and coopts Indigenous Knowledges. Because of its complexity, a holistic view of the mechanisms Indigenous Peoples create to engage, support, and empower themselves during the planning process represents an alternative approach. In this paper, I apply the voice of place to describe the epistemological reclamation five Tribal Nations experience in the Bears Ears National Monument. The findings suggest a refusal of settler narratives in Indigenous Land, the importance of Indigenous processes, a praxis of relational Knowledges, and the fluid forms of moving between knowledge systems while maintaining knowledge sovereignty. By telling a story from the Tribes’ perspective, this research re-signifies the role of Indigenous Peoples when engaging in settler-state planning.