Introduction: Thinking Critically from Indigenous Perspectives

“We must achieve the expulsion of the oppressor from within the oppressed.” (Paulo Freire)

In a world marked by multiple forms of oppression, critical thinking is not a luxury—it is an urgent necessity for Indigenous peoples and theology makers. To think for oneself, to question the taken-for-granted, to reclaim ancestral knowledge, and to cultivate autonomous consciousness are inherently political acts. This is not merely an intellectual exercise—it is a tool for liberation.

Drawing from my experience as an Indigenous educator, and informed by the pedagogy of Brazilian thinker Paulo Freire, I invite you into a space of reflection and dialogue. We will explore how to develop a critical consciousness that is also decolonial—one that emerges from the land, the body, the heart, and the yearning for justice.

Paulo Freire and Critical Thinking as a Practice of Liberation

Paulo Freire, a key figure in Latin American critical pedagogy, wrote: “No one educates anyone else, nor do we educate ourselves alone; we educate one another in communion, mediated by the world.” Freire rejected the “banking model” of education—which positions students as passive recipients of knowledge—and instead advocated for a pedagogy of dialogue, mutual respect, and critical engagement with reality.

For Freire, authentic critique is not cold or elitist. It is hopeful, because it arises from a love of life, freedom, and justice. As he asserted: “Education does not change the world. Education changes people, and people change the world.” This socially-engaged form of critical thinking remains a vital resource for our communities.

Thinking Decolonially

To think critically from Indigenous contexts requires the decolonization of the mind. This does not mean rejecting all Western knowledge, but rather challenging its imposition as the sole legitimate way of knowing. Decolonization involves reclaiming one’s voice, revaluing communal knowledge systems, revitalizing Indigenous languages, and embracing ways of knowing rooted in territory.

It is also an emotional process—one that involves healing from the epistemic violence that has historically silenced our knowledges. To think from within our own worldviews is an act of collective healing. It is to affirm: I matter. My community matters. Our knowledges matter.

Core Elements of Critical Thinking

a) Methodological Rigour: Thinking with Depth

Critical thinking demands rigour. Opinion alone is not enough; one must observe, compare, question, and investigate. Freire referred to this as “epistemological curiosity”—a passionate, engaged pursuit of understanding.

This rigour does not oppose intuition or emotion; rather, it calls for a commitment to truth, attention to detail, and openness to dialogue. When communities pose sincere questions grounded in their lived experiences, they are already exercising rigorous thought.

b) Research as a Form of Dignity

Research is not the privilege of the few. It is a human practice—a way of dignifying our experiences. When we conduct research from within our territories, histories, and questions, we produce situated knowledge that is both valuable and transformative.

Asking why things are the way they are, and imagining what else could be, is a form of resistance against imposed realities. Most importantly, collective research builds intergenerational bridges, systematizes existing knowledge, and strengthens identity.

c) Recognizing the Plurality of Knowledges

Critical thinking flourishes when it acknowledges epistemic diversity. Not all knowledge originates in academia. Ancestral, spiritual, territorial, and communal knowledges are equally legitimate forms of thought.
Indigenous languages, for example, embody complex worldviews. Oral storytelling, rituals, and everyday practices of care and healing are also ways of knowing. Validating these knowledges is an act of epistemic justice.

d) The Ethics and Aesthetics of Thought

To think freely is also to think ethically and beautifully. It is not only about what we say, but how we say it, and with what intention. Freire warned of the dangers of intellectual arrogance—critique must not become contempt, ridicule, or imposition.

Critical thought is born from respect and a desire to build. The manner in which ideas are shared matters as much as their substance. Aesthetic qualities—such as careful language, tenderness, and poetic expression—are also dimensions of truth.

e) Identity as the Root of Thought

There can be no critical thinking without memory or identity. For Indigenous peoples, to think critically is to remember, to resist, and to reconnect. It is to know where we come from, in order to envision where we are going.
This thinking is deeply tied to spirituality, community, and territory. It is not an abstract or individualistic exercise—it is embodied in the histories and present-day struggles of our peoples. To think is to care.

Emotions Are Also Thinking

Freire reminds us that thinking also means feeling. Outrage at injustice, love for the land, compassion, and the yearning for justice—these are all catalysts for critical thought. The heart also thinks.
Against worldviews that separate reason from emotion, Indigenous cosmovisions teach that there is no wisdom without affect. Feeling the world allows us to imagine more humane and just futures.

Conclusion: Thinking as Resistance, Creation, and Healing

Critical thinking is a tool for liberation. It enables us to see the invisible, question the normalized, and dream of alternative worlds. For Indigenous students, critical thought means reconnecting with ancestral roots, challenging imposed narratives, and creating knowledge with dignity.

This journey is not easy—but it is essential. As Freire wrote: “Radical hope is not waiting with arms crossed; it is fighting for a more just world.”

May these words serve as an invitation to think together, to unlearn what restricts us, to listen with humility, and above all, to keep imagining a world where all voices, all knowledges, and all dignities are honoured.