Miyiiha’, Hiinkem (Hello, relatives)! Welcome to the official website of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas (IPA) Special Interest Group (SIG) of the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

As AERA 2026 convenes in Los Angeles, we recognize that this gathering takes place within Tovaangar (toh-VAHNG-gar), the ancestral homelands of the Tongva People. The city now known as Los Angeles grew from Yaanga (YAH-ngah), a historic Tongva village that long served as a center of governance, relationship, and community life. For the Tongva Peoples, Tovaangar represents more than a geographic territory. It is a place where creation, ancestry, and memory converge—a living homeland that continues to hold the stories, responsibilities, and continuance of our people. These lands carry generations of knowledge and resilience shaped by those who have remained in relationship with this place.

In this same spirit of relationship—to land, to knowledge, and to one another—the IPA SIG brings together scholars, educators, students, and community members committed to advancing research that supports Indigenous education across the Americas and beyond. Members of the IPA SIG engage in research that centers Indigenous knowledge systems, community-engaged scholarship, language revitalization, educational sovereignty, and the many ways Indigenous communities continue to shape educational research and practice. We recognize that knowledge is carried through relationships—with communities, with histories, and with the lands that continue to teach us. Through conference programming, scholarly dialogue, and mentorship of emerging scholars, the IPA SIG provides a space within AERA for Indigenous-focused research, collaboration, and community building. For more information about the governance and purposes of the IPA SIG, please see the Bylaws.

We invite you to explore our work, attend our sessions at the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting, and join us in strengthening relationships that honor Indigenous knowledge, responsibility, and futures.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

--IPA SIG Leadership