Unsettling and rerooting psychological practice in schools: Part 1 - Overview of colonization and its influence on...

As school psychology works to advance social justice in research, training, and practice, interpretation of social justice often emphasizes dismantling the racism in our educational system. Associated efforts among school psychologists and school psychology organizations to address decolonization have primarily been symbolic (e.g., land acknowledgements). Social justice and antiracism are important but insufficient to disrupt colonization and support liberation. To truly realize liberation as both a process and a goal, we must work towards decolonization. And to decolonize the field, school psychologists must understand colonialism and how it has and continues to shape the field. This critical consciousness is necessary to support the un/learning needed to better support sustained, structural change in all aspects of our professional work. This manuscript is the first in a two-part series on colonization, decolonization, and Indigenization of school psychology. Here, we provide an overview of colonization and then discuss its influence in education and school psychology, including diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice initiatives. We assert that decolonization and Indigenization are required to address colonization as a macro-structure and prevent its continued harms in schools and society.