Indigenous Knowledge

Repositioning the Dominant Narrative of Self-Actualization

While extremely popular within Western Humanistic Psychology, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was stolen from the Blackfoot Nation. Maslow’s theory places material and physical needs as the foundation, which emphasizes that individuals with less access to resources are unable to achieve self-actualization. As a result, Maslow’s theory deems individuals from lower socio-economic status and people of color as being incapable of worthiness.

By recognizing the First Nations Perspective and using it as inspiration for culturally relevant SEL, it is repositioned as the dominant narrative and given the credit it deserves. It also allows for a dynamic interpretation of self-actualization and emphasizes the intersection of unique identities with emotional expression and regulation.