Cynthia Benally portrait
  • Director of the Working with Native Communities Certificate program, Education, Culture & Society
  • Assistant Professor, Education, Culture & Society
801-587-7814

Publications

  • *Kingsdale, J., *Cohen-Pope, S., & Benally, C. (2023). “How can I teach anti-racism in my all-white classroom?” A call to white teachers, In Boda, ed., Educational Injustice among Margins and Centers: Theorizing Critical Futures. Peter Lang. Published, 11/2023.
  • Benally, C. & Dehyle, D. (2023). Lessons from the past: 50 years after Sinajini v. Board of Education. In W. S. Greyeyes, & G. Martinez, L. L Lee (Eds.), The Yazzie Case: Interrogating the Yazzie/Martinez Lawsuit. University of New Mexico Press. Published, 10/2023.
  • Benally, C. (accepted). “You listen and you understand”: (Re)Presenting Native History and Government through Relational Policy Scholarship, In C. Stanton, C. Benally, and B. Hall (Eds.), Relational Scholarship with Indigenous Communities: Confronting Settler Colonial Social Studies. Information Age Publishing. Accepted, 10/2023.
  • Benally, C., Lopez-Huertas, M. J., & Chaplain, J. (in press). Using Indigenous Epistemologies to Address Native Erasure at a Predominately White Institution, Sage Research Methods Cases: Diversifying and Decolonizing Research. https://learningresources.sagepub.com/research-methods/diversifying-and-decolonizing-research. Accepted, 09/2023.
  • Mary Smith, Gutiérrez, J. F., Sepulveda, C. A, Benally, C & Vaughn, K. N., (2022). Allotments and Arithmetic: Land Dispossession in Indian Boarding School Mathematics Curricula. RANGE: Undergraduate Research Journal. Published, 08/2022.
    https://uen.pressbooks.pub/urj22v2/chapter/allotme...
  • Black, A. I. & Benally, C. (2021). K’é, Ádaa’ Ákohwiinidzin: Relationships and Knowing Yourself. Information Age Publishing. Published, 02/2021.
  • Benally, C. (2021). A Native Gaze on the Social Studies Curriculum in Arizona. Information Age Publishing. Published, 02/2021.
  • Benally, C., Vaughn, K. N., & McCarty, T. L. (2020). Finding the “Connective Tissue” in Critical Youth Research: Storywork as Data Analysis. In A. Ali & T. L. McCarty (Eds.), Critical Youth Research in Education: Methodologies and Praxis. Routledge. Published, 11/2020.
  • Piper, D., & Benally, C. (2020). In Search of the missing Navajo pilot: Locating opportunities and spaces in educational policies for teaching Native languages. In Reyhner, J, Martin, L. Lockard & W.S. Gilbert. (Eds.). Honoring Our Students. Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona University. Published, 08/2020.
  • Benally, C. (2019). “You need to go beyond creating a policy”: Opportunities for zones of sovereignty in Native American history instruction policies in Arizona. University of Minnesota Press. Vol. 58, 11-33. Published, 12/2019.
    https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/jamerindieduc...
  • Benally, C. (2019). Indigenizing the Curriculum: Putting the “Native” into Native American Content Instruction Mandates. (pp. 5-10). Vol. 58. University of Minnesota Press. Published, 12/2019.
    https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/jamerindieduc...
  • Guest Editor, Special Issue of the Journal of American Indian Education, Vol. 58 #3 (Fall 2019). Published, 12/2019.
    https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/jamerindieduc...
  • Benally, C. (2018). “Safe” versus “Dangerous” Policy Processes in Urban Public Schooling: The Case of Native American Education in Arizona. In A. E. Castagno & T. L. McCarty (Eds.), Anthropology of Education Policy. New York: Routledge. Published, 01/2018.

Research Keywords

  • Underrepresented students and communities with special interest in Native American populations
  • Teacher Education
  • Sovereignty
  • Native Americans
  • Native American Languages
  • Native American History
  • Indigenous Epistemologies
  • Indian Education
  • Critical Indigenous Research Methodologies
  • American Indian Education policy

Presentations

  • Stanton, C., Hall, B. Benally, C., Morrison, D., Conrad, J., Petrone, R., Shear, S., & Talbert, R. (2023, December). Stories, Bits, Sketches, and Jokes: A Story Circle Engaging Comedy and Civic Issues Discussions in Social Studies Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning. Panel presented at the Annual Conference of the National Council for the Social Studies, Nashville, TN. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 12/2023.
  • Benally, C. (2023, November). Opportunities for Zones of Sovereignty: Agentic Interpretations of Performative Gestures un a PWU. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Anthropological Association, Toronto, ON. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 11/2023.
  • White Eagle, T., Lee, S. Benally, C., Ned, D. (2023, November). Boarding Schools: A panel discussion. Utah Presents, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 11/2023.
  • Benally, C. (2023, September 19). Walking in two worlds: Native education. Presentation at Utah State University. Logan, Utah. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 09/2023.
  • Benally, C. (2023, March 17). On being Diné (human). Presentation at Salt Lake Community College. Salt Lake City, Utah. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 03/2023.
  • Benally, C. & Taub, H. (2023, February). Who’s reconciling?: A story about an interdisciplinary graduate certificate at a PWI. Presentation at the Annual American Indian Studies Association Conference, Albuquerque, NM. Presentation, Presented, 02/2023.
  • Benally, C. (2023, February 8). Working with Native Communities. Panel organizer, moderator and presenter, Day of Collective Action. University of Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah. Presentation, Presented, 02/2023.
  • Benally, C., Wall, M., & Hyres, A. (2021, April). Instructor reflexivity and Postcolonial Instinct. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 04/2021.
  • Benally, C., Kramer, B., & Draper, R. (2021, April). Dialogue on I-15: Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Teacher Educators in Mormonland. Session organizer, Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Virtual Conference. Presentation, Presented, 04/2021.
  • Redsteer, M., Benally, C., Benn-Duke, S., & Devencenzi, M. L. (2021, March). Indigenous Knowledge Symposium: Sovereignty, Identity, & Indigenous Knowledge in Higher Education. College of Education and Human Services. Utah State University. Logan, UT. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 03/19/2021.
  • Wall, M. & Benally, C. (2020, October). “Don’t be racist towards white people”: Confronting pre-service teacher resistance to anti-racist education. Presentation at the Annual International Conference of the National Association for Multicultural Education, Virtual Conference. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 10/2020.
  • Benally, C. (2019, November). Two thwarted steps into the future: Problematics and promises of Arizona's education policy and Native American history. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Multicultural Education, Tucson, AZ. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 11/2019.
  • Gutiérrez, J.F., Benally, C., Sepulveda, C., Vaughn, K.N. (2019). Mathematical reservations: the colonial psychology of mathematics education and its role in federal assimilation policies. In S. Otten, Z. de Araujo, A. Candela, & C. Munter (Eds.), “…against a new horizon.” Proceedings of the 41st annual meeting of the North-American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME-NA). St. Louis, MO: University of Missouri. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 11/2019.
  • Gutiérrez, J. F., Benally, C., Sepulveda, C. & Vaughn, K. N. (2020) Mathematical Reservations: The Colonial Psychology of Mathematics Education and Its Role in Federal Assimilation Polices. Poster to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA. (Conference canceled due to Covid-19). Conference Paper, Refereed, Accepted, 10/2019.
  • Kingsdale, J., Cohen-Pope, S. Ezikwelu, E. U., & Benally, C. (2020). “How can I teach anti-racism responsibly in my all-white classroom?”: Research on current teacher practice. American Education Studies Association, San Antonio, TX. (Conference canceled due to Covid-19). Conference Paper, Refereed, Accepted, 07/2019.
  • Benally, C. (2019, June). Stories of (dis)placement: Hidden sources of Indigenous connectiveness found in proximal–distal diasporas. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Native American & Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA), Aotearoa NZ. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 06/2019.
  • Benally, C. (2019, April). “Safe” versus “Dangerous” Policy Processes in Urban Schooling: The Case of Arizona’s Native American Education. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Toronto, ON. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 04/2019.
  • Benally, C. (2019, April). The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth…in Native American History Curricula. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Toronto, ON. Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 04/2019.
  • Benally, C. & Piper, D. (2019, February). The Dichotomy of Navajo Language Revitalization in Utah: Acts of Sovereignty or Settler-Colonial Imaginings? Paper to be presented at the 20th Annual American Indian Studies Association Conference, Albuquerque, NM. Conference Paper, Accepted, 12/2018.
  • Benally, C. (2019, April). The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth…in Native American History Curricula. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Toronto, ON. Conference Paper, Refereed, Accepted, 11/2018.
  • Benally, C. (2019, April). “Safe” versus “Dangerous” Policy Processes in Urban Schooling: The Case of Arizona’s Native American Education. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Toronto, ON. Conference Paper, Refereed, Accepted, 11/2018.
  • Benally, C. (2018, November). Critical pedagogy and indigenous epistemologies. In A. Cachelin (Instructor), ENVST 2100: Intro to Environmental and Sustainability Studies. College of Social and Behavioral Science, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT. Presentation, Presented, 11/2018.
  • Benally, C. & Piper, D. (2018, June). Searching for the missing pilot: What happened to the Utah Navajo Dual Language Immersion Initiative? Paper presented at the 9th American Indian Teacher Education Conference, Flagstaff, AZ. Presentation, Presented, 06/2018.
  • Benally, C. (2018, May). Native American history mandates: Lessons learned from Arizona. Invited presentation at the Indigenous Education Preconference for the 2018 Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 05/2018.
  • Benally, C.. (2018, May). Indigenizing the curriculum: Putting the “Native” into Native American content instruction mandates. Session organizer and chair, Indigenous Education Preconference for the 2018 Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA. Other, Presented, 05/2018.
  • Benally, C., Cortez, J., Whittaker-Brooks, L., Ota, I., & Gopez, E. (2018, April). Person of Color Research Panel as part of the Undergraduate Research Education Series. Office of Undergraduate Research. University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 04/2018.
  • Benally, C. (2018, March). Native history matters in student services. In F. Taylor (Instructor), ELP 6560: Leadership for Social Justice in U.S. Higher Education. College of Education, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT. Presentation, Presented, 03/2018.
  • Benally, C. (2018, February). Navigating the Interview Process by Weaving in my Positionality. In J. F. Gutierrez (Instructor), ECS 6560: Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing in STEM Education. College of Education, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT. Presentation, Presented, 02/2018.
  • Benally, C. & Piper, D. (2017, November). To Have or Not to Have: Native American Content Instruction Policies, Round table discussion. National Association of Multicultural Education, Salt Lake City, UT. Presentation, Presented, 11/10/2017.
  • Benally, C. (2017, November). On the Road of Good Intentions: Arizona's Instruction of Native American History Mandates. Invited presentation at the Learning Sciences Seminar. College of Education, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 11/2017.
  • Benally, C. (2017, October). Native American History Mandates in Arizona. In N. R. Granados, (Instructor), ECS 6813/7813: Heritage and Community Language Education. College of Education, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 10/2017.
  • Deloria, P., Arvin, M., Aikau, H., Benally, C. & Alberto, Lourdes (2017, September). Native American Studies, Pacific Studies, Indigenous Studies, Settler Colonial Studies: A Conversation. College of Humanities, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 09/2017.

Grants, Contracts & Research Gifts

  • Understanding Navajo Dual Language Pilot Programs in Utah through Examination of Archival Artifacts. PI: Cynthia Benally. College of Education Faculty Research Grant , 07/01/2018 - present. Total project budget to date: $4,000.00