CYNTHIA BENALLY

Cynthia Benally is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policies at the University of Utah's College of Education. Her work focuses on Indigenous education, settler colonialism, and educational policy reform.

• University: University of Utah
• School: College of Education
• Department: Educational Leadership and Policies
• Academic Rank: Assistant Professor
• Email: u6014666@utah.edu

Benally's research examines how settler colonial myths perpetuate systemic inequities in Native education. She explores sovereignty assertions by Indigenous communities, decolonizing curricula, and the impact of landmark cases like Lau on Native language rights. Her scholarship integrates metaphors of frontier forts to analyze colonial logic and advocates for relational methodologies in Indigenous research.

Recent publications include critiques of the "two-worlds" narrative in education, analyses of language policy overlaps, and frameworks for anti-colonial futures. Her work emphasizes storywork as data analysis and challenges erasure in predominantly white institutions.

Scientific Awards

• Native Excellence in Higher Education (2024)
• Beacon of Excellence (2022)
• College of Education Early Career Service Award (2022)

Benally teaches courses on sovereignty, comparative education, and ethnographic research. She engages with Utah's eight tribal nations and participates in professional organizations like AERA. Her contributions reflect a commitment to Indigenous epistemologies and educational justice.