Sara Axtell

Sara Axtell is a Senior Lecturer and Faculty-at-Large at the Cultural Wellness Center within the University of Minnesota, specializing in bridging modern Western academic knowledge with Indigenous and traditional cultural knowledge systems.

• Degrees: PhD in Psychology of Learning (University of Minnesota), BS in Special Education (Illinois State University)

Her research focuses on Cultural Knowledge Systems Interface, Decolonization, and Community Health, emphasizing equitable collaborations between academia and cultural communities. She explores Settler Land Connectedness and European American Cultural Identity through participatory methodologies.

Her recent publications examine:

• Decolonial practices in community-university partnerships (2024)
• Culturally adaptive health interventions (2016)
• Cultural competence in nursing education (2010)
• Shared intellectual authority frameworks (2007)

Awards:

• 2023 University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Service Award

As an educator, she teaches family and community engagement courses and co-leads the Healing Roots Community, a European American cultural self-study initiative for social justice. Her work emphasizes critical dialogue, asset-based community approaches, and systemic change through cultural awareness.