| Member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Associate Director for the Center of Native American Research and Collaboration Native American Programs Pullman Campus sequoia.dance@wsu.edu |  |
Research Interests
Dr. Dance-Leighton’s research finds foundations in critical education and story-based learning. She is particularly interested in the ways that stories shape learning experiences that support community wellness and collective healing. Her work explores how Indigenous knowledge systems can inform the restoration and repair of educational structures, creating pathways for more culturally responsive and community-centered approaches to teaching and learning. Additionally, Dr. Dance-Leighton is interested in the ways in which Indigenous women story themselves both in and beyond their communities and how these stories shape identity, leadership, and healing. She is committed to engaging in research that is accountable to community and Tribal Naiton Building.
Teaching Interests
Sequoia Dance-Leighton: Indigenous Research Methodologies, Story and Place Based Learning, Indigenous Feminisms, Community-Engaged Research and Projects, Leadership in Tribal Nation Building
Selected Publications
Chan, M. C. H., McMain, E. M., & Dance-Leighton, S. (2026). Unsettling an “Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables” Analogy of Social and Emotional Learning. Equity & Excellence in Education, 59(2), 153–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2026.2612920
Dance-Leighton, S. (2025). Stories of resistance: Indigenous women story through strength (Order No. 31931326). Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Washington State University WCLP; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I. (3224417482). Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/stories-resistance-indigenous-women-story-through/docview/3224417482/se-
Johnson, S. R., & Dance-Leighton, S. (2023). Go With the Flow: Indigenous Science in the Language Classroom. Land, Water, and Kinship, 80.
Dance, S. L., Brayboy, B. M. J., Litts, B. K., & Tachine, A. R. (2018). Exploring Maker Technologies in Creating a Sense of Belonging With American Indian College Students.
Book Chapters
Tachine, A. R., Notah, T., Skeet, B., Sequoia, D., & Brayboy, B. M. J. (2020). Turning Points:
Asserting Indigenous place and belonging at universities. In F. Bonner, II (Ed.), Square Pegs and Round Holes: Alternative student development frameworks for higher education and student affairs.
Other Roles
Program coordinator, WSU Tribal Nation Building Leadership Program
Instructor, WSU Tribal Nation Building Leadership Program: Contemporary Issues in Indian Country
BioRISE Post-Baac Program – Curriculum Advisor and Mentor (we may need to ask ken how to list this… because I don’t know what my title is, I only know what role I hold!)
Education
Ph.D., Cultural Resource and Social Thought in Education, College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences, Washington State University
M.A. Social and Cultural Pedagogy, School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University
B.A. Human Development, College of Agriculture, human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University
Concentration: Adolescence