New Perspectives on Decolonizing Fairy Tales: A Storywork Approach to Teaching the Grimms' Tradition.

This article focuses on the need to decolonize the teaching of the Grimms' fairy tales by integrating Indigenous storytelling traditions and methodologies into academic curricula. It highlights how the Brothers Grimm's Kinder- und Hausmärchen (1857) are embedded in colonial and nationalistic discourses, necessitating critical re-evaluation through frameworks such as Jo-ann Archibald's Indigenous storywork and the concept of Two-Eyed Seeing, which promotes the integration of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems. The article advocates for pedagogical approaches that respect Indigenous storytelling principles—respect, responsibility, reciprocity, reverence, holism, interrelatedness, and synergy—to create inclusive, place-based, and socially just learning environments, particularly on Indigenous territories. By setting European fairy tales in dialogue with Indigenous oral traditions, educators can foster interactive, participatory learning that acknowledges the dynamic nature of storytelling and supports decolonization efforts in higher education.