Conference session

What does it mean to create digital learning environments that are not only accessible but truly safe? As online education continues to expand across post-secondary institutions, learning management systems (LMS), open educational resources (OER), and AI-supported tools are often framed as flexible and inclusive. However, these digital environments are not neutral. For Indigenous women, particularly those navigating or healing from gender-based violence, online spaces can reproduce familiar forms of harm, including surveillance, forced visibility, and the privileging of Western knowledge systems. Grounded in Haudenosaunee teachings and Indigenous research methodologies, this session presents emerging doctoral research exploring how digital learning environments might be reimagined through relational accountability, trauma-informed design, and Indigenous knowledge systems. This work considers how LMS structures, OER design, and AI tools shape experiences of safety, belonging, and participation. This session is intended for educators, researchers, instructional designers, and leaders working within or alongside digital education systems seeking ethical, culturally grounded approaches. Participants will leave with an understanding of how harm can be reproduced within LMS, OER, and AI-supported learning environments, along with insight into Indigenous, relational approaches to digital design and pedagogy. The session offers emerging considerations, inviting participants to think critically about creating safer, trauma-informed online spaces and exploring alternative, community-guided design possibilities. This session invites participants into an ongoing conversation about responsibility, design, and the future of digital education. It asks how we might move toward learning spaces where Indigenous women can engage safely, with dignity, and with cultural integrity.