Marcella LaFever, Ph.D. (University of New Mexico, 2005) is an Associate Professor in Communications at the University of the Fraser Valley.
Marcella, in examining the implications for herself to decolonize her communication practices, has focused her ongoing research program on listening to indigenous voices that have been saying for a long time what colonizers need to do to change their attitudes and practices. Marcella’s main program of research focuses on the social exclusion that results in public dialogue and decision-making where cultural ways of speaking are outside the norms expected in dominate North American culture. Her 9P Planning model posits a process that builds intercultural relationships to increase social inclusion in public dialogue. Dr. LaFever’s other current work is in two areas of intercultural communication: use of First Nation storytelling as a form of dialogic participation; and indigenization of classroom instructional practices.
Relevant Publications:
LaFever, M. (2017). Using the medicine wheel for curriculum design in intercultural communication: Rethinking learning outcomes. In G. Garcia-Perez & C. Rojas-Primus (Eds.), Promoting intercultural communication competencies in higher education (pp. 168-199). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
LaFever, M. (2016). Switching from Bloom to the Medicine Wheel: Creating learning outcomes that support Indigenous ways of knowing in post-secondary education. Intercultural Education, 27(5), 409-424.
LaFever, M. (2011). Empowering Native Americans: Communication, planning and dialogue for eco-tourism in Gallup, New Mexico. Journal of International & Intercultural Communication, 4(2), 127-145.
LaFever, M. (2008). Communication for public decision-making in a negative historical context: Building intercultural relationships in the British Columbia treaty process. Journal of International & Intercultural Communication, 1(2), 158-180.
Work for CID: Marcella LaFever prepared ICD Exercise #1: Intercultural Meetups.
Center for Intercultural Dialogue 