This thesis looks at ways of Anishinaabe cultural resurgence for Indigenous youth through our current education systems. / Three Anishinaabe elders who had experience in Anishinaabe on-reserve schools and in community Indigenous education programs were interviewed to learn their views on what had worked and not worked in past attempts to integrate Anishinaabe language and cultural knowledge into curriculum and programming. Their views on curriculum content, pedagogical methods, and education policy were solicited to gain a better understanding of how to decolonize the current Eurocentric school system and provide more successful learning experiences for Anishinaabe children and youth. The key findings were: 1) language and spiritual education must be at the core of the curriculum; 2) elders’ knowledge and their oral stories and oral history had to be the key means of transferring knowledge to the younger generation; 3) land-based, hands-on experiential learning experiences that utilized the knowledge and skills of community members were essential to successfully engaging students in the learning process; 4) teachers needed to take responsibility for identifying and nurturing the learning spirit in each child; and 5) commitment from the government for adequate funding, support resources and class time was essential for the successful integration of Anishinaabe language and cultural knowledge into on-reserve school systems. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA) / This thesis examines the insights of three Anishinaabe elders (knowledge holders) who had extensive experience in Anishinaabe on-reserve schools or in community Indigenous education programs. They were interviewed to learn their views on what had and had not worked in past attempts to integrate Anishinaabe language and cultural knowledge into on-reserve schools and programming. Their insights inform recommendations for five strategies to improve the engagement of Anishinaabe students through culture-based teachings.

A strong relationship exists between the Cahuilla people and their cultural landscapes. The meaning of cultural places is expressed through traditional knowledge of oral histories, place names, traditional songs, ceremonies and landscape use. Historically, the Cahuilla maintained their relationship with landscapes while incorporating new lifestyles introduced by the Spanish, Mexicans, and Americans. My thesis provides a basic model for examining historical settlements patterns and analyzing the continued traditional lifestyle and landscape by the Desert Cahuilla. Using information from published ethnographic data and traditional knowledge, I use GIS mapping to provide visual support to some hypotheses scholars have on village migrations and continued cultural landscape use. This is the first step in researching historic cultural landscape use and the information can be used in further analysis in archaeology and cultural resource use. Furthermore, this thesis will serve as a significant source in rediscovering, reconnecting, and preserving Cahuilla places.

Explore through nonfiction essays the question of who will record my grandmother’s generation’s stories especially the oral stories she always tells. Topics discussed will include but are not limited to: Memaw’s oral stories, familial relationships, small town life, rural-living, hard-work, hardships, upbringings, food, family gatherings, moonshine, life, death, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. In addition to the aforementioned characteristics and specific topics, my relationship as daughter to Mom and granddaughter to Memaw will be examined in comparison with and contrasted to other matriarchal powers in my family.