Year of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

Individualized Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program

Department or School/College

Interdisciplinary Studies Program

Committee Co-chair

Kathryn Shanley, Heather Cahoon

Commitee Members

Leora Bar-el, Brad Hall, Maegan Rides at the Door

Keywords

Cultural place-based, Indigenous education, Indigenous pedagogy, Language, Spirit based theory, TribalCrit, Culture

Publisher

University of Montana

Abstract

The term “cultural place-based” is used to ground this research—a specific spiritual place linked to cultural and language-based education within the homelands of the Dakȟóta, Nakoda, and Lakota peoples who inhabit territories in Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Canada: The Native people regard these as their homelands. In the Dakȟóta language, itȟáŋčhaŋ translates to “a leader, boss, person in charge, position of authority, office, management, and political power,” (Lakota Language Consortium, Llc., 2013). The author utilizes the word itȟáŋčhaŋ as the cultural–educational leadership view in creating a cultural place-based model. This research identifies the impact indicators of implementing a culturally place-based education for Native students to benefit academic success and well-being. A longstanding public education problem has not been addressed and changes appropriately implemented, so education fits culturally with Native students (Wilson & Yellow Bird, 2005, p. 14). The methodology in this thesis is qualitative (Creswell, 2013), utilizing narrative storytelling through interviews, and the use of other historical and relevant artifacts, along with a literature review to explore the research question of how placed-based cultural education can increase student learning.

Bryan Brayboy's theoretical framework in “TribalCrit in Critical Race Theory” provides three tenets framing this research: (1) Indigenous people desire to obtain and forge tribal sovereignty, tribal autonomy, self-determination, and self-identification; (2) culture, knowledge, and power concepts create new meaning when examined through an Indigenous lens; and (3) Tribal philosophies beliefs, customs, traditions, and visions for the future are central to understanding the lived realities of Indigenous peoples (Brayboy, 2005, p. 430). Fourteen (14) participants were interviewed, and their oral Tribal history contributed to developing the Tribal cultural placebased model. The methodology was completed through: (1) interviews with people from the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires people) and Nakoda people; (2) transcriptions of interviews; (3) analysis for validity with interviewees; and (4) development of a K–12 culturally place-based Dakȟóta educational model. The Thípsiŋna Dakȟód Wičhóhaŋ Wakȟáŋ, ‘Turnip Dakȟóta Way of Life Is Sacred’ Model was created and developed with ten main themes for K– 12 curricular implementation. An engaged view of education geared toward rebuilding Tribal nations and preparing Native Americans and other students for the twenty-first-century future guides this research.

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