Abstracts
Abstract
In honor of the place where we were visiting, Marleen woke early in the morning to collect Water from the nearby Great Lake, and we lovingly created a makeshift altar of fresh flowers and rebozos. We opened the circle with a public song about sacred Water, then moved on to introductions: “Please share your name, pronouns, and which Waters hold you as your home.”
Some folks chose lakes, oceans, rivers, some shared a name in English, some named their home Waters by their ancestral languages. As a collective, we took in a deep breath, and dropped down into our bodies, and into relational ways of knowing and being in community. We were ready to begin.
As Indigenous educators, we are responsible and response-able (Kuokkanen, 2007) to our home communities, to our human and more-than-human kin (Nxumalo & Villanueva, 2020) and to each other to follow cultural protocols that prepare us for our work. In this paper, we reflect on our learning journeys, discussing our roles as Water protectors, mothers, community organizers, and scholars, and offer three examples of ongoing Water work.
Keywords:
- Indigenous pedagogy,
- Yanawana,
- Coahuiltecan,
- Native American,
- matriculture
Résumé
En l'honneur de l'endroit que nous visitions, Marleen s'est réveillé tôt le matin pour récupérer de l'eau du Grand Lac voisin, et nous avons créé un autel de fortune composé de fleurs fraîches et de rebozos. Nous avons ouvert le cercle avec une chanson sur l'Eau sacrée, puis sommes passés aux introductions : "S'il vous plaît, partagez votre nom, vos pronoms et quelles Eaux quelles eaux vous semblent être votre foyer. »
Certaines personnes ont choisi des lacs, des océans, des rivières, d'autres ont partagé un nom en anglais, d'autres ont nommé leurs Eaux d’origine d'après leurs langues ancestrales. En tant que collectif, nous avons pris une profonde inspiration et nous sommes plongés dans nos corps et dans des manières relationnelles de connaître et d'être en communauté. Nous étions prêts à commencer.
En tant qu’éducateurs autochtones, nous sommes responsables et capables de répondre (Kuokkanen, 2007) envers nos communautés d’origine, envers nos parents humains et plus qu’humains (Nxumalo & Villanueva, 2020) et les uns envers les autres pour suivre les protocoles culturels qui nous préparent à notre travail. Içi, nous réfléchissons à nos parcours d’apprentissage, discutons de nos rôles, et proposons trois exemples de travaux en cours axés sur l’Eau.
Mots-clés :
- Pédagogie autochtone,
- Yanawana,
- Coahuiltecan,
- Amérindiens,
- matriculture
Resumen
En honor al lugar que estábamos visitando, Marleen se despertó temprano en la mañana para recoger Agua del Gran Lago Michigan que estaba cercano, y con amor creamos un altar improvisado con flores frescas y rebozos. Abrimos el círculo con una canción pública sobre el/la Agua sagrada y luego empezamos las introducciones: "Por favor, comparte tu nombre, pronombres y cuales Aguas te sostienen como tu hogar."
Algunas personas eligieron lagos, océanos, ríos; algunas/os compartieron un nombre en inglés, otras nombraron sus Aguas de origen en sus lenguas ancestrales. Como colectivo, tomamos una respiración profunda, nos sumergimos en nuestros cuerpos y en formas relacionales de conocer y de estar en comunidad. Estábamos listas/os para comenzar.
Como educadores indígenas, somos responsables y tenemos la capacidad de responder (Kuokkanen, 2007) ante nuestras comunidades de origen, ante nuestros parientes humanos y más-que-humanos (Nxumalo & Villanueva, 2020), y ante los demás, siguiendo los protocolos culturales que nos han preparado para nuestro trabajo. En este artículo, reflexionamos sobre nuestros caminos de aprendizaje, discutiendo nuestros roles como protectores del Agua, madres, organizadores comunitarios y académicos, y ofrecemos tres ejemplos de trabajo continuo con el/la Agua.
Palabras clave:
- Pedagogía indígena,
- Yanawana,
- Coahuilteca,
- nativos americanos,
- matricultura
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Appendices
Biographical notes
Dr. Marissa Aki'Nene Muñoz is a Chicana, with ancestry that includes the Esto'k Gna, Coahuilteca, Tlaxcalteca, and Wixairika peoples of what is today called South Texas and Northern Mexico. Muñoz draws from her experience as a middle-school teacher, museum educator, and curriculum developer to inform her ongoing research/teaching/scholarship.
Dr. Pablo Montes is a descendant of the Chichimeca Guamares and P'urhépecha people from the valley of Huatzindeo (Salvatierra, Guanajuato, MX), specifically from a small rancho called La Luz at the foot of the Culiacán mountain. They are an Assistant Professor of Curriculum Studies at Texas Christian University.
Marleen Villanueva (Pame-Chichimeca) is a faculty member in the Department of Women and Gender Studies at Texas Christian University. Her scholarship bridges Indigenous feminist theory and Environmental Studies, focusing on water protection. Her current work centers water as kin, emphasizing rematriation, relationality, and reciprocity between Indigenous peoples and water in central Texas.
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