ABSTRACT
There is a sense of urgency in the tenor of the participants’voices as they share their individual models. Darrell captures this emotion eloquently. He argued, in lucid language, that the intrusion of Western ways of knowing has led Native populations to develop an unreasonable dependency on colonial structures and institutions. Over time, this has resulted in the casting away of Native traditions and the loss of language, culture, and respect for Native knowledge. Darrell pointed to the experience of the Pikuni (Piegan) tribe of the Blackfoot Confederacy (consisting of Kainah, Pikuni, and Siksika). The reality of losing their Native language and cultural identity became clear as the number of Native-speaking elders began to dwindle. Would the Pikuni become the next indigenous culture to lose their connection to their ancestors?
