A Pueblo Story for Transformation

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of perspectives of “transformational education” that have been informed by my experience as an indigenous educator and as a Tewa Indian from Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. Growing up within the context of my community in New Mexico, I have gained important insights that I have applied to my work as an Indigenous educator. For the past 30 years, I have been working as a “front-line” educator exploring and implementing strategies to improve or otherwise transform Native American education. During this time, I have gained a basic understanding of the “ecology” or set of essential relationships and principles that guided Indigenous education and which I believe parallel those of transformational and holistic education. My hope is that in reading this chapter exploring Indigenous education you will find some “seeds” for thought, some perspectives, some understandings, some insights, some sense of “face,” “heart,” and “foundation” that will give you the kinds of insights into your own work that I have found for mine.