"Education, Faculty of"@en . "Educational Studies (EDST), Department of"@en . "DSpace"@en . "UBCV"@en . "Mu\u00F1oz, Marissa Isela"@en . "2018-09-24T17:01:11Z"@* . "2018"@en . "Doctor of Philosophy - PhD"@en . "University of British Columbia"@en . "Water is life. For millennia, the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo has nourished many Indigenous peoples along its 1,255 mile length, from it's source in the San Juan Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. The river is the lifeline, read as a map between the interrelated communities. Colonization turned the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo into an international border between the United States and Mexico, and in the last 40 years, our river/border has become heavily militarized. \r\n \r\n This project engages a practice of Indigenizing/decolonizing the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo as ancestral waters to various local Indigenous peoples, drawing from the collective memory of intergenerational indigenous fronterizxs (border residents) to examine the relationships between people of the Laredo/Nuevo Laredo community and the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo. \r\n \r\n To do this, I theorized a new theoretical framework called an Indigenous Fronterizx Cosmography, which braids Indigenous epistemologies, Xincanx ontologies, and borderland positionalities. This way, first-hand accounts are understood as intellectual traditions that revitalize, restore, and restory the holistic ancestral knowledges of the land and river. Next, I created a culturally-centric research methodology, named Fronterawork, drawing from Indigenous methodologies, oral history/testimonio sharing, and witnessing to document the lived experiences of 25 community elders and knowledge-keepers in/of/with/near/over/across the river's waters. Participants shared their knowledge of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, as well as their perspectives of how the river has changed over their lifetimes. Their testimonios were examined holistically, and in-context as embodied and emplaced situated knowledges of the river. When considered in conversation with each other, themes and subthemes emerged, suggesting two major approaches to understanding: river-as-water (Water Thinking) and river-as-border (Border Thinking). \r\n \r\n In response, I created a Pedagogy of Water that builds on the collective memory of community elders in order to teach the next generations about our river. This pedagogy interrupts dominant forms of displacement and violence against the diverse Indigenous peoples of the river/border communities, while revitalizing the ancestral relationships between the Indigenous peoples and the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo. Our collective memory serves as foundation from which to revitalize and honor the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo as part of the sacred landscape of what is today called south Texas."@en . "https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/67242?expand=metadata"@en . "!A!PEDAGOGY!OF!WATER:!!RESTORYING!THE!RIO!GRANDE/RIO!BRAVO!by##Marissa#Isela#Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz#B.S.,#Texas#A&M#University,#1999#M.S.,#Texas#A&M#University,#2010###A#THESIS#SUBMITTED#IN#PARTIAL#FULFILLMENT#OF#THE#REQUIREMENTS#FOR#THE#DEGREE#OF##DOCTOR#OF#PHILOSOPHY#in#The#Faculty#of#Graduate#and#Postdoctoral#Studies#(Educational#Studies)##THE#UNIVERSITY#OF#BRITISH#COLUMBIA#(Vancouver)###September,#2018##\u00C2\u00A9#Marissa#Isela#Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz,#2018##ii#The#following#individuals#certify#that#they#have#read,#and#recommend#to#the#Faculty#of#Graduate#and#Postdoctoral#Studies#for#acceptance,#the#dissertation#entitled:#!A!PEDAGOGY!OF!WATER:!RESTORYING!THE!RIO!GRANDE/RIO!BRAVO!!submitted#by### Marissa#Isela#Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz##in#partial#fulfillment#of#the#requirements#for#the#degree#of# Doctor#of#Philosophy###in### Educational#Studies.#!Examining!Committee:!Dr.#Jo]ann#Archibald#Co]supervisor#Dr.#Robert#VanWynsberghe#Co]supervisor##Dr.#Pilar#Ria\u00C3\u00B1o]Alcal\u00C3\u00A1#Supervisory#Committee#Member#Dr.#Denise#Ferreira#da#Silva#University#Examiner#Dr.#Pierre#Walter#University#Examiner#!!#iii#Abstract!Water#is#life.#For#millennia,#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#has#nourished#many#Indigenous#peoples#along#its#1,255#mile#length,#from#its#source#in#the#San#Juan#Mountains#to#the#Gulf#of#Mexico.#The#river#is#a#lifeline,#read#as#a#map#between#the#interrelated#communities.#Colonization#turned#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#into#an#international#border#between#the#United#States#and#Mexico,#and#in#the#last#40#years,#our#river/border#has#become#heavily#militarized.##This#project#engages#a#practice#of#Indigenizing/decolonizing#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#as#ancestral#waters#to#various#local#Indigenous#peoples,#drawing#from#the#collective#memory#of#intergenerational#Indigenous#fronterizxs#(border#residents)#to#examine#the#relationships#between#people#of#the#Laredo/Nuevo#Laredo#community#and#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo.##To#do#this,#I#theorized#a#new#theoretical#framework#called#an#Indigenous#Fronterizx#Cosmography,#which#braids#Indigenous#epistemologies,#Xicanx#ontologies,#and#borderland#positionalities.#This#way,#first]hand#accounts#are#understood#as#intellectual#traditions#that#revitalize,#restore,#and#restory#the#holistic#ancestral#knowledges#of#the#land#and#river.##Next,#I#created#a#culturally]centric#research#methodology,#named#Fronterawork,#drawing#from#Indigenous#methodologies,#oral#history/testimonio#sharing,#and#witnessing#to#document#the#lived#experiences#of#25#community#elders#and#knowledge]keepers#in/of/with/near/over/across#the#river's#waters.##Participants#shared#their#knowledge#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#as#well#as#their#perspectives#of#how#the#river#has#changed#over#their#lifetimes.##Their#testimonios#were#examined#holistically,#and#in]context#as#embodied#and#emplaced#situated#knowledges##iv#of#the#river.#When#considered#in#conversation#with#each#other,#themes#and#subthemes#developed,#suggesting#two#major#approaches#to#understanding:#river]as]water#(Water#Thinking)#and#river]as]border#(Border#Thinking).###In#response,#I#created#a#Pedagogy#of#Water#that#emerged#from#the#collective#memory#of#community#elders#in#order#to#teach#the#next#generations#about#our#river.#This#pedagogy#interrupts#dominant#forms#of#displacement#and#violence#against#the#diverse#Indigenous#peoples#of#the#river/border#communities,#while#revitalizing#the#ancestral#relationships#between#the#Indigenous#peoples#and#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo.#Our#collective#memory#serves#as#foundation#from#which#to#honor#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#as#part#of#the#sacred#landscape#of#what#is#today#called#south#Texas.####v#Lay!Summary!The#purpose#of#this#research#project#is#to#facilitate#intergenerational#teaching#and#learning#of#Indigenous#knowledge#in#my#community#of#Laredo,#Texas.#Our#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#is#our#main#source#of#clean#water,#and#is#also#a#militarized,#international#border#between#Texas#and#Mexico.#I#created#an#Indigenous#Fronterizx#Cosmography#to#understand#what#life#is#like#there,#from#the#perspective#of#Laredo]area#locals#with#deep#ancestral#roots#connected#to#the#land.#Next,#I#created#a#respectful#research#process#called#Fronterawork,#that#invites#elders#to#share#their#stories#and#lived#experiences.##I#used#the#teachings#of#the#elders#to#create#a#Pedagogy#of#Water#that#focuses#on#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#as#part#of#the#sacred,#ancestral#landscape#of#south#Texas.##This#project#strengthens#the#community#by#connecting#multiple#generations#to#the#land#and#river#where#we#live,#and#demonstrates#the#perseverance#of#Indigenous#peoples#and#knowledges#through#time.###vi#Preface!All#research,#analysis,#and#writing#is#the#original,#independent#work#of#author#Marissa#Isela#Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz.##All#of#the#elements#required#by#the#Faculty#of#Graduate#and#Postdoctoral#Studies#and#the#Department#of#Educational#Studies#at#the#University#of#British#Columbia#have#been#included#in#this#dissertation.##The#UBC#Behavioral#Research#Ethics#Board#(BREB)#approved#the#project#according#to#the#Tri]Council#Policy#for#Ethical#Conduct#for#Research#Involving#Human#Subjects,#certificate###H13]02720.#An#early#draft#of#Chapter#2,#specifically#the#Historical#Background#section,#was#edited#and#published#as#part#of#a#chapter#in#an#edited#book:#Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz,#M.#(2018).#River#as#border,#river#as#lifeblood:#Troubling#the#irreconcilable#discrepancies#of#colonial#occupation#from/with/on/of#the#Frontera.#In#L.#T.#Smith,#E.#Tuck,#and#W.#K.#Yang\u00E2\u0080\u0099s#(Eds.)#Indigenous*and*decolonizing*studies*in*education*(pp.*62581).*New#York,#NY:#Routledge.#***#vii#Table!of!Contents!Abstract!..............................................................................................................!iii!Lay!Summary!......................................................................................................!v!Preface!................................................................................................................!vi!Table!of!Contents!..............................................................................................!vii!List!of!Figures!...................................................................................................!xii!Glossary!............................................................................................................!xv!Acknowledgements!.......................................................................................!xxiii!Dedication!.......................................................................................................!xxv!Prologue!..............................................................................................................!1!Chapter!1:!Introduction!to!the!Research!..........................................................!2!1.1! Ofrenda,#....................................................................................................#4!1.2! Problem#Statement#...................................................................................#5!1.3! Purpose#..................................................................................................#12!1.4! Research#Questions#...............................................................................#13!1.5! Significance#............................................................................................#13!1.6! Positionality.............................................................................................#24!1.7! Delimitations#...........................................................................................#28!1.8! Assumptions#...........................................................................................#29!1.9! Organization#of#the#Thesis#......................................................................#29!Chapter!2:!Introduction!to!the!Land,!River!and!Community!.........................!32!2.1! Shared#Ancestral#Territories#...................................................................#33!2.2! Colonial#Encounters#................................................................................#34!#viii#2.3! Surviving#the#Six#(Seven)#Flags#..............................................................#39!2.4! In#the#Time#of#my#Grandparents'#Grandparents#......................................#44!2.5! The#Border#that#Erased#Our#River#On#Maps#...........................................#48!2.6! Nuestro#Rio,#Sagrado#y#Olvidado#...........................................................#59!2.7! Creating#a#Living#Archive#of#Collective#Memories#...................................#63!2.8! Summary#................................................................................................#65!Chapter!3:!An!Indigenous!Fronterizx!Cosmography!as!Theoretical!Framework!.........................................................................................................!66!3.1! Indigenous#Epistemologies#\u00E2\u0080\u0093#Ways#of#Knowing#.....................................#67!3.2! Xicanx#Ontologies#\u00E2\u0080\u0093#Ways#of#Being#........................................................#73!3.3! Borderland#Positionalities#.......................................................................#79!3.4! Weaving#the#Soft#Basket#of#an#Indigenous#Fronterizx#Cosmography#.....#85!3.5! Unsettling#the#Borderlands......................................................................#90!3.6! Summary#................................................................................................#96!Chapter!4:!Fronterawork!Methodology!...........................................................!97!4.1! The#Elements#of#Fronterawork#................................................................#97!4.1.1! Preparing#My#Mind:#Thinking#with#Metaphors#..................................#98!4.1.2! The#Approach:##Practicing#Being#in]Relation#..................................#101!4.1.3! Embodied#and#Emplaced#Ecologies#...............................................#102!4.1.4! Showing#the#Unspeakable#..............................................................#106!4.1.4.1! Listening#for#Silences#...............................................................#107!4.1.4.2! Listening#Around#Trauma#........................................................#108!4.1.5! Remembrance#as#Healing#..............................................................#110!#ix#4.1.6! Ethics#of#Fronterawork#...................................................................#111!4.2! The#Original#Plan#..................................................................................#113!4.3! The#New#Plan#\u00E2\u0080\u0093#Oral#Histories#..............................................................#116!4.4! Community#Participants#........................................................................#117!4.5! Site#Selection#........................................................................................#120!4.6! Instrumentation#.....................................................................................#120!4.7! Field#Test#..............................................................................................#125!4.8! Oral#History/Testimonio#Collection#Procedures#....................................#126!4.9! Summary#..............................................................................................#128!Chapter!5:!Preparing!Our!Teachings!............................................................!129!5.1! Response]Ability:#Pedagogy]Making#as#Methodology#..........................#130!5.2! Learning#Phase:#Thinking#Through#a#Fronterawork#Practice#................#132!5.3! Learning#Phase:#Dando#Luz#to#a#Fronterawork#Method#.......................#135!5.4! Examining#the#Teachings#in#Our#Basket#...............................................#136!5.5! Teaching#Phase:##Laying#the#Groundwork#with#Maps#...........................#140!5.6! Teaching#Phase:##Discerning#the#Streams#of#Thought#..........................#146!5.7! Summary#..............................................................................................#147!Chapter!6:!Our!Teachings!as!Streams!of!Thought!......................................!148!6.1! Water#Thinking:#River]As]Water#...........................................................#151!6.1.1! River#as#Life#...................................................................................#151!6.1.2! River#as#Identity..............................................................................#153!6.1.3! River#as#Land/Place#.......................................................................#157!6.2! Border#Thinking:#River]As]Border#.........................................................#161!#x#6.2.1! Border#as#a#Thing#...........................................................................#164!6.2.2! Border#as#a#Space..........................................................................#165!6.2.3! Border#as#a#Marker#of#Power#.........................................................#168!6.2.4! Border#as#Arbitrary#.........................................................................#173!6.3! Summary#..............................................................................................#176!Chapter!7:!Our!Teachings!Informed!by!Changes!over!Time!.......................!178!7.1! What#has#Changed#in#Our#Thinking?#....................................................#178!7.1.1! River#as#Unknown#..............................................................................#180!7.1.2! River#as#Dangerous........................................................................#183!7.1.3! River#as#Commodity#.......................................................................#187!7.1.4! River#as#Dirty#..................................................................................#191!7.2! Summary#..............................................................................................#195!Chapter!8:!An!Indigenous!Fronterizx!Pedagogy!of!Water!...........................!199!8.1! River]as]Water#Pedagogical#Elements#.................................................#201!8.1.1! Pedagogical#Element#1:##Identity#of#Learners#.................................#207!8.1.2! Pedagogical#Element#2:##Identity#of#Educators#...............................#208!8.1.3! Pedagogical#Element#3:##Land]#and#Water]based#Curricula#...........#209!8.1.4! Pedagogical#Element#4:##Life]based#Learning#Communities#..........#210!8.2! River]as]Water#Thinking:#Teaching#Themes.........................................#212!8.2.1! Teaching#Theme#1:##River#as#Known#.............................................#214!8.2.2! Teaching#Theme#2:##River#as#Respected#.......................................#216!8.2.3! Teaching#Theme#3:##River#(Water)#as#Spirit#...................................#218!8.2.4! Teaching#Theme#4:##River#(Water)#as#our#Response]ability#...........#219!#xi#8.3! Summary#..............................................................................................#220!Chapter!9:!Conclusion!....................................................................................!222!9.1! Overview#of#the#Problem.......................................................................#222!9.2! Purpose#Statement#...............................................................................#223!9.3! Review#of#Methodology#........................................................................#225!9.4! Fronterizx#Understandings#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#......................#227!9.5! Discussion#of#Findings#..........................................................................#233!9.5.1! On#collective#remembering#.............................................................#234!9.5.2! Language#considerations#...............................................................#236!9.5.3! Fraught#contexts#of#self]Identification#.............................................#238!9.6! Contributions.........................................................................................#240!9.6.1! Restorying#Histories/Cosmographies#.............................................#244!9.6.2! Restorying#Local#Place]Based#Knowledges#...................................#244!9.6.3! Restorying#Material#Realities#..........................................................#245!9.6.4! Restorying#Identity..........................................................................#246!9.6.5! Restorying#Water............................................................................#247!9.6.6! Restorying#Border#Politics#..............................................................#248!9.6.7! Restorying#Education#.....................................................................#249!9.7! Limitations.............................................................................................#250!9.8! Future#work#...........................................................................................#252!9.9! Concluding#remarks#..............................................................................#254!References!......................................................................................................!262!#xii#List!of!Figures!Figure#1:#Holism#(Archibald,#2008).....................................................................#xix!Figure#2:#Concept#Map#Guiding#the#Study#..........................................................#10!Figure#3:#Watershed#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo..............................................#11!Figure#4:#Ethnolinguistic#Distribution#of#Native#Texas#Indians#............................#35!Figure#5:#Spanish#Missions#in#the#17th#and#18th#Centuries#................................#40!Figure#6:#Mexico#at#the#Time#of#Laredo's#Founding#in#1755#...............................#43!Figure#7:#Laredo,#Texas,#1892#............................................................................#50!Figure#8:#Standing#in#Laredo,#Looking#toward#Nuevo#Laredo#.............................#51!Figure#9:#Looking#Out#Over#my#Grandfather's#Land#...........................................#58!Figure#10:#A#Barrilero#Collecting#Water#from#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#.............#61!Figure#11:#Sites#of#Fronterizx#Displacement#.......................................................#82!Figure#12:#Braided#Basket#Representing#an#Indigenous#Fronterizx#Cosmography##............................................................................................................................#86!Figure#13:#Codex#Azcatitlan,#Dated#1501]1600#................................................#115!Figure#14:#Summary#of#Community#Participant#Data#........................................#118!Figure#15:#Community#Participants#...................................................................#119!Figure#16:#Elements#of#the#Relational#Ecology#of#Laredo/Nuevo#Laredo#......#Error!!Bookmark!not!defined.!Figure#17:#Oral#History#Interview#Questions#.....................................................#123!Figure#18:#Intergenerational#Pedagogy#of#Indigenous#Knowledge#....................#132!Figure#19:#Codes#Created#During#the#Reading#Process#...................................#137!Figure#20:#Testimonio#Transcripts#According#to#the#Criteria#.............................#139!#xiii#Figure#21:#Geographical#Locations#Mentioned#in#the#Oral#Histories#.................#142!Figure#22:#Terrain#Versus#Satellite#Mapping##1:#US#Mexico#Border#.................#144!Figure#23:#Terrain#Versus#Satellite#Mapping##2:#South#Texas/Northeast#Mexico##..........................................................................................................................#145!Figure#24:#Metacognitive#Map#of#our#Understandings#.......................................#149!Figure#25:#Summary#of#Water#Thinking#............................................................#150!Figure#26:#Border#Thinking#...............................................................................#163!Figure#27:#Imazapyr#Test#Application#at#Zachary#Ranch,#2008#........................#171!Figure#28:#Major#Streams#and#Tributaries#of#Understanding#............................#176!Figure#29:#Understanding#the#Shift#from#Water#Thinking#to#Border#Thinking#....#180!Figure#30:#Metacognitive#Mapping#of#What#has#Changed#in#Fronterizx#Thinking##..........................................................................................................................#197!Figure#31:#Concept#Mapping#Changes#to#Fronterizx#Thinking#..........................#198!Figure#32:#Restorying#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#..............................................#200!Figure#33:#Finding#an#Alignment#between#Pedagogical#Elements#and#River##Teachings#.........................................................................................................#203!Figure#34:#Evolution#of#the#Concept#Map#Depicting#the#Pedagogy#of#Water#....#204!Figure#35:#Developing#a#Praxis#for#the#Pedagogy#of#Water#..............................#206!Figure#36:#Collective#Observations#Inform#Our#Teachings#................................#214!Figure#37:#Conceptual#Map#of#Findings#............................................................#229!Figure#38:#Two#Major#Areas#of#Thought#............................................................#231!Figure#39:#Changes#to#the#River,#Changes#to#our#Thinking#..............................#231!Figure#40:#Water#Teachings#..............................................................................#233!#xiv#Figure#41:#Frontera#Displacements#(Castillo#&#Tabuenca]C\u00C3\u00B3rdoba,#2002),##Reviewed#..........................................................................................................#242!Figure#42:#Interventions#Created#by#the#Indigenous#Fronterizx#Pedagogy#of##Water#................................................................................................................#243!##xv#Glossary!Below,#please#find#the#important#terms#and#concepts#used#in#the#development#of#the#research#project.##Each#definition#is#citation#rich,#yet#concise,#intended#to#inform#the#reader#of#the#academic#genealogies#that#nourished#and#informed#my#thinking.#While#I#am#most#familiar#with#the#academic#literature#of#education,#the#literatures#mentioned#here#are#transdisciplinary,#and#often#develop#through#curiosity,#intuition,#and#combing#the#reference#lists#of#scholars#whose#work#resonates#deeply,#all#of#which#are#entirely#informal#and#self]guided#learning#practices.#My#goal#was/is/will#always#be#to#think#thoroughly.#Concepts#may#appear#in#the#body#of#the#dissertation#with#additional,#different,#or#no#references,#but#this#glossary#serves#to#guide#us#to#a#common#vocabulary#so#that#we#may#make#space#for#the#voices#of#non]academic#teachers#in#the#body#of#the#dissertation.# #In#this#research#project,#it#is#necessary#to#recognize#the#influence#and#constraints#of#both#the#English#and#Spanish#languages#as#languages#of#colonization,#shaping#how#we#think,#understand,#and#relate#both#to#our#interests#and#to#each#other.##In#developing#a#vocabulary#that#allows#us#to#attend#to#decolonization#and#Indigenous#knowledge,#these#language#limitations#must#be#made#explicit,#so#that#they#may#be#challenged,#disrupted#and#used#differently,#so#that#we#may#think*differently.###In#my#own#languaging#of#the#text,#I#will#follow#the#precedent#of#other#Xicana#scholars#(Anzald\u00C3\u00BAa,#1999r#Castillo,#1995r#Moraga,#2011)#by#code]switching,#mixing#language#without#differentiating#through#the#use#of#italics,#but#will#offer#translations#in#the#footnotes.#In#doing#so,#I#write#the#way#I#think#without#privileging#or#othering#non]dominant#modes#of#communication.#Also#worth#noting,#I#often#play#with#language#conventions#such#as#grammar,#punctuation,#and#spellings#to#make#a#point.#Sometimes,#bending#the#language#allows#me#to#play#with#concepts#(greatful,#restor(y)ing,#restorying),#or#to#graphically#insert#reminders#and#or#visuals#into#the#words#themselves#(Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo).#Each#time#I#disrupt#conventions#or#linguistic#expectations#(Texas#Mexico#or#US#Mexico)#creates#tiny#interventions#in#using#the#colonial#languages#to#describe#my#personal#river]based,#Indigenous#fronteriza#ways#of#thinking.####being\in\relation!Being]in]relation#is#a#play#on#the#phrase#human#being,#which#is#commonly#considered#a#noun.#I#coined#this#phrase#as#the#reminder#that#humans#are#one#aspect#of#a#dynamic#living#system,#not#as#a#being#superior#to#and#apart#from#the#natural#world,#but#simply#as#a#being#in#relation#to#other#beings.#By#renaming#humans#as#beings]in]relation,#our#attention#is#shifted#from#a#noun#to#the#verb#of#being,#and#to#the#specific#ties#and#relationships#of#always#being5in5relation#to#other#beings.#This#phrase#seemed#a#necessary#intervention#to#destabilize#dominant,#normalized#concepts#of#individuality#and#independence#as#the#a#default#orientation#of#humans#(Jaggar,#1989)#in#conversations#about#ecology#and#pedagogy.####xvi#borderlands/fronteras!In#the#literal#sense,#borderlands#are#the#places#at#the#margins#of#a#state's#geopolitical#boundaries.#Anzald\u00C3\u00BAa's#seminal#work#Borderlands/La*Frontera:*The*New*Mestiza*(1999),*provided#a#foundation#and#language#for#understanding#the#cultural#overlap#specific#to#the#US#Mexican#border,#introducing#to#a#wide#audience#concepts#drawn#from#intellectual#traditions#of#pre]contact#Mesoamerica.#Border#studies#have#grown#out#of#the#interdisciplinary#attempt#to#understand#the#multiple,#layered#meanings#of#borders#by#examining#the#real,#imagined,#symbolic,#metaphorical,#and#embodied#understandings#of#such#spaces#and#ideas#(Murphy,#1993).#In#addition#to#the#study#of#border#places,#the#cognitive#processes#that#emerge#from#border#places#and#spaces#have#also#been#further#developed.##Borderland#rhetoric#is#intentionally#complex,#inviting#multiple#ideologies,#simultaneous#incongruous#perspectives,#different#constructions#of#identity,#and#various#forms#of#resistance#(Elenes,#2001).#Meaning#is#made#in/from/with#the#complexity.#In#the#literature,#there#is#no#single#definition#for#what#the#borderlands#include.#For#the#purpose#of#this#work,#I#use#the#term#borderlands#to#refer#to#the#territories#and#communities#on#both#sides#of#the#line.#In#Texas,#our#border#is#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#and#our#borderlands#are#the#territories#and#communities#sustained#by#the#water#of#the#river.###I#also#use#the#term#frontera,!which#is#the#Spanish#translation#of#the#term,#and#is#more#commonly#used#in#my#community.##Frontera#implies#that#when#someone#is#thinking#in#Spanish,#the#frontera/borderlands#is#not#understood#from#a#US]centric#perspective,#nor#necessarily#positioned#on#the#US#(English]thinking)#side#of#the#line.#Using#the#term#frontera#instead#of#borderland#makes#space#for#how#the#concepts,#theories,#and#actual#places#are#understood#from#both#sides#of#the#border.#When#the#term#is#adjusted#to#be#self]referential,#such#as#when#I#use#fronteriza/fronterizo/fronterizx,#it#functions#to#describe#the#conceptual#(ways#of#knowing),#relational#(context),#positional#(in/of/from#the#confluence#of#both#sides),#and#geographical#(in/of/from#the#river)#orientations#to#the#river.#When#we#compare#to#the#English#equivalent,#to#be#of/from#the#borderlands#may#suggest#a#geographical#or#conceptual#orientation#but#does#not#necessarily#include#any#of#the#other#orientations#to#the#river.##Specifically,#my#frame#of#reference#is#the#Texas#Mexico#interface,#living#on#the#U.S.#side#of#my#ancestral#waters,#in#a#community#that#spans#both#sides#of#the#river,#understanding#that#the#border#is#slowly#severing#the#two#sides#from#each#other.#My#goal#is#to#focus#on#revitalizing#the#Indigenous#knowledges#in/of/from/with/through#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#to#revitalize#the#Indigenous#Fronterizx#orientation#to#river,#to#the#land,#and#to#each#other.##collective!memory!To#best#understand#this#concept,#I#offer#the#following#progression:##History#is#the#study#of#the#past,#linking#events#in#a#chronological#order.#Historical*consciousness#is#the#metacognitive#study#of#how#people#relate#to#the#past,#paying#attention#to#contexts#of#space#and#time#during#which#events#happened#(Trofanenko,#2008).#Collective*memory,#seeks#to#understand#how#a#community#subjectively#constructs#meaning#from#historical#events,#which#often#include#interpretations,#emotions,#reflections#of#identity,#and#political#positions#(Hom#&#Yamamoto,#2000).#Stories#and#testimonies#are#interwoven#with#the#commentary,#and#are#framed#toward#particular#ends#that#serve#both#individuals#and#the##xvii#group.##Wertsch#&#Roediger#(2008)#explain#\"collective#memory#is#more#like#a#space#of#contestation#than#a#body#of#knowledge]#a#space#in#which#local#groups#engage#in#an#ongoing#struggle#against#elites#and#state#authorities#to#control#the#understanding#of#the#past\"#(p.#319).#I#expand#this#definition#to#include#the#contestations#of#imposed#categories#of#identity,#such#as#when#the#US#national#census#imposed#the#category#of#Hispanic#in#1970#(Rodr\u00C3\u00ADguez,#2014),#with#little#room#for#how#identity#was#understood#by#the#very#people#being#described.##Collective#memory#works#to#narrate#historical#events#with#multiple#voices#from#an#embodied#and#emplaced#perspective#(Ria\u00C3\u00B1o]Alcal\u00C3\u00A1#&#Baines,#2011),#and#is#automatically#positioned#as#a#form#of#resistance#against#imposed#dominant#narratives#of#history#(Seixas,#2004),#which#some#would#argue#are#narratives#that#normalize#colonization,#and#therefore,#can#be#understood#as#intellectual#colonialism#(Castillo#&#Tabuenca]C\u00C3\u00B3rdoba,#2002r#Gaudry,#2011r#Rodr\u00C3\u00ADguez,#2014).#Identity#is#directly#shaped#by#our#histories.#Therefore,#the#danger#of#normalizing#singular,#dominant#white]supremacist,#colonial#narratives#of#history#is#the#frequency#with#which#marginalized,#Indigenous,#and/or#racialized#communities#are#narrated#as#passive,#supporting#characters#in#the#stories#of#their#own#oppression,#to#the#exclusion#of#all#other#stories.#In#contexts#of#ongoing#violence,#written#records#are#often#systematically#destroyed.#Oral#traditions#that#include#collective#memory#serve#as#living#archives#(Ria\u00C3\u00B1o]Alcal\u00C3\u00A1#&#Baines,#2011)#to#give#accounts#the#histories,#contexts#and#meanings#of/with/in#communities#to#counter#the#dominant#narratives.#One#notable#example#of#the#power#of#collective#memory#is#the#record#of#the#fall#of#the#Mexica#(Aztec)#empire.#First#hand#accounts#of#the#violence#were#not#recorded#in#written#form,#but#were#instead#composed#as#canciones#de#luto,#songs#of#mourning,#and#shared#amongst#the#survivors#(Le\u00C3\u00B3n#Portilla,#Garibay,#Kemp&#Beltr\u00C3\u00A1n,#2006).#The#dominant#xenophobic#US]centric#politics#are#direct#threats#to#the#knowledge#and#survivance#of#Indigenous#frontera#communities,#and#I#am#interested#in#the#pedagogical#implications#of#our#oral#collective#memory#practices.#In#this#project,#I#use#collective#memory#to#document#the#traditional#knowledges#that#have#survived#in#the#everyday#cultural#practices#of#Indigenous#frontera#families.#decolonizing,!Indigenizing,!anticolonizing,!insurgent!research!Each#of#these#four#terms#describes#a#slightly#different#response#to#the#violence#of#colonization.##Decolonizing*methodologies#seek#to#interrupt#colonial#narratives#to#witness#and#revitalize#the#Indigenous#world#(Smith,#1999),#free#from#the#expectation#of#reacting#to#colonial#forces#(Monture]Angus,#1999),#for#the#purpose#of#repatriating#the#land#back#to#Indigenous#peoples#(Tuck#&#Yang,#2012).#The#concept#of#Indigenizing*prioritizes#the#political#power#of#Indigenous#identity#and#culture#(Smith,#1999),#and#seeks#to#divest#from#settler#colonial#authority,#approval,#and#systems#of#legitimacy#in#favor#of#Indigenous#intellectual#systems,#values,#and#ethics#(Simpson,#2014).##Anticolonization!(Serrano]N\u00C3\u00A5jera,#2014)#responds#to#the#overuse#and#rampant#evacuation#of#the#politics#of#the#term#decolonization#(Tuck#&#Yang,#2012)#to#examine#the#multiple#intersections#of#colonial#hegemony,#describe#the#new#forms#of#colonization,#and#also#to#critically#analyze#the#complexity#of#our#positionalities#in#anti]oppression#work#(Calder\u00C3\u00B3n,#2014).####Similarly,#insurgent*approaches#to#research#serve#the#needs#of#the#Indigenous#community#with#action#that#\u00E2\u0080\u009Ctargets#the#demise#of#colonial#interference#within#our#lives##xviii#and#communities.\u00E2\u0080\u009D#(Gaudry,#2011).##While#the#literature#indicates#an#ongoing#development#of#vocabulary#and#concepts#over#time,#all#four#terms#are#examples#of#oppositional#consciousness#(Sandoval,#2000),#which#seeks#to#transform#dominant#power#relations#in#support#of#Indigenous#knowledge,#people,#and#places.#embodied,!emplaced!knowledges!Embodied#and#emplaced#knowledges#refer#to#the#multisensory#ways#that#we#know#where#and#how#our#physical#bodies#move#and#relate#through#space#and#in#places,#working#from#the#assumption#that#we#are#connected#to#our#surroundings#in#a#relational#ecology.#Embodied*refers#to#the#critical#awareness#not#only#of#our#bodies#in#relation#to#other#bodies,#but#also#an#awareness#of#the#impact#of#our#surroundings#on#our#physical#being#(Irwin#&#Springgay,#2008r#Nayak,#2011).##Our#bodies#are#physical#receptors#and#transmitters#of#relationship#to#our#surroundings,#as#well#as#the#means#through#which#we#understand#relationships#in#space,#encoding#meaning#through#learning,#emotions,#and#understandings#(Cobos,#2012r#Lara,#2014).#Similarly,#the#term#emplaced#refers#to#the#knowledge#held#in#specific#locations,#as#well#as#how#our#bodies#find#and/or#make#meaning#in#particular#spaces#as#part#of#the#processes#of#witnessing,#remembering,#and#storying#(Ria\u00C3\u00B1o]Alcal\u00C3\u00A1#&#Baines,#2011).#Though#distinct#concepts,#I#often#use#the#terms#together#as#I#consider#them#mutually#co]constructed.##holism,!holistic!Holism#is#an#Indigenous#concept#that#describes#four#interrelated#aspects#of#a#healthy#personal#well]beingr#the#intellectual,#spiritual,#emotional,#and#physical#realms#of#being#(Archibald,#2008).#Archibald#further#elaborates#how#individuals#are#supported#by#rings#of#context#that#include#family,#community#and#nation,#which#influence#each#other,#as#well#as#the#four#realms#of#self.#See#Figure#1:#Holism#(Archibald,#2008).###Holism#grows#out#of#Indigenous#epistemology,#and#similar#conceptions#are#shared#by#different#Indigenous#nations,#each#suggesting#a#relational#understanding#of#self.#The#term#holistic#shifts#the#concept#into#an#adjective#(grammatical)#form.#For#example,#a#holistic#education#describes#an#educational#approach#that#supports#intellectual,#spiritual,#emotional,#and#physical#development.#In#addition,#holistic#education#draws#from#the#support#and#knowledge#of#the#individual's#multiple#contexts#in#order#to#\"nourish#the#learning#spirit\"#(Battiste,#2010)#for#the#purpose#of#nurturing#learners#to#be#contributing#community#members.###This#project#specifically#seeks#to#create#an#intervention#in#the#recent#shift#toward#business#models#of#education#that#use#the#language#of#capitalist#metaphors,#such#as#customers#and#customer*satisfaction,#to*describe#learners#and#teaching*outcomes.#As#the#goal#of#the#project#is#to#restory#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#as#ancestral#waters,#it#is#necessary#to#specify#our#approach#as#holistic#and#relational.###xix#!Figure!1:!Holism!(Archibald,!2008)!(Used!by!permission!of!the!UBC!Press,!The!University!of!British!Columbia.)Ind\u00C3\u00ADgena/Indigenous!I#use#the#terms#Ind\u00C3\u00ADgena/Indigenous#to#denote#descendants#of#the#First#Peoples#of#the#land.#The#terms#mean#more#than#ethnic#heritage.#According#to#the#United#Nations#Permanent#Forum#on#Indigenous#Issues#(n.d.),#to#be#Ind\u00C3\u00ADgena#or#Indigenous#implies#a#familiarity#with#a#specific#body#of#cultural,#traditional#and#intergenerational#knowledges,#firmly#rooted#in,#to,#and#of#land.##While#the#concept#includes#Indigenous#peoples#from#each#continent,#I#use#it#to#refer#primarily#to#people#of#the#Americas,#inclusive#of#both#the#North#and#South#American#continents.#Indigenous#includes#a#wide#diversity#of#positionalities,#including#both#federally]recognized#Indigenous#peoples,#who#may#self]identity#as#Native#American,#as#well#as#Indigenous#peoples#without#federal#recognition,#who#may#or#may#not#self]identify#as#Native#American.##While#indigenous,#written#with#a#lowercase#i,*is#an#adjective,#Indigenous,#capitalized,#is#a#proper#noun,#referring#to#a#particular#group#of#peoples,#distinguished#by#cultural#heterogeneity#and/or#political#sovereignty#(Yellow#Bird,#1999).#In#Spanish,#the#term#Ind\u00C3\u00ADgena#has#also#become#a#powerful#form#of#self]identification#that#honors#the#significant#human#rights#and#social#movements#of#the#past#40#or#so#years#(Burman,#2014).##Recently,#scholars#have#also#adopted#the#term#Ind\u00C3\u00ADgena#as#forms#of#reclamation#(Speed,#2006)#and#Chicana#solidarity#(Moraga,#2011).#The#term#Ind\u00C3\u00ADgena#is#not#universally#used#in#South#American#contexts#due#to#their#widespread#use#by#anthropologists#(Boelens,#Getches#&#Guevara]Gil,#2010),#as#some#communities#prefer#an#ancestral#self]referential#name.##However,#Indigenous/Ind\u00C3\u00ADgena#are#the#words#that#best#fit#my#understandings#as#a#bilingual#non]recognized#Indigenous#person#of#the#US#Mexican#frontera.###xx#The#tension#between#self]identification#and#the#names#we#are#attributed#by#institutions,#governments,#and#others#is#central#to#Native#and#Indigenous#studies.#My#purpose#in#choosing#Ind\u00C3\u00ADgena/Indigenous#as#a#self]referential#term#is#to#find#a#common#vocabulary#that#is#sensitive#to#the#many#ways#that#people#are#allowed#to#and#not#allowed#to#identify#in#the#US#and#Mexico.##In#the#project,#Indigenous#heritage#was#approached#in#two#ways:#first,#as#a#direct#question#asking#participants#to#self]identify,#and#secondly,#as#a#series#of#questions#that#recalled#an#intergenerational,#familial#cultural#practice#of#land]#and#river]#based#traditional#knowledges.##Therefore,#in#this#project,#I#use#the#term#Indigenous#to#describe#the#diverse#peoples#who#share#land]#and#water]based#cultural,#traditional,#and#intergenerational#knowledges#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#inclusive#of#the#many#ways#that#community#members#do/do#not#self]identify#and#are/are#not#recognized#by#colonial#definitions#of#Indigeneity.#My#focus#is#less#on#the#politics#of#identity,#and#more#on#the#revitalization#of#Indigenous#river]#and#land]based#knowledge#that#has#survived#through#the#generations.#In#this#way,#Indigeneity#works#to#revitalize#ancestral#and#intergenerational#ways#of#knowing#and#being#in#relation#to#the#Rio#Grande/#Rio#Bravo.#relational!ecologies!This#phrase#appears#in#the#literature#to#describe#a#wide#variety#of#subjects,#such#as#urban#foraging#(Poe,#LeCompte,#McLain,#&#Hurley,#2014),#animal#agency#in#human/ecological#relationships#(Betts,#Herdenberg,#&#Stirling,#2015r#Putney,#2013),#and#local/global#culinary#culture#(VanWinkle,#2017).#In#each#of#these#studies,#the#author#uses#the#phrase#relational*ecology*to#expand#upon#concepts#of#ecology,#while#focused#primarily#on#human#beings.##In#this#research#project,#I#repurpose#the#phrase#to#focus#on#the#long]standing#conversation#between#scholars#of#environmental#education#(Bowers,#2002r#Gruenewald,#2003,#Bowers#2008r#Stevenson,#2008),#critical#pedagogy#(hooks,#2003r#Darder,#2011),#and#Indigenous#knowledges#(Battiste#&#Henderson,#2000r#Simpson,#2004).##I#define#a#relational*ecology#as#a#concept#embedded#in#Indigenous#epistemologies,#in#which#a#dynamic#and#responsive#network#of#intradependent#beings#share#places,#resources,#and#life#within#an#ecosystem.##Specifically,#I#seek#to#interrupt#the#anthropocentrism#and#constructed#separation#of#humans#from#the#non]human#world#of#environmental#education#(Barrett,#2012),#and#update#the#epistemological#foundations#of#critical#ecopedagogy#(Kahn,#2009r#McLaren,#2013)#and#move#toward#the#decolonizing/anticolonizing/indigenizing#priorities#of#land#repatriation#and#freedom#from#ongoing#occupation#(Smith,#1999r#Tuck#&#Yang,#2012).##storying,!restorying,!and!restor(y)ing!People#share#stories#to#create#meaningful#connections#between#the#self,#family,#community,#culture,#and#the#land#(Archibald,#2008).#Practices#of#storying,#which#includes#story]telling#and#story]listening#(Razack,#1993),#often#encode#worldviews,#ecological#knowledge,#cultural#norms,#ethics,#and#values#to#create#meaning#(Martinez,#1998r#Smith,#1999r#Beaucage,#2005).#Stories#offer#both#implicit#and#explicit#teachings,#offering#multiple#entry#points#for#meaning#to#be#made,#creating#collective#strength.#In#contexts#of#colonization,#in#which#the#goal#is#to#dehumanize#and#dominate#entire#communities#of##xxi#people,#storying#is#considered#dangerous.##Colonization#systematically#functions#to#eliminate#community#resistance#by#creating#one#singular#dominant#narrative,#crafted#by#those#in#power#and#normalized#as#truth.##Restorying,#by#contrast,#speaks#back#to#the#dominant#narratives#to#make#space#for#Indigenous#knowledges,#to#recover,#remember,#and/or#revitalize#the#cultural#knowledges#of#the#community.#Through#mutual#understanding,#relationships#between#a#community#and#the#land#(and#water)#can#be#strengthened#and#nurtured.#Corntassel,#Chaw]win]is#&#T'lakwadzi#(2009)#write#\u00E2\u0080\u009CA#restorying#process#for#Indigenous#peoples#entails#questioning#the#imposition#of#colonial#histories#on#our#communities\u00E2\u0080\u00A6.#Ultimately,#restorying#is#just#a#first#step#toward#remembering#and#revitalizing#our#collective#and#individual#consciousness\"#(p.#155).#By#extension,#the#use#of#the#parenthesis#in#the#spelling#of#restor(y)ing#serves#as#a#grammatical#reminder#of#the#mutual#processes#of#restoring#Indigenous#knowledge#through#restorying.##When#considered#in#the#context#of#the#U.S.#Mexico#borderlands,#restorying#allows#Indigenous#peoples#to#connect#themselves#back#onto#their#ancestral#territories#through#collective#memory#and#traditional#knowledge#of#the#land#and#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo.#While#counter]narrative#(Romero,#Arce,#&#Cammarota,#2009r#Solorzano#&#Yosso,#2009)#has#been#used#across#the#southwest#to#explore#issues#of#intersectionality#and#critical#race#theory,#Indigenous#storying#and#restor(y)ing#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#will#be#a#new#intervention#in#this#particular#context.##traditional!knowledge(s)! !According#to#the#United#Nations#Environmental#Programme,#the#Convention#on#Biological#Diversity#(n.d)#states:#Traditional*knowledge*refers*to*the*knowledge,*innovations*and*practices*of*indigenous*and*local*communities*around*the*world.*Developed*from*experience*gained*over*the*centuries*and*adapted*to*the*local*culture*and*environment,*traditional*knowledge*is*transmitted*orally*from*generation*to*generation.*It*tends*to*be*collectively*owned*and*takes*the*form*of*stories,*songs,*folklore,*proverbs,*cultural*values,*beliefs,*rituals,*community*laws,*local*language,*and*agricultural*practices,*including*the*development*of*plant*species*and*animal*breeds.*Traditional*knowledge*is*mainly*of*a*practical*nature,*particularly*in*such*fields*as*agriculture,*fisheries,*health,*horticulture,*and*forestry.*Thus,#traditional*knowledge#is#a#term#that#includes#all#aspects#of#thinking#and#understanding#from#an#Indigenous#perspective,#focused#primarily#on#relationships#(LittleBear,#2009).#I#use#the#phrase#to#recognize#the#specific#land]#and#water]#based#systems#of#knowledge#that#deeply#embed#people#within#their#own#ancestral#territories,#as#living#beings#within#a#dynamic,#intradependent#living#system.#This#project#focuses#on#the#pedagogical#aspects#of#revitalizing#traditional#knowledge#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#and#fully#embraces#the#political#implications#of#such#practices.#Revitalization#of#traditional#knowledge#inherently#creates#a#direct#resistance#to#the#ongoing#settler#colonialism,#the#primary#purpose#of#which#is#to#sever#Indigenous#peoples,#knowledge,#and#claims#to#the#land#(Wildcat,#Simpson,#Irlbacher]Fox#&#Coulthard,#2014).#In#the#context#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#the#claim#is#not#made#by#a#singular#nation#of#Indigenous#peoples,#but#does#make#room#for#variously#positioned#and#diversely]#xxii#identifying#Indigenous#peoples#to#claim#belonging#based#on#the#continuous#relationships#of/with/through#traditional#knowledge#of#the#land#and#river.#Occasionally,#I#will#use#the#term#traditional#ecological#knowledge#to#specifically#focus#on#overlap#of#cultural#and#biological#factors#(Cajete,#2000),#or#Indigenous#intellectual#traditions#to#highlight#pedagogical#practices#(Simpson,#2004).###witness,!witnessing!For#Indigenous#communities#that#continue#to#practice#their#oral#traditions,#storying#creates#complementary#roles#for#both#story]tellers#and#story]listeners#or#witnesses.#For#the#Coast#Salish#communities,#and#for#many#Indigenous#communities,#these#roles#are#not#taken#lightly.##To#be#responsible#for#a#correct#telling#of#a#story#(Archibald,#2008)#or#to#agree#to#be#a#witness#is#to#accept#sacred#responsibilities,#formalized#with#a#series#of#ceremonial#protocols#and#community#expectations#(Gaudry,#2011r#Thompson,#2002).##As#a#witness,#one#is#expected#to#pay#close#attention#to#the#details,#and#serve#as#the#expert#or#archive#of#the#events#for#the#community#(Thomas,#2005).#The#witnesses#are#held#accountable#by#the#community,#and#the#formal#process#of#witnessing#legitimizes#their#accounts#as#true.####Witnessing#also#appears#in#memory#studies,#and#particularly,#in#work#around#genocide#and#complex#community#trauma.#Whereas#listening#implies#focusing#on#the#words#spoken,#witnessing#includes#noticing#the#emotional,#affective,#and#embodied#details#(Hirsch#&#Spitzer,#2009),#including#silences,#soundscapes,#processes#of#transmission,#and#how#memory#marks#the#landscape#(Ria\u00C3\u00B1o]Alcal\u00C3\u00A1,#2000).#For#this#project,#I#understand#my#own#responsibilities#as#the#researcher]as]witness,#and#fine]tuned#my#approach#listening#to#the#many#layers#of#meaning#conveyed#in#the#participant#testimonios,#which#are#first]hand#accounts#of#their#lifetimes#in#relation#to#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo.#!#xxiii#Acknowledgements!In#Indigenous#communities,#when#a#young#person#is#sent#out#into#the#world#to#learn#about#life,#they#go#with#the#expectation#that#when#they#return,#they#will#be#better#prepared#to#take#up#responsibilities#at#home.#This#practice#goes#by#many#names,#but#in#my#family,#we#call#it#a#caminata.#Grad#school#has#been#my#caminata.##I#am#most#thankful#for#the#opportunity#to#fully#embrace#and#center#my#own#cultura#from#Coast#Salish#territory,#while#translating#two#vastly#different#international#borderlands.#Although#far#from#home,#I#was#surrounded#and#uplifted#by#a#local#community#amongst#whom#my#spirit#was#loved#and#nurtured.#Thank#you,#Vancouver#community,#for#such#a#rich#learning#experience#and#so#many#wonderful#connections.#And#thank#you,#friends#and#family#in#my#home#community#of#Laredo/Nuevo#Laredo,#for#sending#me#off#into#the#world#and#trusting#me#with#our#stories.###I#am#forever#greatful#to#Dr.#Jo]ann#Archibald#for#her#calm#guidance#and#gentle#encouragement#as#my#committee#co]chair#and#mentor.#Her#thoughtful#questions#helped#me#to#clarify#my#thoughts,#strengthen#my#voice,#and#examine#my#own#teaching#practices.##Thank#you,#Dr.#Archibald,#for#being#such#a#generous#and#patient#mentor.#Many#thanks#to#co]chair#Dr.#Rob#Van#Wynsberghe,#and#committee#member#Dr.#Pilar#Ria\u00C3\u00B1o]Alcal\u00C3\u00A1,#for#pushing#me#to#consider#how#my#work#may#speak#to#other#academic#fields#and#other#audiences.#Thank#you,#committee.##Thank#you#to#the#colleagues#who#have#held#the#doors#open#along#the#way,#collaboration#through#co]authored#work,#conference#presentations,#journal#editing,#and#grant#work#have#helped#to#shape#me#into#the#academician#that#I#am#today.##Much##xxiv#appreciation#to#Dr.#Archibald#and#Dr.#Margo#Tamez#for#making#space#for#me#to#learn#by#doing.#Thank#you#to#dear#friends#who#have#travelled#with#me,#Manjeet#Birk,#Sarah#Jo,#Francine#Burning,#Dorothy#Christian,#and#Alannah#Young.#It#was#a#blessing#to#be#held#up#by#such#amazing#women.#Thank#you#to#my#UBC#SAGE#(Supporting#Aboriginal#Graduate#Enhancement)#friends,#my#Educational#Studies#cohort,#classmates#and#writing#groups#who#have#each#heard#the#evolution#of#my#project#for#many#years.##I#am#so#grateful#for#our#ongoing#conversations,#words#of#appreciation,#and#encouragement.#I#also#offer#deepest#appreciation#to#my#first#teachers,#my#parents#Norma#and#Oscar,#and#my#sister#Cristina.##Thank#you#for#your#patience,#unending#support,#and#flexibility#with#my#obsessive#writing#habits.##Thank#you,#Ben.##You#have#been#a#brilliant#adventure#companion.#I#am#most#appreciative#of#your#humor#and#spontaneity.##Our#Canadian#adventure#was#your#idea,#and#with#my#whole#heart,#thank#you.###And#thank#you#to#my#greatest,#tiniest#teacher,#Ofelia,#who#fills#me#with#wonder.###Mil#gracias,#queridxs.##Por#todas#mis#relaciones.1#############################################1#A#thousand#thanks,#loved#ones.##For#all#my#relations.###xxv#Dedication!For#those#who#came#before#me#and##For#those#who#will#make#their#way#after##All#I#have#are#my#Grampa#Toya's#words,##and#the#memory#of#his#voice:##\"Everything#you#need#is#already#inside#of#you.\"##1#Prologue!!In#accordance#with#local#Indigenous#protocols,#I#am#a#visitor#to#the#unceded#ancestral#territories#of#the#x\u00CA\u00B7mz\u00CE\u00B8kwzy\u00CC\u0093zm#(Musqueam),#S\u00E1\u00B8\u00B5wx\u00CC\u00B1w\u00C3\u00BA7mesh#(Squamish),#and#Szl\u00CC\u0093\u00C3\u00ADlwzta\u00CA\u0094#(Tsleil]Waututh)#nations,#where#I#completed#my#graduate#studies.#I#acknowledge#the#local#waterways#that#inspirit#this#territory,#and#the#relational#ecologies#that#connect#me#to#home.###My#name#is#Marissa#Isela#Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz,#daughter#of#Norma#Montoya#and#Oscar#Jes\u00C3\u00B9s#Mu\u00C3\u00B1ozr#granddaughter#of#Maria#Luisa#Ramirez,#Eustacio#Montoya,#Leonor#Valdez,#and#Oscar#Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz#Dena.#I#am#Xicana#Tejana,#Estok'#Gna,#thirteenth#generation#rooted#on#both#sides#of#my#family#to#what#is#now#called#the#city#of#Laredo,#Texas,#on#the#banks#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo.#On#my#mother\u00E2\u0080\u0099s#side,#we#trace#our#roots#to#the#Tlaxcalteca]#and#Coahuilteca]speaking#peoples#of#the#greater#region.#On#my#father\u00E2\u0080\u0099s#side,#my#roots#trace#to#the#Wixairika#communities#from#the#Real#de#Catorce#region#of#San#Luis#Potosi,#Mexico.#The#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#are#my#ancestral#waters,#understood#by#Indigenous#peoples#as#a#map#read#lengthwise,#guiding#the#journeys#of#our#relatives#across#the#territory.##This#project#prioritizes#Indigenous#knowledges#and#ways]of]being,#recognizing#and#honoring#the#distinct#relationships#that#grow#between#the#land,#waters,#and#peoples#of#particular#ecologies.##All#work#described#in#this#dissertation#is#an#Indigenous#methodology,#guided#by#a#practice#of#being#a#good#relation#to#and#with#Indigenous#communities,#understood#as#diverse,#dynamic,#and#polyvocal#communities#practicing#diverse,#dynamic,#and#land]based#bodies#of#knowledge.###2#Chapter!1:!Introduction!to!the!Research!!The#first#time#I#was#invited#to#ceremonia2,#in#Canada,#I#was#really#excited#to#join#the#Ladies,#my#Indigenous#Canadian#friends,#for#a#sweat#in#North#Vancouver.#It#was#a#familiar#ceremony,#which#I#have#participated#in#many#times,#yet,#I#was#still#a#little#bit#nervous.##We#parked#near#the#community#meeting#place#in#the#middle#of#town,#collected#our#ceremonial#items#and#stepped#into#the#tree#line.#As#I#slipped#off#my#city#shoes#and#slipped#into#my#huaraches,#every#cell#in#my#body#relaxed#into#a#relational#way#of#being.#Within#a#few#steps,#the#trees#folded#closed#around#us,#and#the#city#fell#away#from#my#awareness.#Out#of#habit,#I#carefully#stepped#in#my#friend#Alannah's#footprints,#vigilant#to#stay#on#the#cleared#path#that#twisted#around#the#Pacific#Northwest#rainforest.#Ceremony#always#requires#work.##There#are#teachings#in#the#work.#So,#after#a#few#introductions,#I#asked#Alannah#what#I#could#do#to#help.##She#handed#me#a#pair#of#snips,#and#said,#\"Bring#me#two#big#handfuls#of#balsam#needles.\"##So#I#went,#walking#carefully#over#the#well]worn#paths#to#the#edge#of#the#clearing.#I#knew#what#she#wanted,#and#I#could#see#the#bluish#hue#of#the#balsam#tree#just#on#the#other#side#of#a#dense#patch#of#undergrowth.#I#stopped.#There#was#no#path.##I'd#have#to#fully#step#in#and#negotiate#this#land#that#was#not#my#own.#I#stood#on#the#edge#of#the#clearing,#looking,#thinking,#and#trying#to#solve#the#riddle#of#how#to#step#into#the#wild#understory#of#this#unfamiliar#forest.#My#feet#############################################2#Ceremony##3#would#not#step#into#the#dense#layer#of#mixed#foliage.#My#Texas#mind#wanted#to#be#careful#of#the#hidden#dangers#that#could#scratch,#bite,#sting,#or#tangle#me#as#I#came#through.#These#feet,#that#know#how#to#walk#across#the#arid,#scrubby#monte3#of#home,#were#paralyzed#in#the#lush#temperate#rainforest.##After#a#minute#of#tentatively#stepping#around#plants#and#trees#and#moving#branches#to#see#the#ground,#Alannah#came#over.##She#smiled#and#said,#\"I'll#show#you,\"#as#she#walked#through#the#wilderness#to#the#balsam#tree.#I#was#astonished#to#watch#her#move#with#such#ease#and#familiarity.##I#tried#explaining#my#racing#thoughts.##She#just#smiled#and#started#snipping.###Over#the#course#of#five#years,#there#were#many#moments#of#learning#from#the#local#Coast#Salish#communities,#specifically#x\u00CA\u00B7mz\u00CE\u00B8kwzy\u00CC\u0093zm#(Musqueam),#S\u00E1\u00B8\u00B5wx\u00CC\u00B1w\u00C3\u00BA7mesh#(Squamish),#and#Szl\u00CC\u0093\u00C3\u00ADlwzta\u00CA\u0094#(Tsleil]Waututh)#nations#within#whose#unceded#ancestral#territory#I#was#living.#More#than#culture#shock,#I#was#witnessing#the#unspoken,#holistic#relationships#and#intergenerational#knowings#of#my#friends,#the#Ladies.#Each#practiced#the#traditional#knowledges#of#their#home#communities,#and#each#contributed#to#the#local#Coast#Salish#community#as#good#relations.#They#knew#the#songs#of#the#local#ancestors,#and#where#the#medicine#plants#lived.##They#knew#the#stories#of#the#beings#after#whom#mountains#were#named,#and#knew#how#to#mark#the#year#with#seasons#of#salmon,#blueberries,#elk,#dungeness#crab,#as#well#as#halibut,#oolichan#and#seaweed#from#relatives#up#the#coast.##To#them,#this#was#tacit#cultural#knowledge,#the#basics#of#living#in]relation#############################################3#Wild,#arid#landscape.##4#to#these#lands,#these#waters,#and#these#ancestors.#My#friends#were#fluent#in#the#relationships#between#landscape#and#culture#of#our#home.###For#the#first#few#months,#I#experienced#a#combination#of#culture#shock,#as#well#as#an#ecological#shock.#I#quickly#discovered#the#limitations#of#my#Wildlife#and#Fisheries#Biology#degree#as#being#specific#to#the#flora#and#fauna#of#Texas,#as#very#few#species#in#the#landscape#were#familiar.##I#would#sit#quietly#in#the#untended#areas#of#forest#around#Vancouver#and#intently#watch#the#velvety#black#squirrels#and#listen#to#the#birdsong#of#my#new#neighbors.#For#me,#the#new#ecology#brought#into#stark#relief#the#many#ways#in#which#Native#and#Indigenous#peoples#are#deeply#embedded#in#the#cultural#and#ecological#landscapes#of#their#own,#and#each#other's,#ancestral#territories.#I#had#to#learn#how#to#be#a#good#relation#in#this#new#home,#not#just#to#the#people#in#the#community#but#to#the#life]forms,#spirits,#knowledge,#and#memories#tied#to#the#landscape.##1.1! Ofrenda4,5!Most#respectfully,##we#begin#the#way#we#were#taught#to#begin#ceremony6#This#is#a#ceremony#of#witnessing,#Of#listening#with#all#of#our#being##Of#being]in]relation.#############################################4#Offering.##We#begin#with#ceremony#as#a#protocol,#a#waking#of#all#senses,#understanding#that#not#everything#shared#will#be#sacred#knowledge,#but#everything#shared#carries#a#responsibility#for#attention#and#respect.#5#\"Calling#the#sacred#directions#is#an#act#of#historical#consciousness.\u00E2\u0080\u009D#(Celia#Herrera#Rodr\u00C3\u00ADguez,#cited#by#Gonzales,#2012,#p.#189).#As#an#introduction#to#this#dissertation,#it#creates#space#and#prioritizes#ancestral#ways#of#knowing.#6#Research#for,#with,#and#amongst#Indigenous#peoples#is#ceremony#(Wilson,#2008).##5#We#begin#with#offerings#and#an#invitation#passed#through#the#generations,##remembered,##practiced.#I'll#add#copal#to#the#sahumador7#And#with#my#sonaja8#and#ayoyotes9#ready#the#quiquitzli10#calls#to#invite#the#spirits#from#each#direction##With#a#turn#to#face#the#sky,#and#a#turn#to#face#nuestra#querida#madrecita#tierra11#and##with#a#deep#breath,##my#heart#is#ready#Tiahui!#1.2! Problem!Statement!Mni#wiconi12#(Gilio]Whitaker,#2018r#Larned,#2018).#Water#is#life.#Peoples#all#over#the#world#have#regarded#water#as#sacred#(Hikuroa,#Slade,#&#Gravely,#2011r#Indigenous#World#Forum#on#Water#and#Peace,#2014r#Young#&#Nadeau,#2005),#connecting#spirit#to#all#aspects#of#life#(Anderson,#2010,#Sanderson,#2008).#############################################7#Ceramic#cup#where#one#burns#copal#(tree#resin)#to#make#the#smoke#that#carries#prayers.#8#Hand]held#rattle.#9#Ankle#rattles,#used#in#Danza#Mexica.#10#Conch#shell,#played#like#a#trumpet#to#call#the#community#11#Our#beloved#Mother#Earth.#12#In#the#Lakota#language,#\"water#is#life,\"#used#as#a#rallying#cry#during#the#2016#protest#of#the#construction#of#the#Dakota#Access#Pipeline#through#the#Standing#Rock#Reservation.##6#Knowledge#of#water#is#vital#for#the#survival#of#all#peoples,#intimately#implicating#us#within#the#interdependent#aspects#of#our#local#ecologies.#As#the#contexts#of#our#communities#have#shifted#through#time,#so#too,#have#the#meanings#we#attribute#to#water.##In#only#a#few#generations,#knowledge#can#be#lost#to#forgetting.#Yet,#the#stories#of#our#elders#serve#as#a#map,#documenting#the#long#perspective#of#life#experience,#reminding#us#of#the#trajectory#of#who#we#are,#how#we#got#here,#and#what#we#have#collectively#known#along#the#way.##The#existing#relationships#between#people,#land,#and#water#were#profoundly#altered#with#the#onset#of#European#colonization#in#the#Americas#(Pe\u00C3\u00B1a,#1998r#Simpson,#2014r#Tuck,#McKenzie,#&#McCoy,#2014).#We#now#understand#that#settler#colonialism#to#be#\"a#persistent#social#and#political#formation#in#which#newcomers/colonizers/settlers#come#to#a#place,#claim#it#as#their#own,#and#do#whatever#it#takes#to#disappear#the#Indigenous#peoples#that#are#there\"#(Arvin,#Tuck,#&#Morrill,#2013,#p.#12).#To#many#Indigenous#peoples,#land#is#the#source#of#knowledge,#responsive#and#aliver#yet#to#the#colonizers,#land#is#an#item#of#property,#a#commodity#to#own,#full#of#resources#to#use#and#sell.#Eurocentric#understandings#based#on#the#human#domination#of#Nature#have#literally#paved#the#way#for#urban#sprawl#across#our#planet]#local#people#are#violently#removed#and/or#displacedr#ecologies#are#razedr#concrete#is#pouredr#and#cities#grown.#For#a#vast#majority#of#people#living#in#urban#communities,#water#simply#comes#from#the#faucet,#with#little#or#no#understanding#of#local#water#cycles#involved.##In#the#urban#environment,#people#have#to#go#out#of#their#normal,#daily##7#routines#to#catch#a#glimpse#of#the#local#\"natural#world\"#to#see#how#the#land,#water,#flora#and#fauna#support#life#in#the#places#they#consider#home.##This#is#true#in#my#home#community#of#Laredo,#Texas.#There#is#evidence#of#continuous#habitation#along#the#banks#of#our#river#for#several#thousands#of#years#(Maestas,#2003r#Sansom,#2008).#However,#for#many#Laredoans,#our#rich#inheritance#of#Indigenous#river#knowledges#and#stories#is#not#common#knowledge.#Similar#to#the#way#that#in#particularly#dry#years,#the#water#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#does#not#reach#the#Gulf#of#Mexico.#In#these#particularly#fraught#generations,#the#intellectual#traditions#of#our#ancestral#waters#and#lands#have#not#reached#many#of#the#younger#people#in#our#community.#The#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo13#is#our#only#source#of#potable#water,#and#in#our#curve#of#the#river,#surrounded#by#the#arid#landscape,#access#to#potable#water#has#always#ensured#survival.#In#1848,#the#signing#of#the#Treaty#of#Guadalupe#Hidalgo#formalized#a#US#Mexico#colonial#system#of#land#and#water#dispossession#(Hernandez,#2001r#Martinez,#2012r#Menchaca,#1993),#making#our#river#their#international#border14.#Not#only#did#the#border#permanently#disrupt#the#local#community#and#ecology#that#had#grown#on#both#sides#of#the#river,#it#also#changed#how#locals#identified#themselves#in#relation#to#the#land,#to#the#river,#and#to#each#other.#For#many,#we#know#our#Indigenous#relatives,#but#systemically,#we#have#been#de]Indigenized#through#violence,#systemic#assimilation,#and#tricky#census#categories#(Menchaca,#############################################13#The#river#is#named#differently#on#each#side#of#the#border,#thus,#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#is#a#literal#representation#of#the#river#split#by#the#border#line.##For#residents,#the#names#are#interchangeable.##I#write#both#to#remind#myself#to#think#like#a#Laredoan.#14#Our,*referring#to#Indigenous#peoples#for#whom#the#greater#area#is#ancestral#territory,#and#their,*referring#to#the#US#and#Mexico#as#colonial#entities.*##8#1993r#Salda\u00C3\u00B1a]Portillo,#2017r#Serrano#N\u00C3\u00A1jera,#2014r#Urrieta,#2003).#However,#the#Indigenous#knowledge#has#survived,#and#our#elders#remember.#The#occupation#of#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#as#an#international#border#has#created#a#whole#new#set#of#meanings#and#implications#with#regards#to#both#the#river#and#water#in#the#region.#These#meanings#have#shifted#dramatically#over#time,#most#noticeably#in#how#the#mainstream#media#in#the#United#States#has#sensationalized#depictions#of#border#life.##Further#complicating#the#tension#for#border#communities#is#the#ongoing#militarized#occupation#by#the#US#Department#of#Homeland#Security#in#response#to#both#the#\"war#on#terror\"#and#\"war#on#drugs\"#(Fregoso,#2007r#Salda\u00C3\u00B1a]Portillo,#2017).#The#uniformed#and#heavily]armed#agents#have#altered#the#landscape#not#only#by#their#physical#presence,#but#also#by#the#heightened#tension,#and#psychological#dominance#that#permeate#all#aspects#of#daily#life.#For#the#locals#who#live#in#my#community,#the#presence#of#armored#vehicles#and#machine#guns#in#public#spaces#makes#it#easy#to#forget#that#our#life]giving#ancestral#river#is#immediately#close#by.#However,#Laredo/Nuevo#Laredo#community#members#understand#the#river,#the#land,#and#themselves#differently#than#most#mainstream#depictions#of#border#life.#In#the#last#40#years#or#so,#within#my#lifetime,#I#have#witnessed#a#change#in#how#we#know,#live#with,#and#talk#about#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#in#my#community.#Elders#tell#stories#of#when#the#river#used#to#bring#the#community#together,#before#border#politics#and#the#US#Department#of#Homeland#Security#split#our#community#into#two#distinct#halves.#While#there#are#relatively#few#stories#that#exclusively#focus#on#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#the#river#is#ever]present#in##9#conversations#about#daily#community#life.#Collective#memory#of#the#river#has#shaped#peoples'#bodies,#the#landscapes,#and#the#ongoing#daily#practices#of#the#community#(Ria\u00C3\u00B1o]Alcal\u00C3\u00A1#&#Baines,#2011).#The#influence#and#importance#of#the#river#permeates#all#life#here,#even#if#the#younger#generations#are#unaware.#In#spite#of#the#globalized#Eurocentric#worldview#of#Man#dominating#Nature,#Indigenous#and#land]based#knowledges#have#survived#in#the#collective#memories#of#many#peoples#who#continue#to#live#near/in/on/with#their#ancestral#territories#(LaDuke,#1994r#Maestas,#2003r#Martinez,#1998r#Ybarra,#2009).#Therefore,#this#project#focuses#on#recovering#the#Indigenous#knowledges#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#that#have#survived#in#the#collective#memory#of#my#community#of#Laredo,#Texas.#Much#of#this#cultural#knowledge#is#shared#informally,#through#being#on#the#land.#These#traditions#are#often#tacit,#built#into#the#local#culture,#and#as#such,#may#be#invisible#to#a#person#not#familiar#with#the#community#and/or#landscape.##The#three#major#areas#of#inquiry#are#the#relationships#between#the#people,#the#land,#and#water,#as#seen#in#Figure#2:#Concept#Map#Guiding#the#Study.!!Each#of#the#three#areas#of#inquiry#seem#to#offer#insight#independently#of#the#other#areas,#but#also#suggest#that#some#significance#will#be#co]constructed#in#the#overlap#of#areas#of#inquiry:#the#relationship#between#people#and#water,#between#water#and#the#land,#between#land#and#the#people,#and#in#the#overlap#of#all#three.#Drawn#as#intersecting#circles,#the#areas#of#inquiry#are#further#contextualized#when#understood#within#the#context#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#in#the#specific#geographic#location#of#south#Texas,#and/or#Laredo/Nuevo#Laredo.##10##Figure!2:!Concept!Map!Guiding!the!Study!The#geographical#context#can#be#seen#in#Figure#3:#Watershed#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#which#shows#the#footprint#of#the#river#system,#as#it#extends#into#both#Mexico#and#the#US,#including#the#smaller#rivers#that#join#the#waterway.#Development#of#the#concept#map#and#geographical#context#helped#to#clarify#the#research#questions,#and#also#made#immediately#obvious#the#challenges#of#visually#representing#key#decolonial/Indigenizing#concepts.#For#example,#I#specifically#was#searching#for#a#map#that#showed#the#river,#not#the#border.#The#challenge#was#in#locating#an#image15#that#represented#the#river#as#a#biological#entity,#mindful#that#each#particular#aesthetic#choice#prioritizes#particular#ways#of#seeing#that#are#culturally]centric#and#embedded#with#values#and#ethics16.##############################################15#I#did#eventually#create#a#few#images#of#my#own,#later#in#the#process.#16#Future#work#may#include#examining#a#Xicanx#decolonial#aesthetic#in#mapping#practices.##11##Figure!3:!Watershed!of!the!Rio!Grande/Rio!Bravo!(Used#with#permission#of#the#Texas#Commission#on#Environmental#Quality.)#12#1.3! Purpose!The#purpose#of#the#project#is#to#understand#the#relationship#between#the#community,#river,#and#land,#and#to#revitalize#river#and#water#knowledge#as#an#intergenerational#intellectual#tradition.#Community#elders#and#knowledge#keepers#were#invited#to#share#their#stories#and#knowledge#about#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#and#to#give#witness#of#the#changes#that#have#occurred#in#their#lifetimes.#This#project#used#a#holistic#approach#to#incorporate#stories,#testimonios,#life#histories,#emplaced#and#embodied#experiences#to#understand#the#many#meanings#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#to#the#community#of#Laredo/Nuevo#Laredo.##Community#stories#provided#insight#into#how#the#river#and#the#land#have#shaped#how#we#understand#ourselves#as#a#community#of#diverse#Indigenous#peoples.#The#stories#of#our#collective#memory#were#then#used#as#the#basis#of#a#river]based#approach#to#pedagogy,#as#understood#through#the#eyes#of#sixth]grade#science#teacher#from#and#of#the#frontera#community.#This#project#intended:##\u00E2\u0080\u00A2# To#document#and#understand#the#local#relationships#among#the#people,#the#land,#and#watersr#\u00E2\u0080\u00A2# To#restore#an#intergenerational#practice#of#traditional#ecological#knowledge,#focusing#on#water#and#ecologies#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravor#and#\u00E2\u0080\u00A2# To#explore#remembrance#and#restorying#as#approaches#toward##Indigenous#revitalization#in#the#context#of#ongoing#colonization,#environmental#racism,#and#exploitation,#which#have#impacted#the#peoples,#the#river,#and#the#land.##13#1.4! Research!Questions!This#project#asks#the#following#questions:#1.# How#do#Indigenous#people#who#live#along#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#understand#and#talk#about#the#river?#2.# What#is#the#relationship#of#water#to#the#people,#in#their#lives,#and#in#their#communities?#3.# How#might#these#relationships#inform#a#culturally]relevant#and#intergenerational#pedagogy#that#shares#Indigenous#intellectual#traditions#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo?#How#might#this#pedagogy#be#shaped#of/by/with/through#the#traditional#knowledge#of#water?#1.5! Significance!Colonization#is#ongoing,#including#the#multi]level,#structural#erasure,#silencing,#and#displacement#of#Indigenous#peoples#and#knowledges#from#the#land.##The#greatest#significance#of#this#project#lies#in#the#timeliness#of#the#focus:###\u00E2\u0080\u00A2# Our#collective#past:#Many#community#elders#and#knowledge#keepers#are#still#with#us,#and#remember#when#our#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#was#our#sacred#water,#before#the#current#era#of#colonial#occupationr#and##\u00E2\u0080\u00A2# Our#collective#future:#More#and#more#communities#are#moving#toward#culturally]centric#educational#practices#to#support#their#young#learners,#in#spite#of#legal#maneuvering#to#maintain#the#whitewashed#status#quo#in#education.##To#understand#the#importance#of#the#work,#we#must#begin#with#a#bit#of#context#to#situate#how#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#is#understood#by#mainstream#US#society.###14#Common#portrayals#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#in#the#dominant#US#media#use#the#river#primarily#as#a#line#to#mark#the#division#between#us]versus]them,#American]versus]Mexican,#and#first]world]versus]third]world#(Campbell#&#Heyman,#2007r#Elenes,#2002r#Santa#Ana,#2002).#The#two#sides#of#the#line#are#emphasized#in#news#stories#to#suggest#a#binary,#which#aligns#with#Eurocentric#and#Cartesian#thinking17.##Ahistorical,#oppositional#thinking#is#applied#to#the#people#as#easily#as#it#is#to#the#land,#making#assumptions#about#the#communities#using#the#terms#Latina/o,#Hispanic,#and/or#Mexican,#problematically#conflating#race,#ethnicity,#geography,#and#linguistic#abilities#across#multiple#distinct#populations#(Santa#Ana,#2002r#Tabuenca]Cordoba,#2005).#As#a#result,#each#of#these#terms#has#historically#been#used#to#erase#or#assimilate#the#various#Indigenous#peoples#for#whom#the#river#is#shared#ancestral#territory18.#Furthermore,#these#misrepresentations#are#so#often#repeated,#they#are#often#assumed#to#be#truths#(Santa#Ana,#2002r#Torres#&#Mercado,#2006r#Trofanenko,#2008),#normalizing#the#historical#and#ongoing#colonial#dynamics,#misconceptions,#and#political#(settler)#agendas#in#the#greater#borderland#region#(Irwin,#2013r#Tabuena]Cordoba,#2005).#The#predominance#of#the#white]supremacist#colonial#system#has#shaped#acceptable#categories#of#identity#(Gross,#2003r#Menchaca,#1993r#Salda\u00C3\u00B1a]Portillo,#2017),#has#erased#Indigenous#and/or#ancestral#names#(Galindo,#2003r#Mancias#&#Torres,#2015)#and#has#been#internalized#through#the#generations#under#the#threats#of#violence#(Campbell#&#Heyman,#2007r#Maestas,#############################################17#By#contrast,#in#Indigenous#philosophy,#the#river#would#be#considered#as#a#system#of#relationships.##18#An#expanded#discussion#of#this#appears#in#Chapter#2.###15#2003).#While#many#community#members#know#their#Indigenous#ancestry,#there#may#not#be#a#cohesive#cultural#or#linguistic#community#to#which#they#belong.19#While#dealing#with#stereotypes#and#racist#microaggressions#are#certainly#taxing#on#individuals,#the#implications#of#normalizing#and#internalizing#the#dominant,#racialized#system#as#a#community#are#far]reaching.#Decisions#made#by#misinformed#politicians#dramatically#impact#the#daily#reality#of#everyone#living#in#border#communities,#regardless#of#identity.##Consider#the#following#systemic#policy]level#decisions,#and#material#reality#that#are#the#results:#\u00E2\u0080\u00A2# In#May#of#2017,#President#Trump#signed#the#Consolidated#Appropriations#Act#of#2017,#granting#the#Department#of#Homeland#Security#$42.4#billion#(US#Department#of#Homeland#Security,#2017).##\u00E2\u0080\u00A2# The#US#spends#roughly#$19#billion#on#border#security,#principally#to#manage#the#US#Mexico#border#(Schneider,#2016),#funding#the#US#Border#Patrol#and#US#Immigration#and#Customs#Enforcement#Agencies,#who#employ#more#than#49,000#enforcement#personnel#(American#Immigration#Council,#2017).#\u00E2\u0080\u00A2# Even#though#the#federal#government#has#jurisdiction#over#the#US#Mexico#border,#the#state#of#Texas#spent#an#additional#$800#million#in#the#2016]2017#budget#to#supplement#border#enforcement#with#Texas#State#Troopers,#Texas#Rangers,#special#agents#of#the#Department#of#Public#############################################19#An#expanded#discussion#of#this#appears#in#Chapter#2.##16#Safety,#Texas#National#Guard,#and#Texas#State#Game#Wardens#(Schneider,#2016).##\u00E2\u0080\u00A2# The#cost#of#building#the#Trump#Administration's#border#wall#is#estimated#to##be#approximately#$21.6#billion,#which#only#accounts#for#initial#construction,#not#including#annual#maintenance,#personnel,#or#environmental#remediation#(Shabad,#2017).#For#frontera#residents#living#in#border#communities,#homeland#security#has#produced#a#daily,#racially]charged,#military#occupation#of#the#places#we#call#home.#Billions#of#dollars#have#been#spent#to#occupy#the#US#Mexico#border#with#personnel,#surveillance#technology#and#the#construction#of#a#border#wall#by#multiple#levels#of#government,#with#little#to#no#knowledge#of#relational#ecologies#nourished#on#both#sides#of#the#river,#or#interrelated#peoples#on#both#sides#of#the#border.#Our#relationships#to#the#river,#the#land,#and#each#other#as#riverside#communities#are#forever#changed#by#the#colonial#apartheid#structures,#but#the#people#have#not#forgotten#that#this#current#hegemonic#occupation#is#not#normal.###For#much#of#the#population#of#the#southwest,#who#are#of#IndigenousMexicanAmerican20#descent,#the#politics#of#identity#have#always#been#historically#dangerous#(EagleWoman,#2008r#Irwin,#2013r#Montoya,#1994),#and#yet#cultural#traditions#based#in#traditional#knowledge#have#survived#(Anzald\u00C3\u00BAa,#1999r#Maestas,#2003r#Tabuenca]Cordoba,#2005).#Although#individuals#may#choose#to#self]identify#in#many#diverse#ways#(depending#on#the#context#and#depending#on#############################################20#IndigenousMexicanAmerican#is#written#as#a#run]on#phrase#to#indicate#the#confluence#of#these#identities.###17#who#is#asking)#the#stories,#practices,#songs,#testimonies,#and#uses#of#language#connect#them#as#fronterizxs21#to#the#collective#and#blood#memories#of#land]based#cultures#that#predate#colonization.##In#this#way,#this#project#seeks#to#reinvigorate#the#conversation#around#Indigenous#knowledge,#drawing#strength#from#the#connections#to#the#ancestral#intellectual#traditions#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#not#as#a#singular#entity,#but#as#a#diverse#and#poly]vocal#network#of#communities.##As#an#Indigenous#scholar,#part#of#my#work#is#to#recognize#that#\"ecocide#and#ethnocide#go#hand#in#hand\"#(Pe\u00C3\u00B1a,#1998,#p.#14r#Cannella#&#Manuelito,#2008).#In#other#words,#destruction#of#the#land,#and#of#traditional#knowledge#of#the#land,#often#occurs#simultaneously#with#the#destruction#of#culture,#and#the#traditional#knowledge#embedded#in#that#culture.#The#systemic#violence#of#colonization#can#be#seen#in#how#both#private#and#public#lands#are#taken#and#occupied#in#the#name#of#national#security,#and#also#in#how#our#children#are#assimilated#by#Eurocentric#educational#institutions.#The#disappearance#of#Indigenous#peoples,#knowledge,#and#lands#happens#simultaneously#in#multiple#ways#in#educational#contexts,#from#the#interpersonal,#to#the#curricular,#to#the#programmatic,#and#to#the#legal#rights#and#structures#upheld#as#dominant.#In#public#school#classrooms#across#the#nation,#which#include#a#growing#population#of#Latinx#children22,#mandated#curricula#standards#normalize#colonial#worldviews#and#histories#as#the#natural#and#inevitable#outcome#of#human#progress#(Palacios,#2012).#In#Texas#state#history#standards,#Indigenous#pre]############################################21#Borderland#residents.#Further#discussion#of#this#term#is#in#Chapter#3.#22#They#are#generalized#as#Latinx#students,#but#can#also#be#understood#to#be#of#diverse#Indigenous]to]the]Americas#ancestries.##18#colonial#civilizations#are#relegated#to#ancient#histories#(Diaz,#2014r#Iasevol,#2017),#are#framed#by#the#patriotic#colonial#mythology#as#inferior#and#barbaric#(Godina,#2003r#Maestas,#2003),#or#are#altogether#missing#(Hernandes,#2005r#Noboa,#2013).##Indigenous#Mesoamerican#intellectual#traditions#are#not#considered#foundational#to#the#curriculum#(Acosta,#2014r#Godina,#2003),#unless#they#assimilate#(Montoya,#1994)#or#can#be#appropriated#by#(Calder\u00C3\u00B3n,#2014),#and#made#palatable#to#(bells,#1992)#the#Whitestream#norm.##In#this#way,#today\u00E2\u0080\u0099s#youth#are#the#targets#of#an#ongoing#ethnocide,#as#their#right#to#learn#the#Indigenous#knowledge#that#affirms#their#identity,#inalienable#human#rights,#and#strengthens#their#connection#to#their#ancestral#territories#are#at#risk.##One#well]documented#example#of#how#education#is#often#coopted#for#the#purpose#of#colonization#took#place#in#2010,#when#Republican#lawmakers#Tom#Horne#and#John#Huppenthal#wrote#legislation#in#Arizona#targeting#the#removal#of#the#Mexican]American#Studies#(MAS#or#Raza)#Program#at#Tucson#High#School#(Esquivel#&#Santa#Cruz,#2010).#Educator#Curtis#Acosta#explains#that#because#88%#of#the#student#body#was#considered#Latino/Hispanic#and#at]risk,#the#MAS#program#was#designed#to#draw#from#Indigenous#Mesoamerican#epistemologies#to#\"rehumanize#the#educational#experience\"#(Acosta,#2014,#p.#4r#Godina,#2003).##Pedagogical#praxes#were#based#on#trust,#authentic#caring,#and#justice,#so#that#education#could#move#toward#liberation#in#guiding#students#as#critical#and#engaged#community#members#(Acosta,#2014r#Rodriguez,#2011r#Romero,#Arce,#&#Camarota,#2009).#The#documentary#film#Precious*Knowledge*(2011)#explores#the#culturally]relevant#pedagogies#and#remarkable#success#of#the#MAS#program.#In##19#the#film,#Horne#goes#on#record#describing##(Toscano#Villanueva,#2013)#Studies#as#\"divisive#and#unAmerican\u00E2\u0080\u009D23#(Khimm,#2010r#McGinnis#&#Palos,#2011r#McKechnie#&#Riechers,#2017r#Shaheed,#20131).#The#lawmaker#claimed#that#classes#were#radicalizing#students,#promoting#racial#animosity,#and#promoting#the#overthrow#of#the#US#government#(Depenbrock,#2017r#McKechnie#&#Riechers,#2011r#Santa#Cruz,#2010).#In#2012,#the#bill#was#passed#into#law#based#on#the#mistaken#notion#that#teaching#the#pre]colonial#history#of#our#country#is#damaging,#extraneous,#and#confusing#to#students#(Depenbrock,#2017r#Khimm,#2010r#Shaheed,#2013).#In#spite#of#their#remarkable#93%#high#school#graduation#rate#(Acosta,#2014r#McKechnie#&#Riechers,#2017),#the#MAS#program#at#Tucson#High#School#was#shut#down#in#2012#under#the#threat#of#the#school#losing#all#state#funding#(Kaleem,#2017r#Santa#Cruz,#2010).##The#students#of#Tucson#High#lost#a#significant,#critical#and#culturally]relevant#school#program,#and#watched#as#teachers,#student#leaders,#and#supportive#community#members#were#marginalized#in#the#years#that#followed#the#passing#of#the#law#(Depenbrock,#2017r#McKechnie#&#Riechers,#2011).##In#August#of#2017,#a#federal#appellate#judge#named#A.#Wallace#Tashima#sided#with#the#students#of#Tucson,#deciding#that#the#law#was#discriminatory#against#the#Mexican]American#students#in#both#enactment#and#enforcement,#and#also#interfered#with#their#Constitutional#rights#(Harris,#2017r#Kaleem,#2017).#While#the#legal#victory#is#important,#the#media#coverage#of#the#original#controversy#was#############################################23#Read#the#subtext#as:#because#Mexicans#are#considered#divisive#and#unAmerican.##20#widespread,#reinforcing#the#association#between#the#phrases**,#un5American24,*ethnic*chauvinism25,**and*reverse*racism26.##Little#has#been#done#to#correct#these#misconceptions#about#Mexican]American#studies,#or#publically#celebrate#the#success#of#ethnic#studies#courses#in#dramatically#increasing#retention#and#graduation#rates#for#at]risk#youth.#In#spite#of#this#misdirected#media#attention,#the#outcomes#are#remarkable,#inspiring#the#creation#of#educational#programs#based#in#Indigenous#Mesoamerican#intellectual#traditions#in#cities#such#as#El#Paso,#Texas,#Phoenix,#Arizona,#and#St.#Paul,#Minnesota#(Ayala,#2014,#Depenbrock,#2017,#Hermosillo,#2013r#Planas,#2013).#In#2013,#a#similar#law#was#introduced#in#Texas#by#State#Senator#Dan#Patrick,#named##SB1128,#which#would#disqualify#ethnic#studies#courses#from#counting#as#core#history#courses#toward#high#school#graduation#requirements#(Planas,#2013).#Senator#Patrick#argued#that#there#was#enough#representation#of#Latinos#in#K]12#curriculum,#and#that#Latino#history#is#not#general#Texas#or#US#history#(Hermosillo,#2013).#SB1128#was#left#to#die#in#the#83rd#Legislature.##Two#years#later,#State#Representative#Rafael#Anchia#introduced#an#act#to#the#85#Legislature,#advocating#for#the#adoption#of#content]based#curriculum#standards#for#different#ethnic#studies#courses.#In#other#words,#ethnic#studies#would#be#considered#a#valid#elective,#as#long#as#the#course#adheres#to#the#accepted#structures#decided#by#the#State#Board#of#Education.#Again,#Mexican#American#intellectual#traditions,#histories,#and#identities#would#only#be#allowed#if#it#was#############################################24#(Khimm,#2010r#McGinnis#&#Palos,#2011r#McKechnie#&#Riechers,#2011r#Shaheed,#2013)#25#(Fox#News,#2010)#26#(Ayala,#2014)###21#made#palatable#and#gained#the#approval#of#the#colonizing#Eurocentric#educational#system.#Colonization#also#manifests#in#the#form#of#educational#curricular#materials.#Take,#for#example,#the#recent#textbook#entitled#Mexican*American*Heritage#submitted#to#the#Texas#State#Board#of#Education#(TSBOE)#for#adoption#for#the#2017]2018#school#year.#The#text#was#written#by#Jaime Riddle and Valerie Angle, neither of whom#are#scholars#of#Mexican#American#studies.#It#was#published#by#Cynthia#Dunbar,#of#Momentum#Instruction,#a#former#member#of#the#Texas#State#Board#of#Education,#known#for#her#far]right#conservative#criticisms#of#public#education#(S\u00C3\u00A1enz,#2016).#According#to#Dunbar,#Mexican#American#scholars,#historians,#or#communities#were#not#consulted#in#the#development#of#the#content#in#order#to#avoid#bias#(Oyeniyi,#2016).#The#resulting#text#was#so#inaccurate,#it#had#the#potential#to#do#more#harm#than#good#to#the#Texas'#growing#majority#of#Mexican]American#students.#In#response,#a#group#of#academics#and#concerned#community#members#joined#to#form#the#Responsible#Ethnic#Studies#Textbook#Coalition,#to#give#the#text#a#thorough#critique.#The#coalition#found#the#text#full#of#factual#errors,#racial#stereotypes,#academic#laziness,#and#cultural#insensitivity#(Michels,#2016,#S\u00C3\u00A1enz,#2016),#averaging#three#errors#per#page#(Zelinski,#2016).#Celia#Moreno,#speaking#on#behalf#of#Texas#Latino#Education#Coalition#(TLEC),#explained,##The*textbook*not*only*insults*Mexican*Americans,*but*also*African*Americans*and*other*people*of*color.*Every*parent*and*taxpayer*should*take*offense*that*such*a*poorly*researched*and*written*textbook*would*even*be*considered*for*use*in*Texas*public*schools\u00E2\u0080\u009D*(Quinn,*2016).*#22#The#text#was#met#with#widespread#protest#from#students,#educators,#and#community#members#and#was#ultimately#rejected#by#the#TSBOE#(Quinn,#2016).##Communities#across#Texas#continued#to#organize#in#support#of#accurate,#relevant,#respectful#MAS#curriculum.#Shortly#thereafter,#the#Texas#State#Board#of#Education#put#out#a#new#call#for#submissions#for#MAS#textbook#materials.##Professor#Tony#Diaz#helped#to#organize#a#team#of#scholars,#committed#educators#and#organizations#to#create#a#text#called#the#Mexican*American*Studies*Toolkit.*In#August#of#2017,#the#TSBOE#rejected#the#draft#and#requested#revisions#to#the#text,#citing#lack#of#critical#thinking#and#interdisciplinarity#in#the#social#studies#content#(Iasevol,#2017).#An#additional#100#pages#of#content#were#added#to#address#all#of#the#requested#revisions,#created#through#consultations#with#the#Texas#Education#Association,#professors#and#educators,#and#concerned#community#members.##It#spite#of#these#efforts,#the#TSBOE#rejected#the#text#a#second#time#in#November#of#2017.#As#the#state#that#sets#the#standard#for#textbook#adoptions#across#the#country,#Texas#has#strategically#avoided#legitimating#or#establishing#standards#for#MAS.#As#such,#Mexican#American#studies#in#the#state#of#Texas#are#on#hold#indefinitely#for#lack#of#\"satisfactory\"#textbook#materials#or#clear#curriculum#standards#(Diaz,#2017).#In#spite#of#the#legal#setback,#demand#for#culturally]centric#content#and#pedagogical#practices#has#increased#in#the#last#few#years#to#meet#the#needs#of#diverse#student#populations.##In#each#of#these#examples,#we#can#see#that#the#silencing,#displacement,#and#erasure#of#Mesoamerican#intellectual#traditions#are#forms#of#violence##23#intended#to#dehumanize#and#assimilate#the#growing#population#of#Indigenous#Mexican#American#youth.#Education#(or#lack#thereof)#is#one#of#the#many#ways#in#which#colonization#removes#the#people#from#the#land,#and#land#from#the#people.#While#the#whitewashed#colonial#version#of#history#may#suggest#the#spontaneous#emergence#of#Mexicans#and#Americans#as#distinct#peoples#on#each#side#of#the#river,#Indigenous#peoples#and#knowledges#have#survived#in#relation#to#the#land,#river,#and#across#the#greater#landscape,#as#emplaced#witnesses#throughout#time.###This#project#actively#problematizes#the#dominant#generalizations#of#a#Hispanic/Latino/Spanish#south#Texas,#and#rejects#the#white]supremacist#colonial#occupation#of#the#Indigenous#communities#in#the#diverse#cultural#overlap#of#the#Texas#Mexico#borderlands.#The#work#honors#the#embodied#and#emplaced#Indigenous#borderland#perspectives#that#have#survived#in#the#collective#memories#of#community#elders#as#an#active#practice#of#decolonizing/Indigenizing#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo.#The#revitalization#of#collective#memory#creates#a#process#of#recognition#and#restoration#that#moves#toward#community#renewal.#Education,#framed#as#intergenerational#pedagogy,#works#in#the#service#of#communities,#and#honors#the#particular#strengths#and#challenges#of#holistic#learners,#embedded#in#various#layers#of#context.#Historically,#the#sharing#of#land]based#knowledges#have#ensured#the#survival#of#Indigenous#peoples#for#centuries,#directly#shaping#Indigenous#epistemologies,#language#development,#and#cultural#practices#creating#a#spiritual#landscape#across#south#Texas#(Gonzales,#2012r#Maestas,#2003).#Similarly,#the#sharing#of#land]#and#river]based##24#knowledges#has#the#potential#to#ensure#the#continued#survival#of#Indigenous#fronterizx#peoples.#The#significance#of#the#work#is#also#deeply#personal.#It#is#the#culmination#of#my#caminata#in#the#form#of#a#love#letter#to#my#home#community.#As#an#Indigenous#educator/scholar/fronteriza,#I#am#reclaiming#and#revitalizing#my#own#ancestral#knowledge,#fully#aware#of#the#nuance,#texture,#and#richness#that#may#be#invisible#to#non]Laredoans.#In#ceremony,#we#hear#the#phrase#por#todas#mis#relaciones,#for#all#my#relations.##For#me,#this#dissertation#project#is#the#active#engagement#of#traditional#teachings#por#todos#mis#relaciones#as#a#pedagogical#praxis,#inclusive#of#beings,#land,#sacred#waters,#and#other#relations#I#consider#my#ancestral#home.#Relatives,#nipaqui#nimixmati:#it#brings#joy#to#see#your#faces#and#know#your#hearts.#1.6! Positionality!This#dissertation#project#builds#upon#40#years#of#knowing#the#river#my#ancestral#home,#and#visiting#when#I#visit#my#relatives#in#Laredo.#Academically,#I've#studied#different#aspects#of#the#river,#land,#and#community#for#much#of#the#past#20#years.##My#first#interest#in#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#emerged#during#an#undergraduate#internship#at#Texas#A&M#International#University,#when#I#had#the#opportunity#to#work#in#a#toxicology#lab#in#the#summer#of#1997.##I#spent#much#of#the#summer#visiting#different#sites#along#the#riverbanks,#collecting#water#and#sediment#samples,#and#developing#both#biological#and#chemical#experiments#to#measure#the#health#of#the#river\u00E2\u0080\u0099s#ecology.#My#culminating#paper#focused#on#the#abundance#of#maquiladoras#along#the#river,#presence#of#heavy#metals#in#the##25#wastewaters#of#such#operations,#and#the#longitudinal#effects#on#ecological#and#public#health.###The#combination#of#dangerous,#low]wage#manufacturing#jobs#and#lax#environmental#law#enforcement#along#the#border#has#made#the#entire#region#susceptible#to#serious#environmental#injustices#(Grineski#&#Collins,#2010r#Johnson#&#Niemeyer,#2008)#and#human#rights#abuses.##As#a#result,#water]borne#illnesses#(gastrointestinal#illness,#cholera)#as#well#as#water]related#illnesses#(malaria,#dengue)#are#significantly#higher#along#the#border#than#in#the#rest#of#Texas,#as#are#respiratory#conditions,#neurological#disorders,#and#skin#irritations#related#to#direct#contact#with#industrial#tailings#(Grineski#&#Collins,#2010r#Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz,#Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz,#&#Arcak,#2010).#In#communities#all#along#the#Rio#Grande,#healthy,#potable#water#is#available#to#those#who#can#afford#it,#but#devastatingly#unavailable#to#many#who#cannot#(Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz,#2010).#As#a#fronteriza,#the#rationale#for#critical#work#was#personal]#it#is#not#just#data#connected#to#a#notion#of#danger.##My#community#is#directly#impacted#by#these#hazards,#and#my#family#drinks#the#water#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo.#My#Master\u00E2\u0080\u0099s#thesis#documented#the#work#of#a#project#called#The#Texas#A&M#University#Water#Project,#which#was#an#interdisciplinary#collaboration#between#educators,#artists,#engineers,#and#community#advocates#in#the#service#of#community#members#with#limited#access#to#potable#water.#Collaborators#met##26#weekly#for#the#purpose#of#increasing#access#to#potable#water#in#colonias27#along#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#(Mu\u00C3\u00B1oz,#2010).##Some#weeks,#we#would#share#knowledge#from#our#respective#fields,#other#weeks,#we'd#build#various#types#of#water#filters,#working#with#non]proprietary,#open]source,#appropriate#technology#that#could#be#implemented#in#rural#communities#immediately.#I#theorized#a#non]formal#learning#framework,#which#I#called#critical#environmental#justice,#as#the#lens#with#which#to#understand#the#content,#context,#and#collaborative#learning#process#specific#to#the#work#of#The#TAMU#Water#Project.##In#the#research#process#for#my#Master's#thesis,#I#found#that#academic#literatures#in#the#areas#of#colonias,#rural#public#health,#and#water#accessibility#tended#to#focus#on#objective,#observable,#text]based,#intellectualized#understandings#of#water,#often#devoid#of#context,#relationships,#and#other#ways#that#people#learn#and#understand#their#world.##In#retrospect,#one#of#the#limitations#of#my#Master\u00E2\u0080\u0099s#thesis#was#that#I#examined#the#economic,#legal,#political,#and#rights]based#approaches#to#the#global#water#disparities,#to#the#exclusion#of#other#ways#of#knowing#water.##While#academically#sound,#the#thesis#turned#toward#documenting#and#theorizing#one#case#study#as#an#example#of#critical#environmental#justice,#which#spoke#to#academia,#but#not#to#the#border#itself.#The#theoretical#framework#lacked#borderland#voices,#borderland#relationships,#and#borderland#ways#of#knowing,#forcing#the#borderland#case#study#to#fit#within#the#narrow#confines#of#Eurocentric#academic#expectations.##############################################27#Colonias#are#rural#communities#along#the#border#with#varying#access#to#such#things#as#running#water,#electricity,#and#paved#roads.#Residents#are#usually#American#citizens#experiencing#intergenerational#economic#disadvantage.###27#My#doctoral#research#is#still#concerned#with#water#in/of/along#the#frontera.28#This#project#holistically#recognizes#people,#and#their#cultural#and#spiritual#practices#as#a#part#of#their#ecological#system,#rather#than#separate#from#it#(LaDuke,1994r#Pe\u00C3\u00B1a,#2005),#myself#included.##I#am#writing#from#home.##I#am#engaging#with#and#including#my#relatives.#I#am#including#teachings#from#my#own#ceremonial#practices,#inviting#my#ceremonial#elders#to#witness#my#project.#I#am#intentionally#including#deeply#personal#aspects#of#my#life#as#an#intervention#that#explicitly#challenges#the#normalized#and#default#Eurocentric#approaches#to#research,#moving#away#from#thinking#about#water#toward#feeling,#perceiving,#and#being]in]relation#to#water.#My#own#family#history#includes#the#Indigenous#and#colonial#histories#of#Laredo,#Texas.#In#the#words#of#Patricia#Gonzales,#\"I#write#as#an#ancestor#to#the#future\u00E2\u0080\u009D#(2012,#p.#12).#In#one#single#sentence,#Gonzales#captures#my#own#sense#of#responsibility#in#the#service#of#my#community.#I#write#to#remind#myself#of#the#teachings,#past#and#present,#to#honor#the#elders#while#they#are#still#with#us.##I#write#to#revitalize#the#traditional#knowledges#of#waters#that#have#nourished#my#community#since#time#immemorial.#I#write#to#witness#the#river.#I#write#to#disrupt#the#national#narrative#of#border#life.##Most#importantly,#I#write#to#remember#and#share#with#my#daughter,#who#may#never#know#our#ancestral#waters#first]hand.#To#prepare#myself#for#the#responsibility#of#this#work,#I#must#be#a#good#relation#to#the#communities#that#nurture#my#learning#spirit.#By#honoring#my#############################################28#I#am#intentionally#switching#from#borderland#to#frontera#here.##While#borderlands#is#a#term#that#carries#many#expectations#of#academic#ways#of#knowing,#frontera/o/x#is#a#term#that#prioritizes#embodied#and#emplaced#frontera#ways#of#knowing#to#a#frontera#audience.###28#community#relations#and#recognizing#the#multiple#ways#of#knowing#and#being]in]the]world,#my#positionality#necessitates#that#I#consider#knowledges#pluralistically#and#holistically,#enacting#research#that#reciprocates#in#the#service#of#my#communities.##As#such,#research#entails#braiding,#bridging,#and/or#recognizing#the#irreconcilable#aspects#in#the#process#of#coming#to#know,#and#navigating#the#concentric#and#intersecting#contexts#as#an#act#of#resistance#against#marginalization#and#erasure.##The#process#of#restorying#is#hopeful.##It#has#the#potential#to#re]define,#re]create,#and#re]vitalize#the#ancestral#understandings#of#the#frontera#as#a#network#of#interrelated#relational#ecologies.#While#the#process(es)#of#colonization#cannot#be#reversed,#reactivating#traditional#ecological#knowledges#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#can#rejuvenate#our#responsibilities#to#our#local#relational#ecologies,#creating#a#critical#mass#of#engaged,#diverse#fronterizxs#inspired#to#fight#for#the#health#and#recuperation#of#our#river#and#our#communities.#Reconceptualized#in#this#way,#education#is#repurposed#from#a#system#that#perpetuates#the#hegemony#of#colonization#and#Indigenous#erasure,#into#a#tool#of#decolonization#and#Indigenization#focused#on#our#collective#well]being#and#futures.#1.7! Delimitations!This#project#will#not#focus#on#demographics#to#shape#the#concepts#of#Indigenous#identity.##This#project#is#not#intended#as#a#bid#for#federal#recognition.#This#project#is#not#intended#to#suggest#a#water#solution#for#the#thirsty#world#population.#This#project#is#not#an#exploration#of#sacred#practices#or#places.#This#project#will#not#focus#on,#or#generalize#across,#the#greater#borderland#region.###29#1.8! Assumptions!One#of#the#blind#spots#built#into#the#project#is#the#fact#that#it#was#thought,#completed,#and#represented#in#English#and#Spanish,#both#of#which#are#colonial#languages.##The#literature#woven#throughout#the#text#is#composed#almost#entirely#of#English]written#resources,#authored#by#both#US#and#Canadian#scholars,#as#these#are#the#expected#bodies#of#literature#reflecting#my#education#in#the#U.S.#and#in#Canada.#I#moved#forward#with#the#assumption#that#the#combination#of#English#and#Spanish#would#be#able#to#adequately#convey#Indigenous#epistemology.#Neither#I,#nor#any#of#the#community#participants#is#fluent#in#any#Indigenous#language#to#the#point#of#thinking#in#that#language29.#While#some#of#the#analysis#touches#on#the#fact#that#the#project#was#not#conceived#in#one#of#Texas'#Indigenous#languages#such#as#Carrizo,#Nahuatl,#Coahuilteca,#or#Nde',#it#was#necessary#to#start#somewhere.##Perhaps#in#future#work,#the#project#can#be#reimagined#in#an#Indigenous#language.###1.9! Organization!of!the!Thesis!In#place#of#a#formal#literature#review#chapter,#important#concepts#are#defined#in#the#glossary,#and#pertinent#literature#has#been#woven#throughout#the#text,#including#aspects#of#discussion#and#critique.#This#approach#honors#the#community#testimonios#as#the#primary#source#of#knowing,#such#that#academic#references#and#my#own#commentaries#work#to#uphold#and#create#approaches#for#understanding#without#dominating#as#authoritative#voices#in#the#thesis#text.###############################################29#While#there#are#a#few#Native#language#speakers,#the#level#of#proficiency#is#thinking#in#English#or#Spanish#and#translating#it#into#the#Native#language.####30#Chapter#2:#Introduction#to#the#Land,#River,#and#Community#provides#an#overview#of#the#Laredo/Nuevo#Laredo#community,#building#contexts#for#understanding#the#irreconcilable#dynamics#of#living#on#the#banks#of#a#river#that#is#also#an#international#border.#The#chapter#is#conversational,#and#weaves#an#assemblage#of#history,#maps,#photos,#and#testimonies#from#community#members#as#a#gentle#introduction#to#the#nuance#and#texture#that#emerge#from#the#relationships#between#the#land,#river,#and#people#in#my#community.###Chapter#3#is#called#An#Indigenous#Fronterizx#Cosmography#as#Theoretical#Framework.##In#this#chapter,#I#present#an#Indigenous#Fronterizx#Cosmography#as#the#theoretical#foundation,#detailing#the#braid#of#Indigenous#epistemologies,#Xicanx#ontologies,#and#Borderland#positionalities#that#are#crucial#for#understanding#life#along#the#frontera.#The#term#cosmography#refers#to#the#process#of#uncovering#the#ancestral#landscapes#where#our#community#stories#and#testimonios#were#lived,#and#how#these#landmarks#of#our#collective#memory#map#places#in#our#oral#intellectual#traditions.##Chapter#4:#Fronterawork#Methodology#uses#pedagogy]making#as#a#guide#for#research#design.#As#a#person#with#deep#roots#in#the#Laredo/Nuevo#Laredo#community,#I#outlined#the#culturally]based#concepts#and#respectful#community#protocols#used#to#complete#the#project,#cognizant#of#the#political,#racial,#and#environmental#implications#of#asking#an#arguably#vulnerable#community#to#go#on#the#record#and#give#testimonios#of#our#river/border#home.###In#Chapter#5:#Our#Teachings#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo,#I#share#how#community#elders#talk#about#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo.##The#excerpts#from#their##31#testimonios#are#organized#into#streams#of#thought,#using#the#behavior#of#a#wide,#fast]moving#river#to#describe#the#ways#that#their#stories#flow#in#and#out#of#River]as]Water#Thinking#and#River]as]Border#Thinking.##The#testimonios#of#our#community#elders#and#knowledge]keepers#are#honored#as#the#fundamental#source#of#knowledge,#out#of#which#the#findings#and#pedagogy#emerge.###Chapter#6:#Metacognitive#Considerations,#offers#an#analysis#of#how#our#local#understanding#of#the#Rio#Grande/Rio#Bravo#has#changed#over#time.#Often,#community#participants#responded#to#the#question#of#changes#over#time#through#stories,#offering#their#lived#experiences#comparing#river#memories#with#border#memories.##This#chapter#examines#the#timeliness#of#remembering#the#River]as]Water,#and#clarifies#the#teachings#our#elders#wish#to#share#with#young#learners.#As#a#fronteriza/educator/activist/scholar/granddaughter/daughter/mother,#Chapter#7:#An#Indigenous#Fronterizx#Pedagogy#of#Water#details#my#pedagogical#response#to#the#words#of#my#elders.#My#pedagogy]making#and#the#resulting#pedagogy#of#water#demonstrate#the#generation#of#new#knowledges#that#embody,#emplace,#and#enliven#the#ancestral#knowledges#that#have#survived#in#our#collective#memory#as#enduring#Mesoamerican#intellectual#traditions.##In#Chapter#8,#the#Conclusion#chapter,#I#offer#a#concise#review#of#the#project,#and#elaborate#upon#the#contributions#of#the#project#to#land,#river,#community,#and#educational#conversations,#and#offer#concluding#reflections.###32#Chapter!2:!Introduction!to!the!Land,!River!and!Community!This#project#is#based#on#collective#remembering,#sharing#stories#and#testimonies,#listening,#and#making#connections#between#the#land,#river,#and#the#Indigenous#peoples#who#live#in#Laredo,#Texas.#Indigenous#knowledge#has#survived#in#our#collective#memory#in#spite#of#the#devastation#of#de]tribalization,#official#accounts#of#Indigenous#extinction,#and#myriad#ways#that#community#members#self]identify30.#Intentionally,#this#is#not#a#(strictly)#history#chapter,#nor#is#it#a#chapter#intended#to#rely#on#colonial#classifications31#of#Indigenous#identity.#Instead,#it#is#a#manifestation#of#collective#memory#in#the#form#of#histories,#maps,#photos#and#stories#arranged#in#conversation#with#each#other#to#give#shape#to#the#Indigenous#community#and#Indigenous#knowledges#that#have#survived.###Specifically,#I#started#with#a#historical#narrative,#and#wove#the#images,#personal#photos,#and#the#voices#of#my#community#into#it,#as#a#way#of#making#space#for#the#embodied,#holistic,#emotional,#and#spiritual#elements#of#collective#remembering.##In#this#chapter,#we#will#meet#a#few#of#the#community#knowledge]keepers32,#through#their#direct#quotes,#as#they#narrate#community#histories,#both#shared#and#personal.##Understandably,#the#process#is#creative,#intuitive,#and#shaped#by#contexts#of#my#community#participants,#and#will#serve#to#guide#our#way#through#the#memoryscape#(Ria\u00C3\u00B1o]Alcal\u00C3\u00A1#&#Baines,#2011)#of#Laredo,#Texas.##############################################30#As#will#be#discussed#in#Chapter#4:#Fronterawork#Methodology,#all#participants#self]identified#as#having#Indigenous#ancestry,#though#some#were#more#comfortable#with#Mexican,#Mexican]American,#American,#Indigenous,#Carrizo,#Coahuilteco,#Apache,#Hispanic,#Latina/o#or#other#such#designation.#31#The#fraught#nature#of#imposed#colonial#systems#of#identity#will#be#discussed#in#Chapter#3.##32#A#closer#examination#of#participant#testimonios#will#be#examined#in#Chapter#5:#Our#Teachings.###33#2.1! Shared!Ancestral!Territories!I#was#taught#to#begin#with#the#ancestral#languages#so#that#the#land#understands#when#we#call#it#by#name.#In#Carrizo/Comecrudo#language,#the#land#is#called#Somi'#Sek#(Mancias#&#Torres,#2015).#In#English,#we#call#most#of#the#territory#Texas.#Told#in#its#long#form,#the#history#of#Texas#begins#with#Native#peoples,#and#their#relationships#to#the#land.#The#particular#ecosystems#found#across#the#territory#include#arid#scrub#lands#bounded#by#the#Great#Plains#to#the#north,#the#Gulf#Coast#and#piney#forests#to#the#east,#the#Sierra#Madre#Occidental#mountains#to#the#south,#and#the#Chihuahuan#desert#to#the#west.#These#ecoregions#dictated#the#cultural#practices#of#the#many#Native#peoples,#who#lived#in#familial#bands#and#strategically#moved#according#to#seasonal#pressures#(Galindo,#2003r#Maestas,#2003r#Swanton,#1940).##Resources#such#as#chert,#pecans,#white]tailed#deer,#and#bison#were#traded#extensively,#creating#elaborate#networks#that#included#established#community#meeting#areas#connected#by#well]worn#routes,#passed#down#through#the#generations.#Familial#bands#lived,#travelled,#made#alliances,#waged#wars,#and#lived#in#complex#societies#for#thousands#of#years#before#the#arrival#of#the#European#colonists.#Of#critical#importance#for#the#purpose#of#this#study#is#the#notion#that#Mesoamerican#intellectual#traditions#were#based#on#many#generations#of#being]in]relation#with#the#land,#not#as#a#magically#imbued#Native#power,#but#as#the#accumulation#of#thousands#of#years#of#intergenerational#land]based#knowledge.###34#2.2! Colonial!Encounters!The#three#Eurocentric#concepts#that#fueled#colonization#of#the#Americas#were#the#Doctrine#of#Discovery33,#Terra#Nullius34,#and#Manifest#Destiny35,#used#in#combination#to#claim#a#divine*right#over#the#unused,*empty#land#occupied#by#heathen#and#uncivil#people#(Arvin,#Tuck,#&#Morrill,#2013r#Calder\u00C3\u00B3n,#2014r#UN#Permanent#Forum#on#Indigenous#Issues,#2012).#Although#the#land#was#neither#empty#nor#unused,#the#United#States#of#America#was#built#on#these#concepts#to#dehumanize#Indigenous#peoples,#constructing#a#framework#of#European#racial#superiority#(Calder\u00C3\u00B3n,#2014r#Rodr\u00C3\u00ADguez#Diaz,#2003),#gender#violence#(Arvin,#Tuck,#&#Morrill,#2013r#Gaspar#de#Alba#&#Guzman,#2010r#Smith,#2011),#and#entitlement,#wrapped#in#religious#rhetoric.##As#legal#precedents,#these#three#concepts#have#been#invoked#repeatedly#in#the#last#500#years#to#strip#rights#and#protections#from#Indigenous#peoples#for#the#economic#gain#of#various#settler#societies#(Arvin,#Tuck,#&#Morrill,#2013r#Hernandez,#2001),#and#continue#to#be#used#as#precedents#to#this#day#(City*of*Sherrill*v*Oneida*Indian*Nation*of*New*York,*2005,*conflict*at*Standing*Rock*over*the*Dakota*Access*Pipeline).##Upon#arriving#in#Texas,#many#of#the#Spanish#explorers#wrote#detailed#accounts#of#the#people#and#landscape,#trying#to#make#sense#of#what#they#were#seeing#through#Eurocentric#eyes#to#justify#their#endeavors#(Maestas,#2003).#############################################33#Papal#decree#establishing#Spain's#exclusive#rights#to#claiming#the#New#World#for#the#Catholic#Church.#34#Latin#for#\"No#one's#land\",#regarding#land#that#has#no#known/recognized#sovereign.#35#Colonial#occupation#from#coast#to#coast#as#a#divine#American#fate.#!35!! !Figure!4:!Ethnolinguistic!Distribution!of!Native!Texas!Indians!!!(Used!by!permission!of!the!University!of!Texas!Libraries,!The!University!of!Texas!at!Austin.)!36!Missionaries!also!documented!the!systemic!underreporting!of!the!Indigenous!population!(Maestas,!2003 "Thesis/Dissertation"@en . "2018-11"@en . "10.14288/1.0372149"@en . "eng"@en . "Educational Studies"@en . "Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library"@en . "University of British Columbia"@en . "Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International"@* . "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/"@* . "Graduate"@en . "A pedagogy of water : restorying the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo"@en . "Text"@en . "http://hdl.handle.net/2429/67242"@en .