By Xiting Tong (CS Intern)

Under the sprawling branches of ancient trees by Lake Bogoria, Elders and young people sat together. The Elders, whose faces bore the gentle lines of time, shared stories with the young generation. Their voices, though quiet, carried the weight of many years of Indigenous wisdom and experience. “I have come to learn that there are many Elders who have a lot of stories to tell, and we have to reach them through this project,” says Rodgers Kibet (Endorois), a youth from Mochongoi.

By Phoebe Farris (Powhatan-Pamunkey)

By Nati Garcia (Maya Mam, CS Staff)

By Hartman Deetz (Mashpee Wampanoag)

By Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Koĩts-Sunuwar, CS Staff) 

By Georges Dougon (Dogon, CS Staff)

By Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Koĩts-Sunuwar, CS Staff)

The importance of educating youth in their own languages about their own cultures using curricula designed by, or with the participation of, Indigenous  Peoples cannot be stressed enough. When youth are taught content in a manner that is culturally responsive to their Indigenous communities, it strengthens their identities and history, creating healthy spaces for self-determination.

By Hartman Deetz (Mashpee Wampanoag)