Date of Award
Fall 11-26-2018
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
PHD - Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Expressive Therapies
First Advisor
Mitchell Kossak
Second Advisor
Robyn Cruz
Third Advisor
Lori Lambert
Abstract
The purpose of this arts-based and Indigenous research study was to explore how Native Americans understand ‘place-based imagery’ through an Indigenous art making and storytelling experience to illuminate perspectives and experiences of a ‘sense of place’. Storywork, an Indigenous research method directed the culturally grounded research project. The Native American moccasin was the symbolic cultural catalyst used to create a multimedia art piece to express and reflect traditional cultural knowledge rooted within this symbol. Native Americans representing five federally recognized tribes participated in the study. As a result of a pilot study, a definition of place-based imagery was developed. Place-based imagery is making or creating meaning of symbols, shapes, colors, and designs, related to P-People, L-Land, A-Ancestry, C-Culture, E-Experiences that may foster, awaken and/or deepen one’s connection and understanding of self and a sense of place.
The research findings were examined and derived using an Indigenous paradigm. A culturally based understanding of a ‘sense of place’ was developed from the stories and imagery. Perspectives relating to unwavering support, an interconnection of culture and land, intergenerational knowledge transfer, deepened cultural knowledge, balance, and an understanding of a felt sense of place, emerged as a result of the moccasin making and storytelling experience. Secondly, an approach was developed using ‘response art’ as a technique that may be used to mitigate secondary trauma. The study showed that
Expressive Arts is an effective intervention used with Native Americans to inspire strength based cultural stories and images that encouraged self-understanding.
Language
English
Number of Pages
162
Recommended Citation
Carew, Colleen, "The Moccasin Project: Understanding a Sense of Place Through Indigenous Art making and Storytelling" (2018). Expressive Therapies Dissertations. 58.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_dissertations/58
Included in
Rights
The author owns the copyright to this work.
Comments
I am forever grateful for the trust and support from research participants and tribal members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes.