Towards Curriculum of Renewal: Na:tinixwe Approaches From/For the Language, Land, and People

The Na:tinixwe (Hupa people), reside in what is now known as Northern California, Na:tinixw (Hoopa Valley), and spoke/speak Na:tinixwe Mixine:whe (Hupa Language). Prior to settler colonialism, education for Na:tinixwe was a life-long process guided by ninisa:n (land), k’isdiyun (elders), and kixuna:y (spirit ancestors). Settler colonial curriculum was forced on us in all aspects of Na:tinixwe life. Schooling has been especially detrimental. This article, part of a larger ongoing project, highlights Na:tinixwe grounded curriculum development and practice with Na:tinixwe youth and its implications for other Indigenous communities. These approaches move us toward a Na:tinixwe curriculum of renewal that reasserts the vitality of Na:tinixwe knowledge from/for our language, land, and people. This temporal curricular reorientation of renewal continues the work of ancestors since time immemorial and moves us away from what has been forced on us.