Beyond Colonizing Epistemicides: Toward a Decolonizing Framework for Indigenous Education
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LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations 2019 Beyond Colonizing Epistemicides: Toward a Decolonizing Framework for Indigenous Education Samuel B. Torres Loyola Marymount University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Torres, Samuel B., "Beyond Colonizing Epistemicides: Toward a Decolonizing Framework for Indigenous Education" (2019). LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations. 895. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/895 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY Beyond Colonizing Epistemicides: Toward a Decolonizing Framework for Indigenous Education by Samuel B. Torres A dissertation presented to the Faculty of the School of Education, Loyola Marymount University, In partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education 2019 Beyond Colonizing Epistemicides: Toward a Decolonizing Framework for Indigenous Education Copyright © 2019 by Samuel B. Torres ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation is a tribute to Indigenous peoples of all continents, but especially to the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, whose resilience, strength, and dignity engage a central focus in this examination. It is vital to acknowledge and honor the people and the land of the Tongva nation, their elders both past and present, as well as future generations. Recognizing that Loyola Marymount University resides on the unceded land of the Tongva, as well as actively benefits from the exclusions and erasure of many Indigenous peoples, this acknowledgement demonstrates a challenge and a commitment to working toward dismantling the ongoing oppressive legacies of settler colonialism. Though the writing of this dissertation was composed primarily on the traditional lands of the Tongva, Potawatami, and Menominee nations, the ideas and concepts developed have emerged across even further reaches of Turtle Island. I remain humbled and grateful in the presentation of this work, a contribution that I pray will meaningfully challenge the ongoing legacy of coloniality, as we work toward repairing the relationships with one another and the lands we inhabit. Truly a shared achievement, this dissertation could not have happened without the love and solidarity of family, friends, and dear mentors. To Michelle, my dear wife and unflinching strength, whose constant support in this work has also committed to a life of social action. With not one sentence in this dissertation that you haven’t provided me with feedback on, I remain humbled, blessed, and grateful to you for being my sacred partner in all things, not the least of which is the commitment to our constant evolution and reinvention, intellectually and spiritually. Thank you for challenging me to be a better scholar, partner, father, and human being. iii To my father, earning our doctorate degrees together is a testament to the resilience of our family and our ancestors. The privilege of walking this path with you is not one I take for granted. Thank you for demonstrating a true example of a path of integrity, honor, and spiritual grounding. To my mother, you have been a constant source of inspiration, creativity, and compassion. Thank you for always inviting me to question things as they are and to push me toward carving my own path, always. To you both, thank you for showing me the many faces of love. This project exists because of how selflessly and deliberately you have nurtured my soul. To my incredible família, whom I couldn’t possibly name everyone, but especially to my grandparents, Arturo y Maura, and Evelyn and Ken, this dissertation could not have happened without your love, support, courage, and sacrifice. I am humbled by your wisdom, vision, and generosity of spirit. To my little brother, Arturo, thank you for always being there for me. I am so grateful that our journeys are constantly intersecting and that we can challenge each other in ways that push us to grow as better men together. To my bicultural big brother Arturo Acevedo, thank you for always believing in me, especially when the challenges of life seemed to overwhelm. You never lost sight of what I needed when I was struggling along this journey and, perhaps more importantly, what I needed to hear. To all my tios y primos, you know who you are, thank you for putting up with me and for loving me and supporting me endlessly. To my dissertation committee, words cannot describe how grateful I am for the constant support and solidarity you have offered me. Dr. Colín, your life and scholarship are true examples of what indigenizing education looks like and I am deeply honored to learn from you. Your solidarity, support, and feedback in the development of this project has been foundational and I look forward to further developing these ideas with you in the future. Dr. Paraskeva, I am iv deeply privileged and honored to have had the opportunity to work with you in this process. Your work has inspired me greatly and it means a great deal to me that you elected to support this journey. I am humbled and grateful to call you a mentor. To my chair Dr. Darder, thank you for inspiring me to tell this story. Your mentorship, leadership, and friendship has motivated me to think ever more deeply about the world and the relationships we share. You have fundamentally changed my life in ways that are hard to fathom. Thank you for patiently nurturing and supporting that glowing ember inside of me. To my dearest Evi, this is for you, mi amor. v DEDICATION For my Abuelita Hilaria “La-La” Quintero, whose prayers have lit the path that made this journey possible. And for my beloved daughter Evi, whose life, embodied in this work, is the creative expression and hope of our ancestors. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ iii DEDICATION.............................................................................................................................. vi LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... xii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................ 5 California Assembly Bill 738 ................................................................................................. 8 California Indian Catastrophe of 1846 to 1873....................................................................... 9 Bilingual Education in California ......................................................................................... 11 American Indian Boarding Schools ...................................................................................... 14 Curriculum, Conflict, and Power .......................................................................................... 17 The Hidden Curriculum and Epistemicides .......................................................................... 19 The Need for a Decolonizing Framework for Indigenous Education ................................... 21 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................................. 23 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 25 Conceptual Lens........................................................................................................................ 27 Critical Pedagogy .................................................................................................................. 27 Cultural politics ................................................................................................................. 28 Political economy.............................................................................................................. 29 Historicity of knowledge................................................................................................... 30 Dialectical theory .............................................................................................................. 31 Ideology and critique ........................................................................................................ 31 Hegemony, resistance, and counter-hegemony ................................................................ 32 Critical Bicultural Pedagogy ................................................................................................. 33 Methodology ............................................................................................................................