Yana wana is life : decolonizing our connection with Mother Earth through memory and reflection

This textual water ceremony is guided by the memories and reflections of encounters with Yana wana, an Indigenous name for water in Central Texas. By following the the flow of life in the water, through a textual water ceremony, we may challenge anthropocentric notions of nature and begin to think about place differently, as much more than a neutral site where knowledge is produced upon. How do the places we encounter and build relationships with influence our teaching and learning? In this case, how do the encounters with Yana wana inform the ways we may approach teaching and learning from/with Yana wana? This thesis engages decolonial work in order to think through decolonizing practices in the developing of curriculum with Yana wana over the course of a summer program with Coahuiltecan Elders in Central Texas.