luuc kʷi sx̌əčidupuɫ: Listening for the x̌əč of the Land

Abstract

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is a federally recognized tribe in Washington state that lives on highly urbanized land, and their connections to that land are being challenged by development. Using a method that combines Native language and ways of observing and analyzing with Western research paradigms, twelve members of the larger community were taken on a site tour of Puyallup Land, then invited to share their thoughts about the experience. I then analyzed the information they shared using a combination of grounded theory and Native methods. The research questions revealed that the Puyallup community relates to their land in many unexpected and complex ways, and that those relations are challenged by rapid change, including a concept I call “Layered Childhood Timescapes.” This study demonstrates the complexity and challenges of Native ways of examining the world in academic context.