Acknowledgements

Ꭷ ᎢᏨᏯᎵᎡᎵᏤᏏ ka itsvyali'elitsesi (I am thankful to all of you), especially ᎠᏧᏣ ᎠᏇᏥ my son ᎠᎦᎵᏏᎦ, ᎡᏥ ᏥᎨᏳᎢ ᎦᎵᏍᎨᏫ, ᎡᏙᏓ Gary Mackey, ᎤᏓᏩᏗᏍᎬ Howard Paden, our Executive Director, and ᎢᎾᏛ JP Johnson, my friend and warrior. A very special thanks to Gary Vann, Cora Flute and Doris Shell, our fearless first speakers and young Elders. I cannot leave out K.T. ᎤᏬᎭᎵ, my work sister, the Grant Queen ᎤᎸᏌᏗ, and our Master Speakers, Jerry Ross, Phyllis Pettit, and Duke. The staff of ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᏧᎾᏓᏂᎳᎨᎢ (CLMAP), ᏗᎾᏕᏲᎲᏍᎩ ᎠᏒᏢᎢ, ᏫᏓᏤᏢᎢ ᎠᎾᏙᏢᏒᎢ, and ᏂᎦᏓ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎠᏂᏫᏒᏍᎩ. To all my extended family, friends and ᏌᎶᎵ ᎤᏅᏓᏢᎢ ᎦᏘᏲᎢ ᎠᏁᎵ, ᏩᏙ ᎦᎵᎡᎵᎦ!

A very special thank you for Dr. Rocha, Dr Peter, Dr. Hirata-Edds, and the University of Kansas ᏔᏬᏗᏝᏯᎦ, C&T faculty. Dr. Rocha made sure that I finally completed my goals, and bent over backwards to ensure I would succeed. ᎢᏨᏯᎵᎡᎵᏤᏏ!