Abstract

The goal of this case study was to contribute to the survival of " yi oo pd Pagayoh" traditional knowledge. I had a two-fold objective: at the village level, to stimulate community dialogues, to facilitate discussions about the beauty of Pagayohness and the changing situations that affect the people's lives, at the personal level, to continue my spiritual journey, "Flying With The Dragon," by putting into practice the principles that I learned from my experiences with the Traditional Knowledge Program. ;I used the experiential research method with a descriptive and practical component. I also used the Interactive holistic research approach to encourage revitalization of Pagayoh traditional knowledge. The community action-and-reflection process captured the cultural affirmation that occurred throughout the research period. This was reinforced by my use of interviews, collaborative activities, participant observations, journal-keeping, and note-taking. In addition, I conducted literature reviews which integrated into the whole research document. ;The community collective inquiry component reflects the situations and contexts of the villagers. I employed circles of dialogue to enhance Pagayoh cultural values and practices; as a result, people expressed more appreciation for the richness of their Pagayoh heritage. Pagayoh stories, songs, and tribal wisdom express and explain the principles for living off the land. My cross-cultural experiences from the TKN/RIM learning community allowed me to bring a comparative component to discussions of tribal issues: My stories and experiences of tribal people from different parts of the world provided insights to their own community. By the end of the study, the villagers had heightened awareness of the issues that affect their life. I believed that the most significant outcome of my field work was their revitalization of the "ool Hta" and "oo˚d ol Liva" language. ;Throughout my dissertation project, I honored the dual subjective-objective nature of experience as integrator and I acknowledged and honored the elders and community researchers in my field work. A self-evaluation process occurred spontaneously and continually within the inquiry process. "Flying With The Dragon" had great impact on my personal awareness of who I am. I gained the ability to see things both in pieces and in relation to each other within a greater whole