Rekindling the fire: The impact of Raymond Harris's work with the Plains Cree

This dissertation documents a recent aspect of Plains Cree oral history that had significant ramifications for First Nations peoples throughout Canada. It focuses on the impact of Raymond Harris, an Arapaho traditional teacher from Wyoming who worked with Cree people from Alberta and Saskatchewan, beginning in 1969 and ending in 1981. Many of the people whose lives were profoundly influenced through their relationship with Raymond Harris were at the forefront of the emerging movements of that time. These movements were centered on the reclamation of Aboriginal rights, cultural renewal, and Aboriginal healing. Some of these same people went on to become highly respected leaders in the fields of healing, education, politics, and the arts. Through a ripple effect, this core group of people have in turn facilitated and supported positive change at the individual, community and national levels. Today this legacy continues through the work of the members of the core group and through the work of individuals whose lives they have impacted.; In the process of conducting this research within the ontological and epistemological context that it exists, the author has articulated A Conceptual Framework of Indigenous Knowing that reflects the work of Indigenous scholars and his own lived experience within one of the 'spiritual communities' that originated out of the work of Raymond Harris. This research was primarily conducted through the application of Indigenous research methodologies.