Through an auto-ethnographic approach, this dissertation follows the seasonal cycle tracing the cultural and spiritual resiliency within the Onondaga Nation Longhouse community. This resiliency is partly attributed to the strength of family's connections to Ongwehonweh ways of knowing and being woven within the daily and seasonal way of life at Onondaga Nation. Collective memory connects individuals, families and communities to distinct duties and responsibilities transcending across time and place. My findings point to a critical imbalance that threatens the strength of traditional language and Longhouse knowledge transmission for younger generations. Knowledge of a traditional language is required to access the depths and richness of this Ongwehonweh way of knowing and being. Drawing on insights from language immersion models and Montessori education methods, I construct a curriculum framework that supports traditional language, culture and spirituality for the upcoming generations of Ongwehonweh.
