| Summary: | Today, as it has always been, Kitayatisuk (Elders) are critical to the health and survival of our communities. This research project sought to understand the experience of Kitayatisuk as they come to know traditional, empirical, and sacred knowledge while acquiring wisdom and insight. A nation-specific methodology was devised with Métis Niheyaw and Dakota (MND) teachings, teachers, and Indigenous scholars while relying heavily on my lived experience as a Métis Niheyaw woman sharing life, ceremony and language with a Dakota husband and ceremonial leader. I employed Keeoukaywin, the Visiting Way (Gaudet, 2018) to conceptualize a Métis Niheyaw-specific approach to collecting stories from four Dakota, Anishinaabe, Cree, Blackfoot Lakota/settler Kitayatisuk, living in Manitoba. Thematic analysis was conducted by borrowing a concept from the vision quest ceremony, when I spent four days in the boreal forest, beside the lake, in solitude. There I designed and sewed a ribbon skirt that expresses the Métis Niheyaw Dakota (MND) methodology, findings and subsequent meanings. This research found that in the process of coming to know, Kitayatisuk are prepared through a childhood that provides a strong foundation in contrast to traumatic events that are followed by healing. Kitayatisuk evolve through experiences that produce a belief in sacredness, bestow a responsibility to help others, inspire a willingness to act on sacred guidance, and with the support of mentors and family. Relevant teachings and experiences that contribute to their ability to help others are found in time spent on the land, ceremonies, and serving the community. This research will better understand how Kitayatisuk come to know and how we can support them. May 2023
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