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suppress those emotions and soon came to realize that I

cannot, nor should I attempt to deny them.
Andersen and Collins (1992: 4) submit that "engaging

oneself at the personal level is critical to thinking

inclusively." Thinking inclusively involves "valuing" the

experiences of "those who have been excluded and questioning

assumptions made about all groups" (Ibid). Searching out

one's own feelings is a prerequisite to thinking

inclusively. We are a part of the social world we study and

systematic inquiry into the social world we wish to study is

essential. Careful personal reflection is a part of that

inquiry. Seen in this way, personal reflection is no less

important than analyzing the data.

To know more about ourselves, we often look to where it

is we come from. In that sense, this thesis represents a

personal endeavor for me. My experiences in researching the

history of my family have resulted in a mixture of feelings

that are difficult to describe. I feel a new connection to

my ancestors and I feel newly attached to my heritage, not

as simply "American Indian," but as a Kawaiisu.