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identity. In their own words, seven Kawaiisu tell about
their lives. Through their life stories, the influences and
their responses to a rapidly changing world are brought to
light and the dynamic nature of culture can be seen. Their
stories represent a historical record which has gone largely
untold. Using interviews of five Kawaiisu members gathered
in the summer of 1994 and interviews of a Kawaiisu couple
gathered by Dr. Klein in 1958, this thesis will explore the
assumption that Kawaiisu culture is "lost" by looking at why
different aspects of Kawaiisu culture were transformed or
eliminated. I maintain that the transformation of a culture
does not mean that a culture is lost. This study will also
examine the process of maintaining a Kawaiisu identity. Of
special interest is the process by which traditional
practices and life ways endure not only as reinforcers of
identity, but also as mechanisms that facilitated the
gradual, but ongoing, transformation of Kawaiisu culture to
adapt to contemporary needs.
This thesis traces over five generations some of the
interactions, the conflicting, mixing, and merging of the
Kawaiisu with the dominant white community. The goal of
this study is not to develop generalizable theories about
the processes of assimilation, loss of culture, and
maintenance of identity, but to examine one culture and
explain how the people known as Kawaiisu, undergo such
dynamic processes.