Culture Brings Meaning to Adult Learning

Abstract

In this paper I examine program planning by integrating teachings from traditional First Nations Elders about the Medicine Wheel, narrative inquiry with adult educators, and other knowledge accumulated over thirty years of working with and for First Nations communities and organizations. The Medicine Wheel symbol is used to emphasize the cyclical nature of program planning and the relevance of meaningful cultural knowledge to the program planning process. The importance of community identity, relationships, visioning, creation, and celebration emerge from the research and the traditional teachings as important elements in a First Nations program planning process.