Unsettling the Bear River Massacre: A Transformative Learning Project

Spurred by the discovery of a "forgotten" Native massacre, the author utilizes transformative learning and critical Indigenous theories to implement a decolonization education project with non-Native people. The methodology incorporated Indigenous Worldviews and ceremonial processes. Specifically, interweaving transformative learning processes with Indigenous elements such as a traditional Shoshone sweat lodge, visiting the massacre site, and listening to a Shoshone elder. These facilitated their experiential shift into Indigenous worldviews and ceremonial center. Participants in this project reported a transformation in their perspectives on the Bear River Massacre, the Shoshone-Bannock people, and the loss of their own Indigenous roots. They reported sustained behavioral change in relation to the topic and a desire to get to know Native people and their culture better.