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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.