Nicholas Ng-A-Fook received his doctorate in curriculum and instruction at Louisiana State University, after which he began working with the United Houma Nation. He is currently Assistant Professor of Curriculum Theory at the University of Ottawa.

"Years ago when Nicholas Ng-A-Fook first came to the Houma community he asked to hear our stories. ‘What stories do you want to hear?’ we asked, and his answer was, ‘what stories do you want to tell?’ Thus began a relationship between an academic and an indigenous people that I believe can be used as a pattern for such relationships. The years he spent learning about us were also years he spent using his talents and abilities to assist the Houma people.Not only does this work document the struggles of the Houma people for educational opportunities, but also provides a testament to the commitment Nicholas Ng-A-Fook has made to the United Houma Nation."Michael "T. Mayheart" Dardar, Vice-Principal Chief of United Houma Nation

• List of Figures – Preface – Acknowledgments – Introduction: A Marsh Made of Dawn – Deconstructing a Literature of Dominance – Houma Oral Histories – A Houma Curriculum Outside the School – Surviving Louisiana’s Educational Institutions – An Indigenous Curriculum of Place – Epilogue – Appendix A Road Map of Louisiana – Appendix B Map of Louisiana Parishes – Appendix C Map of Lafourche Parish – Appendix D Map of Plaquemines Parish – Appendix E A United Houma Nation Historical Timeline – Appendix F List of Formal Interviews – References – Index.