NICOLASDissertation 12.15

i

ii

iii
©2011, Anne-Sabine Nicolas

iv
DEDICATION
À tous ceux qui m’ont encouragée jusqu’au bout,
À toute ma famille, mes amis et mes muses,
À ceux qui m’ont offert rires et sourires,
À ceux qui m’ont guidée et protégée,
À mes parents et grands-parents,
Aux curanderos et aux curanderas,
Au vent et aux nuages,
À la terre et au ciel,
Aux quatre directions,
Aux esprits de la nature,
Aux étoiles, aux oiseaux,
Aux esprits animaux,
Aux astres, aux minéraux,
Aux voix amérindiennes,
Aux Tarahumaras,
Au Soleil,

v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am deeply thankful to Dr. Walter Putnam, my advisor and dissertation chair, for
his patience and guidance, and for continuing to encourage me through the years writing
these chapters. Dr. Putnam, your precious comments and questions will remain an
inspirational model as I continue my career. I also want to thank you for your strong
support and for sharing your knowledge and experience with me. I will always be
grateful to Dr. Putnam and to all other members of my committee for their kindness and
assistance in my professional development, and for all I learned with them.
I heartily acknowledge Dr. Pamela Cheek, Dr. Judith Chazin-Bennahum,
and Dr. Marina Peters-Newell for their time, support and valuable insights on the writing
process and on the content of the work. Your observations and encouragement are always
appreciated and beneficial.
I wish to thank Raymonde Carasco for sharing her outstanding and unique
cinematographic work with me.
I also want to thank my friends Dr. Christelle Gonthier, Dr. Sylvie Larimore de
Lara, Dr. Rafael Lara-Martinez and Dr. Théodore Walker for their precious advice.
A special thanks to Lucie Ceylan and Marie-Chantale Mofin for their laughter. To
Annick O’Meara and Bruce Shortz for fifteen years of solid friendship. To my friends
Annie Hancock and Derek Roff for their help and generosity throughout all the years.
A special thanks to Jennifer Wilson, Dr. Marcos Trujillo, Erin Damour, and
Blaine Fairchild for their inspiration. To White Eagle and the Lakota spirits.
And finally to all my friends and family members, here and there.