“Anisa” in Sanskrit means, “Tree of Life”. The Anisa Model represents a comprehensive educational system functionally defined by specifications which insure its replicability, evaluation, and refinement.
The specifications set forth educational objectives pertaining to the actualization of human potential and explanations of how to achieve them. These objectives and explanations are derived from a coherent body of theory that has been deductively generated from a philosophical base and inductively validated to whatever extent possible by findings from empirical research.
This Integrative Scheme of Thought has been and is a key Foundation of our Four World’s Human and Community Development /Transformation Model since 1978.
We share this with great thanksgiving to our late mentor and teacher, Dr. Daniel Jordan ( Dr. Dan) our brother and co-creator, Dr. Donald Streets, and their lifetime dedication in developing the ANISA, Tree of Life, Educational Model.
This is the most succinct, precise, detailed, integrative, scheme of thought, based in a "Philosophy" that many Indigenous Elder's calls "Natural Laws," that integrates, both, Science and Spirituality, as the "First Principles" that are the foundation of the Holistic Model's, Theories of Development, Curriculum, Pedagogy, Administration, and Evaluation.
This Unitary Model of Holistic Education has been quietly been developing since, in the work of many, since the tragic murder of our dear mentor, Dr. Dan in 1982.
I was Dr. Dan's student at the National University, MEd Program that studied and applied the ANISA Model, with the Mentorship of Dr. Jordan and dear brother, Dr.Donald T. Streets, through intense summer sessions, 1978-1980, with nine months, for two years, applying what we learned to our work.
There was a wonderful circle of Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island who made this learning journey together. Including Bother, Dr. Lee Brown, who took the understanding and application of Emotional Competence, to a whole new level of understanding and application.
An Indigenous team came from the Alexander First Nation, in Alberta, led by Cree Educational Innovator, Adele Arcand. The Anisa Model was utilized in the takeover of their school from the administration of the Department of Indian Affairs, which had only graduated two students, for 20 years prior to 1982. It is now one of the finest schools in Canada.
As it is clear to see that our existing mainstream educational systems are disintegrating. These educational systems have brought us all to these moments in our collective history, that we are now experiencing together.
Most of those leading the world, economically, politically, socially, and religiously have higher education degrees. The bottom line is to look around us and see the world that these educational systems have manifested. Has Humankind been raised higher and higher over the past 200 years of Higher Education, in the Americas?
Yes, we have amazing technologies, and ways to try and make more and more money, but is it worth where we all find ourselves today. We all have enough experience to know that the world with and without are changing.
It seems time to pause, reflect, and move forward to the positive alternative we wish to create, without giving away our energy to fighting the negative. I believe the "Tree of Life", the Anisa Model has a key contribution to make in developing a comprehensive, principle-centered, culturally-spiritually, respectful global education system.