Attempts to build intercultural understanding inevitably uncover tensions and involve negotiating issues of identity, power, and resistance. Using a self-study approach, I describe the development and early implementation phase of Aboriginal language programs in one school district. I consider the collaborative process involving representatives from the school district, community, and Aboriginal agencies to suggest strategies to transform material and discourse conditions in the community through dialogue and norms of reciprocity. I show that adopting traditional narratives and incorporating cultural structures into school practices demonstrates an integrated approach to communicating and responding to community concerns leads to greater understanding across cultures. (Contains 1 endnote.)