Research Reports
Reflections on Traditional American Indian Ways, 1998
Threats to Tribal Sovereignty, 1998
Traditional American Indian Leadership: A Comparison with U.S. Governance, 1997
Reflections on Traditional American Indian Ways
Helping Younger Generations Face Challenges
Elders identified ways to help the younger generations face contemporary challenges to maintaining traditional American Indian ways.
Elders were the traditional sources of knowledge for younger generations in American Indian communities. Traditionally, elders passed information on through the oral traditions and by example. Joe explains, "They [the younger generations] need to have an awareness of the ceremonies, of the traditions, of the stories and the storytellers. This will give them direction. Elders don't point to a direction and say go there, they give you values and you learn by their example, by the example of the stories." It is essential that American Indian young people have opportunities to learn the traditional ways from American Indian elders. Carol relates, "Kids need to take the time to ask questions of the elders and to take the time to listen." Learning from the elders will help younger generations face the challenges of today's world. Joe states:
The younger generations need to have access to elders who have kept their values intact. Learning and practicing the traditions is important so that when kids go to college they have balance for the rest of their lives. Because they always will be faced with dealing with two different worlds.
The younger generations not only need opportunities to learn from elders, they also need guidance about how to interact with elders. Nancy relates, "Kids need the opportunity to learn about the traditional ways and the freedom, the freedom to ask questions. Sometimes they are confused about what they should and shouldn't ask." Younger generations need mentors to help them understand how to learn about the traditional ways. Joe states, "What is needed is guidance. The younger people need guides to greet them and help them through learning the traditional practices."
Moreover, younger generations need support from elders. Margaret maintains, "We need to let kids know they are the future of this race. A lot of young people want to do it, but they need support from an elder."
Education is a central component to helping younger generations maintain the traditional ways. Margaret indicates, "Education is very important. It is the only way we will be able to survive. We need to start focusing on education, and on bringing in elderly people that can help the younger generations."
Elders see a strong need for the development of educational systems grounded in American Indian traditional values and beliefs. Nancy asserts, "We need to develop more systematic ways of teaching the kids and of reinforcing each other." Establishing education based in American Indian values is particularly important because children are in school rather than learning from their family and extended families. Carol explains, "We are currently institutionalizing our kids through day care. We need to incorporate the extended family into the institutional systems. We need to think about nurturing our kids, not just educating them, because the institutions have become the substitute parents."
There are many ways to incorporate traditional American Indian ways into contemporary educational systems. Again, there is a strong need to involve elders and other people from the community in the education of children. Carol describes:
We need to have the grandparents out at school and in the Head Start programs. We need to create more of a connection between the various parts of life. We need the adults who work in different roles on the reservation to go into the schools and spend time with the children. We need to integrate the people. Kids have to know these things for our survival.
Incorporating American Indian ways into the educational system need not entail a rejection of non-Indian forms of teaching and learning. Carol states, "We need to concentrate our efforts to teach the traditional ways by looking at the norms of kids today. We need to create our own cultural game-boys, trivia, books and computer programs. Anything that is used in education can be done from an American Indian cultural perspective."
Elders indicate that younger generations need tribal support to help them maintain traditional culture and language. Mike states, "There needs to be a massive internal, intrinsic exercise of governance by tribes that are patterned after the values they want to promote." Elders identified the teaching of language as a central area in which tribes need to exercise their inherent tribal powers. Mike states:
Tribes should set goals for language revitalization. Language is where our true strength lies - it is everything we have reserved. We need to have a greater tribal commitment. Tribes need to promote a climate where the language can flourish and grow."
This commitment must be backed-up with the resources necessary to make it happen. Mike asserts:
The greatest value needs to be placed on Ojibwe language. There needs to be no more empty platitudes about recovering the language and tradition - they actually have to make it happen. Indians themselves have not placed value on language or taken it to their heart and soul. We should reward those who know the language, with either modern day or traditional recognition of value.
To do this, tribes need to have access to resources to exercise their powers. Mike asks, "Tribal government does all they can, but their tools are limited. How do we get it so that we have enough tools?"
The
Well-Being of American Indian Children in Minnesota: Economic Conditions,
1994
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