Children were taught bravery, patience, and self control from the time they were born. Sometimes, like everyone, they needed reminders of good behavior. They had an interesting way of giving reminders. They used night messages.
At night, when the camp was quiet, grandfather (an old man) walked around the circle of wigwams. He called out messages. No names were ever mentioned, and everyone could hear him. His messages were a mix of announcements, instructions, and warnings.
Without the buffalo, the independent life of the Indian people could no longer be maintained. The Indian spirit, along with that of the buffalo, suffered an enormous loss. At that time, Tribes began to sign treaties with the U.S. Government in an attempt to protect the land and the buffalo for their future generations.
The destruction of the buffalo herds and the associated devastation to the Tribes disrupted the self-sufficient lifestyle of the Indian people more than all other federal policies to date. To reestablish healthy buffalo populations on Tribal lands is to reestablish hope for the Indian people.
She'd tell stories to make us kids laugh, and all other types of stories." Bill tells how, "She [my grandmother] taught me to respect older people and people that are handicapped. She told me these things in Indian. You have to respect the older people because they know much more than you do. Grandmother talked Indian fluently. She always told me in Indian to try to do the right thing."
Traditional winter storytelling was absent for those sent away to boarding schools. Many American Indians raised in boarding schools report that they learned about the traditional ways at home during the summertime. Margaret states, "The traditional ways were taught to us in the home in the summertime. We learned about food preparation, drying corn, picking berries, sewing and making quilts for the winter. These were the things you had to do for survival."
Childhood is not the only time to learn. Learning is a life-long process. Many people raised in the boarding schools returned to learn about the traditions as adults. Learning occurs throughout life, even for those not sent away to school. Nancy, a woman in her fifties raised on the reservation, explains, "I am still learning about the traditional ways."
American Indian elders are teachers for the younger generations. Dan states, "The old people were what you'd call a 'blueprint in life.' You never learn those things in school." Older American Indians have a distinct way of looking at and living in the world. Dan indicates:
The old Indians have a different type of thinking. They have an appreciation for what you've been given. They have a connection to the spirit. We live with things we don't know anything about. Elders carry some of that stuff from the generation before.
Older American Indians understand all life as connected to the spiritual and natural worlds. More...