So whatever happened to the phrase we’ve been saying to our young generation… “Let’s return to our culture”? What is our culture? Is it going back to the land, living a simple life like our ancestors long before us, or is it living in a modern house in town with all the conveniences of modern-day life? Our youth of today are torn between two cultures, the way of life of our ancestors and the way of life of the white society.
Which should they choose? Some want the easy lifestyle of the whites. And there are those who want to live the way of life of their ancestors. And some want what both worlds can offer.
There are those who are still searching for an answer to the question, What is our culture? There was a time, way back in the days of our forefathers,
long before the whitemen ever set foot on this land, when our people danced to the beat of the drum, these dances we’ve long lost Isn’t it about time we brought them back, so our children can learn and preserve them? I know that our people are afraid and are suspicious about bringing back the drum and the sweatlodge.
I don’t blame them; our ancestors had the same fears when the first missionaries came and wanted to convert them to Christianity. Now it’s the other way around; it’s our own people who want us to return to our roots. Why should we be afraid? It was the way of life of our people; it’s not as if we are asked to return to our heathen ways. We do have the right to worship the Almighty any which way we like. We were born into a Christian society and we will leave this life as Christians; nothing can ever change that I have learned by observing that when a person wants—I mean really wants—to stop drinking, there are many ways a person can find that can urge them to stop drinking. Some stop drinking by willpower alone, some can stop by talking to an Elder who tells them that drinking is a sin and that it breaks up families.
No two people are alike; some can stop drinking when they hear a sermon being preached in church and with the help of the Almighty who opens their minds and their hearts so they can understand what the person is talking about They think about the sermon for a long time after, by and by they can understand it much better and this helps them to make up their minds about their drinking.
Sometimes one’s child can ask their parents to stop drinking. Their child’s plea has such an effect on the parents that they stop drinking altogether. Even the death of a parent or family member has the same effect, that they make a promise to stop their drinking for good.
And there are those who find that returning to the land and being in harmony with nature makes them realize that there is something more worthwhile than drinking.
Some find the courage they need when they attend Pow-Wows, the teachings of the Elders really get to them, they start following these teachings, and that eventually makes them realize drinking and abuse of drugs are not the way of life of our people.
So in conclusion we don’t have the right to criticize the method the youth of today find to stop drinking and abuse drugs. We should try to help them instead, and try to understand their perspective and show our support no matter which method they use, even if we don’t really approve or don’t understand it ourselves.
Look at it this way—at least they’re trying to stop drinking and we should really be thankful that they find a way that suits them and that it’s a way that really works for them alone.
Let’s hope that soon we’ll find the answer to the question, What is our culture?? Chisasibi, 1995
