What I tell my class and what I want to tell all of us is let's stop saying we lost something. People gave themselves a legal right to steal from us. They stole our language by saying we could not speak it. Those of us on tiny little reservations didn't have the privilege of having a whole lot of people who kept the language alive when we went away. They stole the language.
Elders look to the youth as the hope for reviving the language and many other traditional practices.
I really believe in these little kids. No matter if you have been raised in boarding schools. Respect Many elders were dismayed that young people didn't seem to respect them or the traditional ways they represent. Respect is one of the most important values, said Melvin Eagle, an elder from Mille Lacs. Eagle stressed the importance of respect for yourself, your elders, your people and for the animals and Mother Earth.