According to Pipher, the Lakota believe that if the old do not stay connected to the young, the culture will disintegrate. We are seeing signs of this disintegration in our culture. Children watch television instead of hearing stories. They are frightened and unruly, numb from hurry and overstimulation. Teenagers run in unsupervised gangs.
Parents feel isolated and overwhelmed, and elders go days without speaking to anyone.
No generation s needs are truly met. Segregated societies are intellectually stagnant and emotionally poisoned. Only when all ages are welcome into the great hoop of life can a culture be a healthy one. When we live far away it takes a special effort to stay in touch. For example, Sherry Coombes spends several days each month with her father so that the caregiver gets some time off.