Today, traditional stories also teach Indian children about their culture. Each tribe has its own language, customs and history. Charette and his wife, Connie, are one of 90 foster families in the In-Care Network, which provides therapeutic foster care for Native American children with serious emotional or medical problems. Even if an Indian child hasn't been raised in an Indian culture, someday he will confront it, Charette said. If the child has brown skin, people will ask him about being Indian.
Indian children face issues of cultural identity in school.
Charette's daytime job is working with Indian students at Billings West High School and Garfield Elementary School. He is one of nine Title 9 workers employed by the district to serve about 1,000 Indian students throughout the district. After school, Charette coaches the All Stars and Stripes Wrestling. His program emphasizes health and fitness, but it also has trained a number of champions in the 21 years he has been coaching. Charette grew up knowing elders who spoke their native languages and shared vivid memories of Indian traditions.