However, whatever advance they made was weighted by the federal policy of stewardship and the history of social disorganization and dissolution. Nonetheless, a number of tribes and communities were successful. To secure this success, they enacted law and established policy that protected and fostered their tribal traditions. Education, defined and regulated by tribe and community, was critical to this success, because it is that basic institution in which tradition is formally articulated and taught across generations. Where positive and effective change has taken place, tribal tradition has been maintained and reinterpreted to meet present day needs.
Tradition is cultural continuity.
The tribal family, through religious expression, has maintained the tradition that provides the critical foundation for stability, strength, and order in the community. These families within the community ensure that relationships, among its membership, are maintained by fostering the stability of the family and its kinship obligations. The responsibility for meeting community obligations is governed by a communal will for the common good. In fostering and securing economic well-being for the community, there is a redistribution of income and resources that enhance the standards of giving and sharing. When these conditions are held constant, community renewal, which raises the quality of life, is realizable and affordable.