Thinking About Elders

With Nin No komiss in the nursing home for 3 plus years now and watching the dedication of Nin Mish0-miss. I have been thinking, in how elders were and the current role. This ties into with watching the video, because for it starts with an Elder.

My question in the Hadley reading is to comment on difference between approach & Strategy.

When looking at approach, helping future Language learners focus there are "flexible" rules or guidelines, we are all relearners and recognizing that our kids our modern kids. Language evolves, and it is through children that we can make new words. We don't know the language of children. But we do know the language rules, standards, and old philosophies. We have to be flexible, but strict in teaching those things so that the children can be inventive in the traditonal manner.

Strategy, is looking at the beginning of what works in the revitalizations efforts. Take a curriculum with let's say 80 chapters (life years). We all started at chapter one. Some are on diferent chapters depending on their skill level of language. But we are stuck, again depending on skill level, because we have first, second, & third person pronoun forms.

If we look at the trauma & evolution of elders we can get both approach & helpful hints on strategies.

What is an Elder within Tribal communities?
•Historical view
•Roles of a Elder
•The value of respect for wisdom and age
•Changes in the status of and role of elders
•Confusion of being an elder
•Types of abuse
•Future roles of elders
•The movement from extended to nuclear

Historical view
•Elders were considered the repositories of cultural, spiritual and historical knowledge
•Leadership and being an elder were very compatible with respect to characteristics
•People were groomed to become leaders and ultimately an elder
•Elders were expected to be teachers
•Change comes during Boarding school era

Roles of an Elder

•To be a teacher
•To be grandparents to many children
•To acquire wisdom
•To begin the process of training for “young elders”
•Patience and the ability to listen
•Practice the values of humility and respect
•Settling disputes and talking for the group

The value of respect for wisdom of Elders
•Children were taught very early to respect all people older them selves.
•The older one gets, the more respect is given
•That respect is a two way road. Respect is earned throughout ones life
•Elders are always in the process of learning about their environment

Changes in the status of Elders
•Change in the family system from a group or collective orientation to an individual perspective. Movement from the extended to the nuclear family
•Boarding schools and assimilation
•Religious schools and assimilation
•“Pepsi generation” – a major focus on youth and doing your own thing; Baby boom generation.

Confusion of being an Elder
•Many don’t know what it means to be an elder – not their fault
•Never were taught what it means to be an elder; were removed from learning environment
•Are expected to know something or be able to teach and speak about cultural life
•Are ashamed of not knowing
•Expect respect from younger community members, but don’t give back
•Are caring a lot of emotional baggage from previous generations. A lot of anger

Types of Elder abuse
•Physical abuse – locking them up; isolation
•Emotional abuse – threats to have them moved
•Spiritual abuse – don’t take them ceremonies
•Economic abuse – controlling money
•Double victimization – were victims when they were young by not having elders around to teach them, who are then unable to teach their children about elders and become high risk for abuse by their own family members
•Tied to other family violence dynamics that are similar to the domestic wheel of abuse

Future role of elders
•Reestablishment of cultural values of respect
•Language &Family workshops
•Elders teaching elders the role of being an elder and becoming teachers once again

Movement from Extended family to a nuclear family

•Elders were removed from their place within the family structure
•Most elders stayed at home until they walked on the spiritual world; they stayed with family members
•Nuclear focus on nursing homes
•Breakdown of cultural roles for elders
•Elders gave up; no one wanted to take time to learn

Changes occurring
•Are living longer
•Have medical problems
•Families are using more and more nursing homes to care for elderly
•Tribes very in the way they are able to care for elderly. Tribes with more resources provide housing
•Being an elder is different for each tribe; some at age 50, 55, or 60
•Number of children per family is decreasing

Ahaw
ChiAbay