William Blake Innocence Lost - Preservation of Native American Indian Culture - By: Terry S Vostor

No doubt about it. Canadian Native and First Nations peoples have hardships ongoing - be they Inuit, Metis or any of the "First Peoples" of the Canadian country

How do aboriginal elders be identified and differentiated from other elderly individuals? Long standing authority in the field Mr. S. Wilson has reported after long and extensive study and studies that there is no doubt about the major as well as exceptional role that village, community and settlement patriarch and veterans continue to imbue. In the minds of many of the integral elders of any given community - they have been given a mission by the creator himself or themselves to pass down intact the very essence and practices of these time proven beliefs , customs and indeed solid birthrights.

There is no doubt about. Its the senior and more established members of "Aboriginal", "First Nations" or Canadian North American Indian who are the stalwarts and solid foundations of their communities. After all many lived through and persisted in spite of hardships such as the "Residential Schools".

No doubt about it - the wisdom of the ages lies in the faces of these "senior citizens" , the stalwarts of their peoples. The fore-bearers of what is important in the culture mores of Aboriginal Canadians are enshrined in the first born and ancestral teachings. It an almost eerie feeling of spirituality meeting with one of the greatest wisdom. Elders with the great expertise and experiences have the golden gift of making traditional ways a solid component of today here and now, in an everyday fashion and manner.

It all began with an undertaking , that strove onwards , initiated firstly with officialdom counting the general population , for its records, in the year of two thousand and one.

An extensive official record keeping project was seriously undertaken , finally. In the completed and issued document one whole thick part dealt especially with these issues of Aboriginal and "First Nations Elders", their impact and effects in being a stalwart in maintaining important community and indeed wholesale cultural values. This applied not only the Native American Indians themselves , but also to the Inuit and Metis proud peoples.

Most young "First Nations" peoples have forsaken their treasured languages of their origin. Elders maintain a watershed of these spoken - and even written forms of communication. English is prevalent . Its is everywhere - on the radio, in the marketplace, on satellite tv and movies. Its even utilized in the professional wrestling matches on television. Yet to lose your race's or communities language is to lose expression of what is important to you, and in essence to lose your very life.

The wholesale impact of the Native Canadian First Peoples elders belies their numbers. In totality they represent but a smidgen of totality. No more than 1 % of their total group.
Yet their importance and effects far outweigh their varied ,even somewhat limited numbers. They are more than worth their weight in gold. The Native Canadians and First Nations of northern Canada has ongoing and serious logistical problems of food , nutrition as well as basic sanitation and sewage services. In addition to that add in what those in the south consider "basic " services of water and fire-fighting. Modern transportation such as cargo air planes and winter ice roads do help to some degree , but to the greatest extent the northern communities and most seriously the smaller more isolated ones suffer ongoing desperation.

Of the total Native "American" or Canadian "First Nations" Canada wide total count , it is estimated that broadly 40,000 fit into the category of senior age , many of them respected "elders in their communities" , wise beyond their years in numbers in terms of age ,experience and expertise. Most of them live in the province of Ontario, followed by British Columbia, and Manitoba.

Headwind among population density centers are the two first western Canadian prairie provinces.

"Aboriginal seniors encompass a far greater percentage of the total senior population in the North of Canada in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon."

But Aboriginal Seniors face lower life expectancies rates than non-Aboriginal seniors with aboriginal women outliving aboriginal men,

Even though low in percentages and total numbers, Canadian Aboriginal seniors will increase in both numbers and percentages over the coming years as life expectancy improves. No doubt about it. Without the efforts of the matriarchs , patriarchs and even what might be termed golden ancients - all might be washed down the well of time and tradition of these First Nations Peoples of Canada. The residential schools were among the many obstacles as well as torments that have been placed as almost stumbling stones in their paths.

About the Author

Tery S. Vostor First Nations Voices

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