Native American Indians Your Elders Are Preserving Your Culture

It's an interesting case that often Europeans are most enamored with Canadian Aboriginals, "First Nations" people, or in old and less respected terminology "Indians" or "American Indians". To them these first people of the America's represent the esteemed and historic British poet "William Blake's" very concept itself of "innocent lost". Yet in times and millennial who is entrusted and supportive of the very processes of continuing and of preservation of Native American values, ways and traditions?

In First Nations and Metis communities - it is the elder members who hold a most treasured , unique and vintage role? According to Shawn Wilson, one who conducted a research in the role of aboriginal elders in their communities. An aboriginal elder is one who has knowledge in the cultures and traditions of his people and is willing to share that knowledge by passing it on to younger generations through the teaching and modelling of correct behaviour.

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. They convey a spiritual continuity of the past, present and future. They possess the capabilities of interpreting the today's event into the cultural framework of the traditions of people.

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.

The government Stats Canada Report which used data from the official Canadian Government Census looked at the wellness of people aged 65 and over across Canada. The report contained within a section which explicitly focused on Canadian Aboriginal Seniors.

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.

When it comes to the percentage of Aboriginal Seniors in the total senior population, the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan lead among the Canadian provinces with four percent and three percent respectively.

"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.