Entry #2 Indigenous Elders
As I have been researching the topic of aging with a focus on Indigenous Peoples. There are many limitations to this type of research. There is very little available Canadian research on aging Indigenous peoples and the issues they face. The information that I have acquired is often vague and impersonal. Additionally what I have found focuses on deficits and challenges. It is therefore my intentions with this post to step back for a moment and focus on a major strength within these communities, the Elders.
Throughout my time with the faculty of social work I have had many great opportunities to learn about and from Indigenous Peoples. One of my most rewarding and fun opportunities came when I participated in the summer retreat course called Indigenous Ways of Practice in Social work. This was a unique course as we learned from Indigenous Elders by participating in sharing circles, smudging, part of a Sundance, both an Ojibwe and a Cree style of Sweatlodge, as well as a Pipe ceremony. This experience was amazing and I was constantly in awe of the openness and wisdom of the Elders that shared with us. Although the topics we discussed were serious and important there was always the perfect amount of humour and laughter mixed in. Although I will probably share more about this experience in future blogs I wanted to discuss one thing I discovered for myself during this course. Although I recognize that I cannot fully understand the value and worth of Elders to Indigenous people, as I am not an Indigenous person, I believe I caught a glimpse of an amazing piece of culture.
You have probably heard the term “Elder” before, even if you have limited knowledge of or experience with Indigenous peoples. I too have heard this term used many times but, if you are like me, there is a lot of mystery and question as to what exactly is an Elder. If there was one impression left with me after the retreat it would be that I had merely scratched the surface, or just caught a brief glimpse of what is an Elder and the knowledge and understanding that they possess. I felt it necessary however to have some sort of explanation present in this blog, of what and Elder is, as it is a term that is so prevalent throughout the literature that I have found in my research.
Voice of the Elders at abheritage.ca explains that Elders “are members of the Aboriginal community who have gained humble authority by displaying wisdom in life”. Elders are not simply any older Indigenous person but they are often seniors because of the wealth of experience that leads to acquiring such a title (Ellerby, 2006). There are however some individuals who have great wisdom from a young age and may be considered to be Elders sooner (Ellerby, 2006). Ellerby (2006) states “An Elder is not just somebody who just gets old…, It’s usually somebody who is an example. They usually are people who have overcome a lot in their lives… It’s somebody who is respected in the community and it’s not somebody who just decides to get the title on that day”(p.7). Elders have wisdom and understanding that they pass on to the next generations and so they often take on the role of teachers, spiritual counselors, healers, conducting ceremonies, social welfare work, political advocacy and much more (Voices of the Elders)(Ellerby, p.11, 2006). Elders will take on different roles based on their personalities and gifts as well as what opportunities life brings about (Ellerby, p.14, 2006). Being an Elder requires humility and selflessness as their role is one of lifelong helping (Ellerby, 2006). Many Elders are even too humble to call themselves Elders (Ellerby, 2006). They would consider themselves as “mediators of healing” rather than the “source” of healing (Ellerby, p.10, 2006). When looking at the role of Elders it is important to recognize that they are motivated by relationship to their spirituality and a “profound calling” to help others rather than looking for the status of career or income (Ellerby, p.11, 2006). Elders have been the strength of their communities throughout history; Voices of the Elders explains that it was the Elders who fought to keep their culture and traditions alive when faced with hostility.
It is evident, even through this brief explanation of what is an Elder, that these individuals are a unique group that has specialized and extensive knowledge. Ellerby (2006) explains that learning about one traditional medicine can take years of study to learn about how its picked and prepared, the meanings behind it and how it is used in various ceremonies and many more aspects (p.20). This type of knowledge is very different from the Western view and this can present conflict when working with Elders (Ellerby, 2006).
Couture (1996) describes some current issues for Indigenous Elders, one of which is the ratio of Elders to those who are seeking traditional teachings. There is a strain on Elders at present to pass on their knowledge to the next generation because there is a limited amount of Elders actually available (Couture, 1996). This article in particular is extremely helpful in understanding the history and current issues facing Indigenous Elders, though you may have to read it a few times.
It is obvious to me, through both my study and my experience, that Elders are amazing assets to Indigenous communities. I would also like to recognize that I am a non-Indigenous person and I have not directly received this information from an Indigenous Elder so there are parts of this entry that I may have misunderstood from what I have read. I encourage you to visit the Voices of the Elders website and to the Four Directions Teachings website, these two websites have been set up by Indigenous people and are more equipped to explain further these concepts. As well these websites have been very helpful to me in understanding the traditional beliefs of Indigenous peoples in generally and specifically in regard to their Elders.
Meagan
Couture, J. E. (1996). The role of Native Elders: Emergent issues. In D. A. Long & O. P. Dickason (Eds.) Visions of the heart: Canadian Aboriginal issues (pp. 41-56). Toronto: Harcourt Brace.
Ellerby, J. H. (2006) Working with indigenous elders. Winnipeg, MB. Aboriginal Issues Press, University of Manitoba.
Four Directions Teachings.com – Aboriginal Online Teachings and Resource Centre (2006)
Knowledge Keepers. (2005). Retrieved January 20, 2011 from Elders’ Voices website. http://www.abheritage.ca/eldersvoices/peoples/knowledge_keepers.html
