Johnny Eyakfwo

ELDER’S MESSAGE

We must try to encourage today’s children. It’s like they
have two separated worlds that are stretched apart. But if we all
work together maybe we could encourage them, and it could be
brought together. Weareall here for a purpose. We know life is hard
for people who live in the modern world. We have to think about
that for the children.

Along time ago life was not like it is now. People didn’t go
to school. They learned from parents and relatives. But now some
people didn’t learn from their parents and they didn’t go to school.
Those people don’t know how to live off the land and they don't
know how to live the whiteman ways. Some adults are like they
have no ears now because of those things that happened in the
community.

Then there were a lot of unimportant things in the commu-
nity that the children gotinto, like T.V. They watched everything on
the T.V. They get so caught up in that, they don’t do what their
parents tell them. Even our children today, they wait to get payment
for things. And here they are gathering with pencil and paper. They
are all getting educated. They should appreciate being with their
people, and know that we are here for a purpose.

We should tell the young education has not always done
good for us. But it can do good in the future maybe. We could make
abig change. Especially with the Elders. We should be teaching the
young people too.

Life was hard a long time ago. But I don’t know why some
say it's better now, because when the Elders and the relatives talked
people used to listen. But now we are not listened to. And the way
our people used to live and listen and learn was good. Now the
young people don’t think for themselves. We should help them. As
Elders, we need to talk to young people with strong words, but not
with anger in our tone. When we talk to them maybe they will be
good people in the future.

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