Lost Wisdom From Our Ancestors

In this workshop we will look at the beauty of the traditional ways in which our ancestors parented. The objective is to explore ways to enhance the gift of parenting to the next generations, offering skills and reminders about teaching respect, honour and strength to the children.

Our Elders have taught us that what we do to the current generation will ripple through the next seven generations. It takes a whole village to raise a child. Many have forgotten these teachings due to the changes and traumas imposed on the Aboriginal people of this land. Residential School was an institution; institutionalized parenting is what has resulted after two hundred years of our Elders losing their role in our children’s lives. The hugs did not come in Residential School; instead there was abuse, isolation and abandonment. Loving intent is to be a nurturing parent, but what happens when such parenting has not been modelled?

The goal of this workshop is to explore and bring forth a deeper understanding of what has been forgotten from our traditional teachings about parenting. It is an invitation for participants to be open to exploring how to be the best parent that they can be, and perhaps to re-parent themselves.