|
Taking up that challenge forces us to address the question of what it is that defines who we are. We have for a long time been hunters and trappers and we will continue to be hunters and trappers. We will continue to maintain that special relationship with the land. But does being Cree mean being only a hunter and trapper?
Is it possible that being Cree might also be about taking very seriously the values, the beliefs and the philosophy that evolved from and developed out of the traditional Cree way of life and the incorporation of those values in everything we do. I would like to suggest to you that we, as Cree people, are defined by our values and our principles and by what our ancestors have learned from the traditional Cree way of life and passed on to us as Cree wisdom.
Our way of life has never been a static one, fixed forever in time to be exactly the same thing. There have always been changes—there were many periods before contact with Europeans when we were completely independent, there were adjustments which our ancestors made to accommodate the fur trade, and there were other adjustments when the fur trade began to decrease in importance—and we have continuously adapted ourselves to make beneficial changes for our people. What has endured is our principles and our values.
The worth of Cree values and principles is not limited only to the pursuit of a traditional way of life. Being a genuine Cree is not just being a hunter and trapper. You can be a proud and genuine Cree and also be a teacher, a doctor or a judge.
Part of the challenge which is facing us now as an indigenous nation is to stay true to the rich and meaningful cultural heritage which we have inherited and to apply it to our current realities and circumstances. The challenge which I believe lies before us is nothing more nor less than a process of reinventing ourselves. This is what our ancestors had to do when faced with new realities and new opportunities and this is now what we need to do.
We must look to the future with hope, courage and optimism. We are leaving the era of victimization when all our problems were the fault of others. We are entering a new post-colonial era with our fundamental rights recognized, our role in our territory becoming increasingly dominant and with a new relationship developing with our non-aboriginal neighbors. We are now responsible for our futures and it is for us to decide what that future will look like. With our rights intact, our rights recognized and the benefits from having our rights recognized beginning to flow we are now in a position to build the kind of healthy, strong, and assertive Cree Nation which we have dreamt about for many years.
The realization of our common vision will only be possible if we have the dedication, the commitment and the involvement of all of us. The leadership cannot realize this vision on its own. To successfully move our society and our nation in a new direction we need everyone with us.
First of all, we need our Elders to continue to teach us and to pass on to us Cree values, Cree principles and the lessons they have learned in life. We need the inherited wisdom of our culture to guide us as we take up our new challenge and face difficult decisions. As stewards of our Cree culture, the Elders will continue to play a vital role in the future of our Nation. I call upon our Elders to teach our youth, to guide us, and to be our bedrock as we face the challenges and the difficulties of change. We need you now, and we need your wisdom now, as perhaps we have never needed it before.
I call upon the youth of Eeyou Istchee to join in the challenge of a lifetime—to join in the great challenge of building the Cree Nation based on our cultural traditions while looking forward to new ways of improving the life of our communities. Please talk to your Elders and learn from them, and then apply what you have learned in a way which is positive for you personally and in a way which makes a contribution to your families, your communities and your Nation. Learn the values and the principles which have guided us for thousands of years and work to make the changes in your life and in your communities which need to be made. Our Cree Nation needs you to do this, for you are the Cree Nation and the future generations need you to be the best you can be.
Please believe me when I say that you will have no greater sense of satisfaction in your life, and no greater sense of purpose than dedicating yourself to making your world a better place, dedicating yourself to the service of your community and your Nation.
1,
2, 3,
4, 5, 6
|
