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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, then 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. We have never been afraid to change. What has endured, and what has guided us to ensure that those changes would benefit our people, is our values and our
principles.
When I suggest to you that it is the challenge of youth to learn to apply our Cree values to everyday life, what I want to say to you is that it is alright for us to apply Cree principles and Cree values to contemporary economic and administrative realities. 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.
My suggestion to you is to talk to your elders. Learn the principles and the guideposts to help you in your life’s decisions and go into the world and make a difference. This is what our Cree Nation needs. This is your life’s task and your life’s challenge. After you have learned the principles apply them consistently, honestly and truthfully.
If there is one truth that I believe, and that I dare to pass along to you, it is that there is no greater satisfaction in life, no greater high, and nothing which gives any greater purpose to life than devoting yourself to the service of your people. There is nothing which gets you out of personal ruts, depression or confusion more effectively than dedication to doing the right thing for your Nation.
Part of the “meaning of life” must involve lessons about how to survive and how to thrive in the context of life’s challenges and life’s changes. You too will some day be asked by future generations to explain to them the “meaning of life”. My wish and my hope is that when you are elders you will be able to speak eloquently about how you received Cree wisdom, values and principles from your elders and how you applied them to the challenges which you will have encountered in your lives.
It is also my hope that you will be able to tell the next generation after you that it was our Cree values and principles which served you well in making your contribution to the building of the Cree Nation.
Meegwetch.
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