A Return to
Tradition?
Many Native American Tribes are promoting a return to their
traditional values to address the variety of social ills
that exist on their reservations. Returning to our
traditional values is going to be much more difficult than
most people believe. It is one thing to say we are
returning to our traditional values and quite another to
actually start practicing them.
In traditional Native American education, we did not have
textbooks and pop quizzes. The elders taught through
stories and by using examples, and they asked the younger
people what lessons they drew from those stories.
Throughout this course, we ask you to give us your ideas on
lessons that could be learned. If you have a story or an
example, please share it with us on the Spirit Lake Ethical Questions Forum .