Honoring Our Elders

Dec 15, 2008 | Archives, Blog

Tomorrow night in Denver the American Indian College Fund honors the local elders with a buffalo feed for the holidays. Many people have wondered why American Indians honor their elders.

“Tunkashila, Grandfather, Great Spirit.” It is this way that we begin our prayers in Lakota. Tunkashila, also means one’s own grandfather. The reason that the words are used this way is because our grandfathers are the elders of the tribe and in many ways personify the sacredness of the goodness and wisdom of the Great Spirit. Grandfathers carry the spirit of the people. Grandmothers are even more sacred because they carry the heart and soul of the people. Grandmothers carry the sacred spirit of the Mother Earth. Grandmothers give us gentleness and caring because they have also given us life. Our elders teach us who are ancestors were. Our elders are our connection to everything in our past. It is with their knowledge that we understand how we fit into the world.

Every grandmother and grandfather are sacred in many special ways. It is because of this that we will always respect our elders.

Hau, Mitaku Oyasin.

Recent Blog Posts

Vicki Besaw – A Dissertation Story

Vicki Besaw – A Dissertation Story

Vicki Besaw, a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Lake Superior Ojibwe Tribe, pursued her doctorate at age 54 to help students heal from trauma through storytelling. Working at the College of Menominee Nation, she used Indigenous story methodology to create a safe space for students to explore their life stories and understand the impact of trauma. Her research not only supported her students but also sparked intergenerational healing within her own family. Vicki aims to integrate her findings into the curriculum and publish her stories to reach a broader audience.

American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills Student Blanket Contest Opens November 15

American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills Student Blanket Contest Opens November 15

Starting November 15, the American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills, the international lifestyle brand headquartered in Portland, Oregon, are accepting submissions for The Tribal College Blanket Design Contest. American Indian and Alaska Native students attending a tribal college or university are eligible to submit up to two designs.