CHIPPEWAS OF THE THAMES COMMUNITY STORY - Cottfn

They recognized back then that kids need structure in order to flourish. That‘s how a
whole generation of us discovered our talents.
Lots of adults volunteered to spend time with kids in all sorts of activities, both work
and play (hockey, farming, hunting, fishing etc.).
Our families were close. We held each other close. If you were a child you couldn‘t
wander far before someone was there beside you.
Children had to use their imaginations to play. We didn‘t have television, x-box‘s, etc.
We had each other and our imaginations. We were never bored. Today‘s kids don‘t
really know how to play. Maybe the little ones, but the bigger ones forget because of
technology.
Everyone worked. No one could remain idle. No work, no eat. No free handouts, even
in the family. We grew up learning that it‘s normal to work for what you get.
3. What will things be like in a positive future?
The positive future we want will combine the best of the past with the expanded
possibilities of learning from the whole world around us. Children will grow up with the
loving, healthy, spiritually grounded and prosperous family that will include engaged and
dedicated parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins and other extended
family members. Children will grow up knowing who they are as Ojibwe people, free
from violence, abuse and addictions, with a strong sense of purpose and direction, a
well-developed moral compass, and with the orientation of being a net contributor (not a
taker) from their family, clan, community, and society of large.
Home life
Our families will be free from the intergenerational impact of residential schools and
other historical trauma, and especially free from addictions, violence, and abuse.
Families will provide every child with the nurturing, love, guidance and discipline they
need to develop their gifts and talents. Our children learn will learn to practice the seven
grandfather and other wisdom teachings of our culture, and to follow the spiritual
guidance of whatever spiritual path our families follow. Our families will no longer be
trapped in poverty, so our children will grow up having their basic needs met. At the
same time, we will not teach our children dependency or learned helplessness. Rather,
they will learn to work hard, to be self-reliant, to do their best, and to contribute to the
Chippewas of the Thames Community Story
October 2011
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