Natasha Ginger
Nuu-chah-nulth Nation

Principle #6

“Principle #6. The right to preserve their cultural identity and traditions and pursue their own cultural development. (United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1987)”

This concept is only beginning to be accomplished. Beginning, in that those First Nations people that are a generation or three older than I, have taken that courageous step to gather their cultural identities and traditions, and inspiring students such as I to do the same.

There are those who we can look up to. As a student in high school, I really looked up to my First Nation Educator Michael Akiwenzie. It is because of his guidance that I made it to the Native Indian Teacher Education program.

I believe that through time, more and more individuals will be able to aspire and gain more cultural identity through the achievement of their cultural traditions.

Educators are educating. As strong students strive for further cultural knowledge, and identity, they are gaining a voice. An example of this would be where students in the Native Indian Teacher Education Program are striving to learn who they are, and where they come from. These answers are being met; by our Elders, teachers, resources, and by our caring parents.

With a gathering of beautiful knowledge, a great strength will develop. This strength is not necessarily a political, or even a revolutionary idea, but a strength where teachers that were once striving students at a University, and were striving for cultural identity, have finally began to find it.

Through this striving, the teachers of the future will have strived for their students. Globalization will be taught, respect and sincerity will be comforted, and knowledge will generate, for generations and generations to come.