To Coming Generations

The voices of your ancestors get further and further away and you can no longer hear their teachings clearly. Only those whose grandparents had good ears can teach you, if you choose to listen.

The spirit that guided your grandparents is still here. Each of us has the capacity to listen. Our Creator gave us the gift that allows us to hear for ourselves the strength that each of us can receive by listening and following the directions of the Spirit.

Each of our wise teachers in the past have directed us to study the teachings of mother earth. This is basic to understanding our culture.

To honor, respect and have faith is taught by the culture.

WHAT IS SACRED? Are young people taught about the sacred?

In this throw-away society, how do we teach our youth to respect the sacred when they have not been guided to acknowledge the presence of Sacred?

I wish that each person in this world could have experienced the beauty of our culture 70 years ago.

The sharing - the fellowship - the tenderness - the appreciation for every gift from the spirit.

Simplicity of faith - discipline of mind, body and spirit embodied the philosophy of our wisest teachers.

The Earth is our first teacher. This is where you can gain the understanding about the culture of the first people.

The truth is always there in those lessons taught by the Earth!

Have you every experienced the joy of anticipating a glass of clear spring water given by the Earth?

Taqwseblu (Vi Hilbert), Upper Skagit Elder

Director of Lushootseed Research 8-10-92