by Peter Twitchell
We must never forget our Ancients who nurtured us by feeding us a steady diet of healthy food to help our minds, our hearts, our bodies, and our spirit to develop into strong and healthy people. Our Ancients were instrumental in bringing us into the world. Our Elders of long ago love us unconditionally, they gave us more than life, they gave us a start.
Now we must finish our journey by loving, caring and sharing. Our Elders and Ancestors of long ago did not teach us to steal, to hurt each other, or to take advantage of the weakest among us. They taught us to Golden Rule to love one another.
So, who taught us to hurt each other, to hurt our spouses, to hurt our children, to hurt our grandmas and grandpas? The world did that!!!
I learned something new looking at 2020 and the year 2021 during our COVID-19 epidemic. Our tribal organizations came together. I’ll mention ONTC, the Orutsararmiut Native Tribal Council. ONTC came to its members’ aid near and far!!! I am just one who is grateful to them. Many of us members of ONTC were isolated, staring at four walls 24 seven, with no work for most of 2020 and the year 2021.
ONTC tribal leaders and workers work together and came to our aid. We were given hope where there was none. We got a second chance to be better stewards to our people, our families, our grandmas and grandpas, and our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
When no one else other than medical and science would come to our aid we are grateful. Now we have a duty to our Tribe to take good orderly care of ourselves and to live healthy and loving lives. We’ve suffered long enough, we don’t need to hurt ourselves any more or our loved ones.
Let’s stop this misbehavior of putting toxins into our body that don’t belong there. Thank Creator God for a new day each morning and to help keep our bodies strong and healthy. Say no to violence, stop hurting our loved ones and each other. Respect and honor each other like do you our Ancients. Shelve unhealthy behavior. Exercise, work hard, provide for our families, and stop eating unhealthy foods.
Begin treating each other with kindness and love, caring and sharing. Our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren need good role models to follow in their footsteps for the rest of their lives after you and I are gone.
Let’s carry forward our dream for a better tomorrow.
