Pimosatamowin Sikaw Kakeequaywin: Walking and Talking A Saulteaux Elder's View of Native Education

Abstract

Alfred Manitopeyes, respected Saulteaux Elder, gave Linda Akan something to share with those who work in First Nations education. An unusual structure, a stream of concepts connected through parallel referents that are evident in word structure in Saidteaux and retain that referential connection conceptually, in English, requires an explanation for those who are not used to the ways that Elders speak. The author's discussion of the structure points out that the power­ful metaphor of good talking and good walking is more than metaphor, but is also a direct and clear statement o f the personal ethical responsibility o f teachers and educators to care intimately for children and to live in such a way that our words reflect the way we live. The immediately personal nature of Elder discourse, even in a genre intended for wide publication, motivates a reflexive arid personal reac­tion to the Elder's good talk.