The M'Chigeeng Literacy and Basic Skills full-time program, M'Chigeeng First
Nations ofManitoulin Island, Ontario, began in February of 1994. It was determined
and agreed that this was not just an academic program; its purpose was to help
learners become more aware of themselves, their skills, family dynamics, and
community involvement. An awareness of the Seven Grandfathers' Teachings of the
Ojibway helped us to identify the philosophy we used to run our program. This
article discusses these teachings and how we incorporated them into our program. It
was not so much a conscious choice that we should use the Seven Grandfathers'
teachings in the running of our program; it was rather a matter of conscience. This
article describes the overall way our program works; the Seven Grandfathers'
Teachings and how they influence our program; what self-direction and
self-management mean; and a brief overview of the research that has been undertaken
by the Ontario Literacy Coalition about the self-management and self-direction
domain.