Press Room

The Aboriginal Child Caregiver Promise Always...

To accept yourself for who you are, the unique you
To respect your team members, respect your children, respect yourself
To encourage your learning, encourage their learning
To be honest about questions, and encourage with questions
To teach our culture with love and understanding so that they will learn to love our culture
To walk the Mother Earth as a teacher for others and for themselves
To encourage the Circle of Learning in each child to ask more questions
To love each individual child as if they are your own
To encourage and teach each child to respect themselves, and everyone and everything around them
To retain your language today so our future leaders speak it tomorrow
To be a positive role model within the lives of children who know you, see you and love you every day
To be honest about your feelings so that they can be honest about theirs
To remember our past, learn from it — and let it go
To uphold the dignity and pride of the Indian Nation as it was, as it is, and for what it will become through the eyes of our children. They will learn from you.

This creed was written by Justina Keewatin, ECE II, Wiijijac Kkwe (Crane Woman), Pine Creek First Nation, Manitoba. She wrote it to inspire caregivers who believe in teaching the Aboriginal culture on a daily basis. The creed was first published in Child Care Bridges Fall 2000 (Manitoba Child Care Association). Reprinted with permission.