From Old Wisdom to New Knowledge

This research will focus on the traditional teaching that has been in existence by the beliefs of our grandfathers and grandmothers and their grandfathers and grandmothers. It is their teachings that has made me ponder on this topic. My research is about the teaching of the traditional hair Knot (Tsiiyeel). I wanted to research this topic for a long time. I finally went back and looked into it. I also wanted to research a topic that is meaningful and useful to me. Something that I will be able to use in my teaching. I also selected this topic because it is one of our identification with Mother Earth, articulated through the oral tradition in the sacred stories of our beginnings, as well as in the stories or teachings about our sacred principles, our relationship to the earth and all of life. This research will only bring out the woman aspect of traditional hair knot.

This research will relate to conversation that took place between my mother, and my grandfathers and grandmothers by clans. I chose to write about their stories because they are wise and they know what they are talking about.

The teaching of the traditional hair is like our cornfield or our children. We have to take time to nurture it. If we are neglecting or abusing it it will have no body or shine. Just like a cornfield, if we are lazy our cornfield will not harvest. But if we take care of our cornfield by watering it and making sure there are no weeds, it will look good at harvest time. Our hair has the same purpose of life.

Our hair represents the darkness of the cloud right at the beginning of the rain (niltsa naajiin). Our hair is our mental and physical being. How we care for our mental and physical being is up to each individual from birth into old age. Our grandparents' teaching is to take care of our hair and let it grow long. The longer our hair is the wiser and knowledgeable we will be. In the traditional teaching, it is said the holy gods have already established and developed our roots from birth to old age. It is up to us, however, to bring these out and learn how to use them. We are blessed with many things that protect us, strengthen us, and help us continue to grow mentally and physically. We are taught with much blessings and that blessing is all around us. We must find them and use them wisely. Our hair roots is blessed with nature and the natural basic elements - fire, water, air, wind, prayers and songs, clans, our name, language and values, and our hogan, etc.

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