Louie Pitt (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs) talks about the teachings of elders and the importance of always learning about ways of life. 1:23.

Bio: Louie Pitt works for the Warm Springs tribe in Governmental Relations. Louie Pitt works to continue traditional culture education opportunities, and advocates for treaty rights and protection of natural resources. He is the brother of artist Lillian Pitt.

Transcription:

“When we go to longhouses and we go to family gatherings, that’s when elders teach. They have things on their mind that they need to share and it’s our job to listen. I’m not a younger person anymore but I still have a lot to learn from elders that we have left. So part of our Indianess is something you have to pick up and take care of. You’ve gotta know who you are, where you’re from, who your family is, and kinda what your gifts are from the Creator. And then of course to use those gifts as your gift back to the Creator. So. It’s a very serious way of life and our way of life is one that has been successful in the fact that we’re still here after thousands of years of being generally in the same place is great proof. America calls us primitive and all that. America’s how old, 400, 500 years old? Just a baby. We’ve been here for thousands of years.”