The third step to effective learning is participation or, as the common expression has it, “learning by doing.” Traditionally, elders from many plains tribes insist that children must learn their culture by accessing traditional forms of education on the land. A sense of connectedness to the natural world, as well as to people in it, is developed through extended experiences on the land, either in the company of an elder or alone. When a youth is given the privilege of participating in a specific ceremony it is always under the supervision of a responsible individual. Participating in a sacred ritual or ceremony requires use of all five senses, encompassed in an attitude of spirituality.
This, in Siksika terms, implies adding a sixth sense—spiritual awareness. Participating in a sweat-lodge ceremony, for example, will itself verify the readiness of the participant. If the lodge is entered with negative thoughts, the individual might afterwards experience uneasiness or even illness. If on entering the lodge participants have the right attitude, they will feel spiritually refreshed after participating in the ceremony. ~ Tiger Lilli Sakima
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