Omāēqnomenēweqnaesen

This teaching comes to us through Gene Thin Elk (Rosebud Sioux), who entrusted us with his knowledge, including what he called the Red Road approach. This philosophy centers on a return to Indigenous lifeways, guiding our people to reconnect with cultural teachings, strengthen identity, and recognize the internal resilience we carry. Through this path, our youth are supported in living with purpose, grounded in something greater than themselves and in right relationship with community, land, and spirit.

Citation: Generation Red Road Inc. (2022). Red Road Approach: Recovery curriculum for youth – Facilitator guide [Unpublished facilitator guide]. Generation Red Road.

The interconnectedness of all creation and understanding that humans are just a part of a larger system of relationships. This teaching helps us to remember to maintain balance and harmony with other animate and inanimate, the metaphysical and Spiritual beings with whom we share this world.

Concept that informs critical thinking about our ethos as individuals from specific nations, and reinforces critical thinking about the shared boundaries with our relations (e.g., inter-tribal; Wildcat, 2023). Helps us know ourselves and our responsibilities to all our relations where view and feel all aspects of the world (e.g., Father Sky versus sky, Mother Earth versus earth) as our kin and thus bridges and strengthens our relationship and is accompanied by responsibility (e.g., the researcher is not the expert but rather relies on the knowledge learned from all creation, traditional teachings, guides, and knowledge holders).

The complex and sophisticated teachings that Indigenous peoples receive from all elements in nature (e.g., all relations) and relate to specific places and ecology.

The inherent authority of Indigenous tribes to govern themselves as distinct, self-determining political communities (NCAI, 2024; US DOI, 2021).

Preexisting peoples who lived in a particular place prior to contact by settler populations (e.g., Europeans) all over the world, who are most often fighting to maintain and remain culturally intact on their original homelands.

The areas under Tribal jurisdiction include lands defined as “Indian Country” under 18 U.S. Code, Section 1511. Indian Country includes land within Indian reservation boundaries in the state, dependent Indian communities, and Indian allotments.

“The displacement and undermining of societies, including their values, cultures, beliefs, and ways of life by outside peoples”. (Weaver, 2009, pg. 1552).

People who are of Western European descent and can trace their descendancy to Western Europe. This term is often used to understand the differences between Indigenous worldview and Western European worldview (e.g., cultural, social, spiritual).