The Headband
The
central theme of the Headband is the eye of the Great Spirit surrounded by the
four winds of heaven. The feathered
arrow designs which extend right and left from the central symbol represent the
useful services of father and son. Whenever outstanding accomplishment existed,
the Indians noted it. Its significance was recognized, often in the form of
feathers. The fact that the father and son achievements are united in the
center of the design is interpreted to mean that fathers and sons together,
under the eye of the Great Spirit, are seeking to help each other in the
services they render.
To
the right is the symbol of the mother and home. A line connects the mother
symbol with the teepee, or home symbol. The fact that it is a home symbol is
shown by the fire in the teepee. These symbols add to the richness of the
central theme for it is in service to mother and home that many of the more
significant achievements of father and son will take place.
Far
to the right are symbols of day and forest. Far to the left are symbols of
mountain, lake, field, and stream, with the moon for night. Here again, these
symbols tend to enrich the central theme, giving broader scope to services by
centering the efforts of father and son in village and community life, and as the
ritual says, “in forest, field and stream.” Briefly stated, the headband may be
interpreted in these words: “Father and son, through friendly service to each
other, to our family, to this tribe, and to our community, seek a world
pleasing to the eye of the Great Spirit.”
THE TRIBE TO WHICH YOU
BELONG …….
A tribe is a group of 6 to 9
parent/child teams who:
§
Meet
once a month in the homes of members on a rotating basis.
§
Have
parent/child and family outings on a regular basis.
§
Participate
in inter-tribal (called Nation or Longhouse) and YMCA events as tribes and
families.
§
Have
parent meetings several times a year to develop plans and handle problems.
A tribe meeting might
include:
§
Ceremony
(see opening and closing rituals)
§
Activities
such as: crafts, stories, Indian lore, games, songs, and service projects.
§
Refreshments
(provided by host family)
§
A
tribe meeting length should be no more than 1½ hours.
Tribe Leaders and Their Duties
Chief:
This is one of the parents who sees that
there is continuity in meetings, and acts as the leader of the group. He
presides at parent’s meetings, delegates assignments and checks to see that the
jobs are being done. He is the tribal contact person for the YMCA and
represents the tribe at the monthly Nation meetings. Some tribes change Chiefs every six months, but tribes should
keep in mind the need for continuity. He collects and forwards monies for the
Nation’s membership, campouts, etc.
Assistant Chief:
He takes over the duties of Chief when
the Chief is not able to attend meetings. He may accompany the chief to the
Nation meetings, and is possibly in training for the Chief’s job.
Wampum Bearer:
This parent is responsible for the
collection and safekeeping of the tribe wampum.
Tallykeeper:
The parent who writes the tribe news articles for
the Smoke Signal and also has the responsibility of maintaining the tribe
history scrapbook or photo album.
Sachem:
The wise parent of the tribe, usually the past
Chief. He constantly reminds all members of the aims of the program. He leads
the tribe in many service projects and helps with the establishment of new
tribes.
OTHER
TRIBE ROLES
Host:
The parent responsible for providing
a meeting place, opening prayer, a game or story, a craft or arranging a tour.
He is responsible for notifying all Tribe members of the upcoming meeting.
Drum Beater:
Son of the host calls the meeting to
order with 12 beats on the tribe drum. The Drum Beater also collects the dues.
A Typical
Y-Indian Guide Program
Meeting Outline
7:00 Chief calls meeting to order by asking one of the children to
beat on the Tribal Drum once for each child present. Talking should stop.
Prayer or opening ceremony. Flag salute (if flag is available).
7:10 Tallykeeper takes roll. Wampum Bearer collects tribe dues: each
little Brave shares what he did to earn Wampum. Wampum bag is passed around.
7:15 Chief asks for Scouting Reports. Use of the talking stick is
recommended as each child shares his Scouting Report.
7:25: Business Meeting
§
Announcements by Chief of any upcoming inter-tribal
events. YMCA news, etc.
§
Review plan for next meeting, using chart on page of
this manual.
7:35 Craft or Game
7:50 Light refreshments
8:00 Story and/or songs
8:25 Head for home
Format for
a Typical Tribe Meeting
You are expected to wear you Indian
costume and beads
to each tribe meeting. A tribe
meeting should last no
more then 1½ hours, beginning at
7:00 PM and
adjourning at 8:30.
Drum Beater: On the signal from the
Chief, he strikes the drum 12 times in the four directions of the earth.
All taking stops and Little Braves
take their position
near
their fathers.
§
Opening Ritual
Chief: The mighty
_______________ Tribe of the
Manikiki Nation meets tonight. Let
us offer a prayer to
the Great Spirit.
Host: Offers a prayer to the Great Spirit.
Drum Beater: Collects dues from each Big and Little
Brave. When each Little Brave pays
his dues, he
tells how he earned his dues. An
alternate question
could relate to a current situation,
e.g. what are you
looking forward to at the camp out
or vacations, etc.
Chief: Thank Big and Little host for the invitation and
hospitality. It may be explained that Indians never
turned a guest away and were very
hospitable
Chief: Sharing time. Chief asks any of the Little
Braves if they have anything they
wish to share with
the other Tribe members. Each
Little Brave is given a
few minutes each to share his
experience with his father
or at school or on vacation.
The following need not be done
every meeting, but
should be an important part of your
program.
§
Child learns to express himself
§
Importance is given to sharing with father.
Old Business: Keep all business short
New Business:
Turn Meeting Over to Host
The host may at this time tell a
story, teach a dance, or
share something of interest about
Indians with the
Tribe members.
After the story, the host should
have a simple craft
project which can be completed
before the end of the
meeting. Be sure to have worked your
craft out before
the meeting and have a sample made
up. The craft
should try to involve father and
son working together.
When the craft is complete, the
host may elect to play a
game if time permits.
Refreshments: Just two items such as cupcakes and
cocoa
should be served. At this time the fathers can talk about upcoming events or
announcements.
Closing Ritual: Tribe stands in circle, father
behind son, all facing the center.
At this time announce
when the next meeting will be held.
After the meeting
announcement, offer the closing
Prayer.
CLOSING
PRAYERS
SUGGESTED
OUTLINE FOR FIRST THREE
TRIBE MEETINGS AND ONE FATHER’S MEETING
FIRST MEETING: Sample meeting with
Council Representative. Be sure a craft is planned for this meeting. First meeting
should be held in the first full week after the sign-up meeting.
FATHER’S MEETING: Start thinking of a
tribe name and individual Indian names for father and sons. Choose your Indian
names with care and thought. No father and son may use a tribe name for their
own Indian name. Begin thinking of the
tribe colors, symbol, and uniform.
Keeping in mind that these uniforms will be used in summer and winter
and for a lot of activities. Discuss meeting place and host rotation. NOTE:
When picking a tribe name be sure you can illustrate this name in a picture
form.
SECOND MEETING Meet with Council
Officers. Receive booklets and pay
dues. Dues are payable by November 1. Council Officers will answer questions and
tell more about the workings of this program. The little braves should be
entertained during this meeting.
THIRD MEETING Vote on tribe name.
Craft should be small drum for each little brave or a tribe drum.
TRIBE NAMES AND YOUR INDIAN NAME
During
the first few meetings, stories can be introduced about tribe namesake. Fathers
can help by thinking of names that their sons might enjoy, which may initiate
thinking on the sons’ part. Both father and sons can receive the same name, the
distinguishing feature being “Big” and “Little”. No two little braves can be
named the same name in the same tribe. A name can be used if the little brave
has left the program. This follows the Indian ideal that a name was very
special, and once named, an Indian could never change it except in cases of
extreme acts of courage. Then a new name was bestowed on him as an honor, much
in the same way we give medals to our heroes today.
Tribe
names are very important. Pick a name that will be easy to illustrate. No big
or little brave may take a name of a tribe.
TRIBE DUES
Tribe
dues are collected during each meeting. As the little brave gives his dues, he
tells of the task he did to earn his money. The standard amount is one dollar
($1) for big and little braves. The importance lies in the little brave earning
his money. The dues may be used for special events that may come up.
IDEAS FOR
MEETING INVITATIONS
Paint brush Canoes Teepees
Tomahawks Arrows Quivers
Headdresses Trip
Symbols Train
Loaf of Bread Plane Fire Hat
Police Badge Birch
Bark Card
Stretched Hide
Animal Tracks Campfires
Trees Leaves Feathers
Seasonal Symbols
Shields Snowshoes
Peace Pipe Corn Sun, Moon
Stars Shirts Moccasins
Tools Pottery Drums
Indian Silhouettes
Navajo Design Totem Poles
Animal Silhouettes
Arrowheads Bookmark
Wooden Paddle
Stick on stars arranged in constellations
Animal that represents Indian names of host.
INVITATIONS TO TRIBAL MEETINGS
Every
father and son gets several turns in the course of the year to make
invitations. So often this is considered as only a bother, rather than as a
good opportunity to achieve the Y-Indian Guide programs purpose. First, try to
choose something that relates to Indians or to God or Nature in some way. It
need not be elaborate. It need not be authentic; e.g. a paper teepee that your
son has decorated is much better than a real leather one that the father needed
to do all the work in making.
Second, the projects should be simple
enough that the task of making enough for the whole tribe is not too lengthy or
difficult.
Third, it should be something that both father
and son can work on, or each has a portion of the project to do.
Fourth, allow enough time, probably two
evenings so that the time spent together will be fun, and your son can be proud
of your invitations.
Fifth, often an invitation can be made
that will encourage the other dads and sons to work together also…such as
putting one bell on a rawhide thong, along with a tag telling the meeting time
and place. And, with more bells and some fur or leather, this invitation can be
made into ankle bells for your Indian costume and dances.
Sixth, use Indian sign language and
wordage as much as possible. For example:
FATHER’S MEETING
Meeting
without the children several times during the year can eliminate most of the common
shortcomings of tribes. The big value of the meetings is the ironing out of
tiresome business details without boring the children. Any business that that
takes more than five minutes in a tribe meeting ought to be referred to the
parents’ meeting instead. Plans for trips, special events, etc. go much
smoother with the parent’s alone. Making assignments rarely inspires children,
and can be done for a month or a semester at a time in a parent’s meeting. The parents with logical excuses are not
embarrassed to explain their reasons for not caring to do a certain task.
Discussions
about big things to come can be carried on without getting the children all
excited too early. A weekend camp two months away can be planned by the
parent’s without making the wait too long for the children.
Another
great feature of parent’s meetings is the learning possibilities. Evaluations,
ways to improve, and discussions of weak features of tribal meetings can be
discussed objectively by the parents alone. This is a place where the Indian
Agent can listen to your problems and then help you to solve them.
The
best use of parent’s meeting time is spent in trying to understand better their
own child, learning how to be truly closer pals and friends to their sons,
trying to cope with behavior problems, etc. The “Y” again is anxious to help in
this field, but often much understanding can be gained by a frank discussion
among the parents themselves.
At
a parents’ meeting, parents have a chance to review the manuals or the latest
books and magazine articles that will help them to be better parents of
Y-Indian Guides/Braves. They can share ideas on improving invitations, games or
stores.
The
“Y” Staff stands ever ready to help your tribe develop good parents’ meetings.
CHECK LIST FOR MEETING
§
Parents called night before to assure attendance
§
Start on time
§
Everyone has a chance to talk and contribute
§
Agreements reached on items
§
Specific assignments made
§
Date set for next parents’ meeting
§
Refreshments served during the meeting
§
Minutes of the Meeting distributed to all members
TEN TIPS FOR GOOD
TRIBE MEETINGS
1.
Each meeting should be carefully planned.
2.
To encourage promptness, begin your meeting on time
regardless of the number of braves present.
equally important, end on time.
3.
Keep business to minimum during meetings. Any business
requiring more than ten minutes should be saved for fathers meeting.
4.
Each big and little brave should have permission before
speaking.
5.
Fathers and sons should sit together during meetings.
6.
All little braves must remain in the area where the
meeting is being held. They should not be allowed to enter other rooms of the
house.
7.
The Chief should insist upon quiet and order during the tribe
meetings. Each father is responsible for his son’s behavior.
8.
Should absence be necessary due to an emergency such as an
illness, the Chief or the Host should be notified as soon as possible. Only on
consent of the tribe can little braes attend without their fathers.
9.
Projects, stories, and activities should be kept within abilities
of little braves.
10.
Serve only two simple items for refreshments.
GOOD STORYTELLING
The first step in
telling a good story is to find the proper story. You must keep in mind the
type of people to whom you are to tell the story. Their age is another
important factor. Avoid both over morbid or goody-goody stories. Your story may
be taken from history, literature, the Bible, or a contemporary new item. After
finding this story, the storyteller should know his story. Never, read a story from a book. It is
impossible to have any personal contact with your audience when reading aloud
to them. Read and re-read your story yourself until you can visualize each
character and each scene in relation to the climax.
When telling a
story, try to tell it as dramatically as possible.
TRIBAL PROJECTS AND PROPERTY
It is important
for each tribe to make its own set of tribal property. Tribes tend to keep
collecting equipment as they progress in organization and program
activities. These resources add much to
the feeling in tribal meetings. At the same time genuine enthusiasm and
friendship can be developed among the members while they are engaged in making
the following items of basic equipment which each tribe will need:
1. Tribal
Chest or property box 2. Tribal Drum
3. Council
Fire 4. Totem Pole
5. Money Pouch 6. Talking stick or rock
7. Charter
Frame 8. Tribal Scrapbook
9. Tribal
Standard
10. Tribal Teepee
TRIBAL CHEST – PROPERTY BOX
This
box should be large enough for all tribal properties, yet small enough to
handle easily. It is suggested that it be approximately 2’6” long, 18” wide and
12” high. It should be a hinged, covered box with a latch so that it can be
decorated. This box will hold most of the tribal property, including totem,
drum, campfire, headbands, etc. Plywood is recommended for construction of this
box. Even an old footlocker, painted and decorated, will make a very
satisfactory chest. A lock will come in handy also.
TRIBAL DRUM
The tribal drum
is an indispensable piece of equipment for the Y-Indian Guide Tribe. Tribal
participation in making the drum builds a strong feeling of ownership and
teamwork. The drum is used regularly in meeting ceremonies, and it should not be
considered a toy. It should be made and used with care, for it is one of the
principal Native American musical instruments.
There are several
ways to make a tribal drum. A good body can be made from a clean, tight wooden
nail keg, round cheese box, or cheese hoop. Be sure to keep the drum small
enough to fit into the property box. Rawhide makes a good drumhead. It should
be about two or three inches larger than the diameter of the body. Scraps left
over from the head can be used for thongs.
The body should
be smoothed. The ends where the head will be stretched may be padded with a
thin pad cloth or soft leather. Holes or leaks through which air may escape
should be sealed as tightly as possible in order to preserve the good tone of
the drum.
PREPARING THE
HEAD - The rawhide should be soaked in warm water for about 4 to 6 hours.
Frequent changes of water will help remove dirt and other matter left on the
hide. Cut two circles out of the rawhide that are a few inches larger in
diameter than the diameter of the body. Around the edge of the circle, one inch
from the edge, cut a series of holes three inches apart. These holes should be
in the shape of a narrow “V”, the legs of which are one-half inch long, with
the open end of “V” facing the circumference of the circle.
ASSEMBLY - The body is placed with one end sitting on one of the heads and with
the other end covered by the other head. With thongs cut from scraps of wet
rawhide, begin lacing through the holes cut for lacing, using a diagonal
pattern. When the lacing reaches around to the point of beginning, have someone
hold the two ends together while you go back around and take up all the slack.
Then tie the ends together with a secure square knot. Let the drum dry slowly
and evenly. The uncured rawhide should be coated with a protective coating of
clear varnish to retard deterioration. Don’t forget to decorate the tribal
drum.
BEATER – First
wind cotton cord or gauze bandage around a supple stick about 12 inches in length.
Wrap this with a couple of strips of adhesive tape and then with soft leather.
TRIBAL RITUALS AND PRAYERS
INDIAN PRAYERS
1.
Wakonda dhedhu Wapadhin atonhe
Watonda dhedhu Wapadhin atonhe
(translation)
Father,
a needy one stands before Thee;
I
who speak am he (Omaha Tribal Prayer)
2.
Keeper of the strong rain, drumming on the
mountain; Lord of the small
rain, that restores the earth in newness. Keeper of the clean rain, hear a
prayer of WHOLENESS.
Little
Brave, Big Brave, hear a prayer for fleetness.
keeper of the deer’s way, reared among the eagles, clear my feet of
slothness. Keeper of the paths of men, hear a prayer for STRAIGHTNESS.
Hear
a prayer for courage. Lord of the thin peaks, reared among the thunders; keeper
of the headlands, holding up the harvests, keeper of the strong rocks, hear a
prayer for STAUNCHNESS.
3.
“We, Father ___________ and Son ____________
through friendly service to
each other, to our family, to this tribe and to our community, seek a world
pleasing to the eye of the Great Spirit.”
4.
An Indian Blessing:
“May the Great Spirit make
sunrise in your heart.”
5.
Aztec’s Golden Rule:
“If a brave wishes others not to injure him, injure not others.”
6.
“O God, show me the way of wisdom, and give me
strength to follow it without
fear.”
7.
“O Great spirit, give to me to mind my own business at all
time, and to lose no good opportunity for holding my tongue.”
8.
“Help me to win, if win I may, but if it is not for me to win,
let me have joy for he who does.”
RITUALS
Using opening and
closing rituals in your meetings can add a great deal. Rituals are exciting to
children this age. Below are several
examples of both opening and closing rituals. It is suggested that after
exploring several types, your tribe chooses one or creates one that they will
call their own.
OPENING RITUALS
1. Chief: What
is the slogan of fathers and sons?
Tribe: “Pals Forever” in teepee, village and tribe.
Chief: What
is the purpose of Y-Indian Guides?
Tribe: To
foster companionship of father and son.
Chief: What
are the aims of Y-Indian Guides?
Tribe: To
be clean in body and pure in heart.
To be “Pals Forever” with my
dad/son.
To love the sacred circle of
my family.
To be attentive while others
speak.
To seek and preserve the
beauty of the
Great Spirit’s work in forest,
field and
stream.
Chief: Let
us have one minute of silent prayer.
2. Chief: What
is the slogan of fathers and sons?
Tribe: “Pals
Forever”
Chief: Drum
Beater, what is an Indian Guide?
Drum
Beater: A boy with a dad like mine.
Chief: And
your office, what does it mean?
Drum
Beater: The beating of the drum calls the tribe
together and tells its members
to come
to order.
Chief: Asks two or three other little braves what
their office is and what they do.
Little
Brave responds.
CLOSING RITUALS
2.
CHIEF
AND TRIBE:
Great Spirit of the universe,
guide us till we meet again. (Start with arms and faces upraised… lower slowly
until end of prayer.)
TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR TRIBE STRONG
1.
Have a Chief who believes in Indian Guides.
2.
Have an outfit or costume for every member and wear it at
tribe meetings.
3.
Set meeting dates and let nothing interfere.
4.
Hold tribe meetings twice a month. Alternate
meetings with some other
activity, such as tours,
swimming,
good shows, etc.
5.
Tribe Chief or representative attends all Nation
Chief’s meetings.
6.
All Fathers attend Father’s Meetings held to
discuss business or any
upcoming events.
7.
Tribe unity, enthusiasm and tribe strength can be
developed though special
events, tribe and family
outings and activities. Attend all
Nation Events
100%.
8. Write job descriptions for all tribe
officers.
9. Tribe member should evaluate their tribe
program
periodically and adjust, if required, to
improve
their program.
INDIAN GUIDE NECKLACE
Beads and Bear
Claws are given to both big and little braves for attendance and/or
participation at Nation events. The necklace is a visual display of the big and
little Braves activity in the Nation and the length of time they have belonged
to the Indian Guide Program.
Beads are earned
or obtained by attending scheduled Nation events. Beads are awarded for all
Nation events except the Ghoul Walk, Christmas Project and Fundraiser.
The Bear/Eagle
Claws are special and are awarded for only competition events and service
projects. The three events for which the Bear/Eagle Claws are awarded include
the Christmas Project, Fundraiser and the Ghoul Walk.
TRIBE FEATHER
ORDER
Each brave
receives a feather for each year he is a member of Indian Guides. The colors are as follows:
0
Year Red Feather
1 Year
Yellow Feather
2 Year
Blue Feather
3 Year
White Feather
4 Year Green Feather
5 Year
Orange Feather
6 Year
Black Feather
7 Year
Pink Feather
8 Year
Brown Feather
9 Year
Fuchsia Feather
10 Year Black & White Feather
11 Year Yellow Stripe
12 Year Blue Stripe
13 Year Red Stripe
14 Year Green Stripe
15 Year Orange Strip
16 Year
Purple Stripe
17 Year
Pink Stripe
SMOKE SIGNALS
Indian Tribes
used to communicate and send information to other tribes through the use of
smoke signals. Likewise, the Manikiki
Nation communicates with all tribes and all members of the Nation through the
MANIKIKI NATION SMOKE SIGNALS.
THE SMOKE SIGNALS
is a monthly newsletter written and assembled by the Nation Tallykeeper then
printed and distributed by the YMCA. It is published after each Nation
Longhouse meeting. Included in the SMOKE SIGNALS is information on upcoming
Nation events, articles submitted by each tribe and current activities and
projects. Also, the birthdays of all Little Braves for the particular month.
NATIONAL AWARDS
Nation Officer
Tribe Chief
Big Medicine
Participation
Outstanding
Service
Joe Friday
Outgoing Little
Brave
Each year the
Manikiki Nation recognizes the accomplishments or the services rendered by
individuals and tribes and award them momentos for those deeds. The following are the awards the Manikiki
Nation
presents:
TRIBE CHIEF: The Nation presents to
each Big Brave a medallion for each term served as Tribe Chief. There are
normally two terms each year for Tribe Chief. The medallions are awarded during
the Camp Fire Ceremony at the Spring and Fall Campouts.
BIG MEDICINE AWARD: After each event
year the Nation presents a trophy, plaque or t-shirt to each little brave in
the Tribe that accumulates the most Big Medicine points. Big Medicine points
are earned through attendance at Nation Events, competitive games at Nation
Events, tribe sponsoring of Nation Events, and as otherwise described in the
Nation Constitution. The winning tribe also has their Tribe name inscribed on
the Big Medicine Award traveling trophy that reflects all Big Medicine Award
winners. The Big Medicine Award is presented at the Annual Banquet.
PARTICIPATION AWARD: After each event
year, the Nation presents a medallion to each Little Brave who has missed one
or less scheduled Nation Events. Little Braves, who are in their first year in
Indian Guides, are allowed to miss the first Nation Event in October without
being penalized. The Participation awards are presented at the Annual Banquet.
OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD: Each year,
the Manikiki Nation presents an Outstanding Service award to one or more
outgoing Big Braves. A Nation member nominates eligible Big Braves. The Nation
Council selects the recipients of the awards. The Outstanding Service Award is
presented at the Annual Banquet.
JOE FRIDAY AWARD: Each year the
Manikiki Nation presents the Joe Friday Award to one or more Big Braves. A
Nation member nominates eligible Big Braves. The Joe Friday committee (made up
of past award winners) selects the recipients of the awards. The Joe Friday
award is presented at the Annual Banquet.
OUTGOING LITTLE BRAVE: When a Little
Brave reaches the age of ten, he may elect to leave the Indian Guide program. Each
Little Brave, electing to leave the program after he becomes 10 until the
mandatory departure age of 12, is presented by the Nation with an Outgoing
Brave Award as a momento for his years in Indian Guides. This award is
presented at the Annual Banquet.
ORIGIN OF Y.M.C.A.
INDIAN GUIDES
The Father and
Son Y-Indian guide Program was developed in a deliberated way to support the
father’s vital family role as teacher, counselor, and friend to his son. Harold
S. Keltner, St. Louis YMCA Director, as an integral part of Association work,
initiated the program. In 1926 he organized the first tribe in Richmond
Heights, Missouri, with the help of his good friend, Joe Friday, an Ojibway
Indian, and William H. Hefelfinger, Chief of the first Y-Indian Guide tribe. Inspired
by his experiences with Joe Friday, who was his guide on fishing and hunting
trips into Canada, Harold Keltner initiated a program of parent-child
experiences that now involves a half million children and adults annually in
the YMCA.
While Keltner was
on a hunting trip in Canada, one evening, Joe Friday, the Indian, said to this
white colleague as they sat around a blazing campfire: “The Indian father
raises his son. He teaches his son to
hunt, to track, to fish, to walk softly and silently in the forest, to know the
meaning and purpose of life and all he must know, while the white man allows
the mother to raise his son.” These comments struck home, and Harold Keltner
arranged for Joe Friday to work with him at the St. Louis YMCA.
The Ojibway Indian
spoke before groups of YMCA boys and dads in St. Louis, and Mr. Keltner
discovered that fathers, as well as boys, had a keen interest in the traditions
and ways of American Indian. At the same time, being greatly influenced by the
work of Ernest Thompson Seton, a great lover of the out-of-doors, Harold
Keltner conceived the idea of a father and son program based upon the strong
qualities of American Indian culture and life-dignity, patience, endurance,
spirituality, felling for the earth, and concern for the family. Thus, the
Y-Indian Guide program was born a half century ago.
