CHILD-REARING PRACTICES OF THE CARRIER FIRST NATION IN NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

This study examined child-rearing practices of the Carrier First Nation in a sample of four parents and one grandparent residing in an urban community of northern British Columbia. Interviews were conducted individually, face-to-face, and audio-recorded. Intriguing findings include the following: (a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of native studies 2016-01, Vol.36 (1), p.153
Main Authors: Olynick, Janna, Li, Han Zao, Verde, Mitch, Cui, Yanping
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Beliefs
Caregivers
Ceremonies
Child Rearing
Children
Children & youth
Community Relations
Culture
Drug use
Drugs
Experiential Learning
Families & family life
Grandparents
Metaphor
Native North Americans
Parent Influence
Parents & parenting
Peer Influence
Religious orders
Residential Schools
Rites of passage
School Districts
School systems
Special Schools
Story Telling
Teaching Methods
Westernization
Young Children
Youth
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Summary:This study examined child-rearing practices of the Carrier First Nation in a sample of four parents and one grandparent residing in an urban community of northern British Columbia. Interviews were conducted individually, face-to-face, and audio-recorded. Intriguing findings include the following: (a) the grandparents' generation used metaphors and stories to educate their children; their philosophies and values were traditional and collectivistic; (b) residential schools created a break in their culture to the effect that the parents' generation was lost and did not know how to raise their children; (c) the younger generation survives the neglect of their parents, takes a bi-cultural approach of rearing their children: showing love, being there, and being encouraging and positive, and at the same time making sure their children attend traditional ceremonies and community activities. This new approach may prepare their children for a multi-cultural society where their children will navigate their way for survival and success. Nevertheless, today's parents do face particular child-rearing problems: negative impact of the media and peer pressure endangering their children to drugs, violence and physical inactivity. To conclude, our findings may be of important use for social workers, early-childhood educators as well as policy-makers concerning issues related to child-rearing of First Nations in general and the Carrier First Nation in particular.
ISSN:0715-3244