Youth and Elders: Perspectives on Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer in Churchill, Manitoba

Abstract

This research focuses on working with fifteen local youths, one elder, and two teachers in the town of Churchill, Manitoba to document intergenerational knowledge transfer. According to Tsuji (1996) there has been a significant loss of traditional ecological knowledge in First Nation communities between generations for both males and females. Traditional knowledge is important because it relies on an individual’s own knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards certain issues that he or she has experienced in the past. Through conducting interviews with Elders, youths, and teachers along with observation and participant observation, this research shows knowledge from the Indigenous elder is being transferred to the younger generation through stories, presentations, and education. There is a moderate level of intergenerational knowledge transfer from youth to elders and elders to youth, as well as a high level of interest in incorporating traditional and local knowledge in education.