TORONTO, March 6, 1997: York University will host its first Native Elders Conference this weekend, exploring the re-energized relationship between elders and their communities.

According to Native tradition, it is a wise and appropriate course of action for young people to seek the advice and assistance of elders, who pass down to younger generatons the oral history and customs of Native people. In early Native settlements across Canada, seeking the advice of one's elders was a common practice accompanied by an elaborate ceremony.

Organized by York University's First Nations Students Association, Atkinson College, and the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, the conference will feature five Native elders who will share their knowledge and experience with the York community and members of the general public. An estimated 150 people are expected to attend.

Many Native customs and traditions have been lost over past decades as Native children were removed from their communities and raised in other cultures and traditions, according to Shannon Barnes, Director of Atkinson College's Office of Student and Academic Services and one of the conference organizers. Because of this loss of tradition, some elders are relatively young (40 or 50). They have maintained a strong knowledge base, and they are in great demand as speakers.

"In recent years, the number of requests for elders to speak and to share their knowledge and experience has increased dramatically," said Barnes, who is a Native from the Tsimshian band on the Pacific coast. "There has been a very real need for Native people to relearn their culture and traditional knowledge and to return to their own spirituality. This conference will enable the elders to reach many people simultaneously and to enrich their understanding of all manner of Native traditional life."

In accordance with Native customs, each day of the conference will begin and end with a ceremony. Native elder Mary Assinewe will serve as the host elder at the opening and closing ceremonies. In addition, four elders will lead workshops on each day of the conference. The elders include: