Quite often, as we know in indigenous communities there are multiple families living together, and that is often the preferred way. It is how I grew up as well, with my great-grandmother, my grandmother and then me, because my mother had to go out to work cleaning houses, etc. It's having that sense of belonging and that sense of community and that nurturing. It's carrying on some of the traditional teachings, such as the language, because that's a huge piece.
There are also the other pieces around some of the ceremonial work that needed to be done around the household and community, and that was by looking after family. We truly had that extended family, because we had other family members in the community who we quite often brought into the house to be part of the household. We had crisis intervention as well in the homes, when someone was in trouble.
We had all those traditional methods, and I believe we need to revisit some of that wisdom and go back to some of that practice. It is extremely important for grandchildren to have their grandmothers present with them, as well as their aunties.
Thank you.