Getting a Head Start

Words by Maria Storr

When I think of the science of early childhood development, we have ‘serve and return’ as a really important concept. It is one of the most important aspects of being a parent for a very young one. A baby is gonna make a noise— that’s a ‘serve.’ I need to respond— that’s a ‘return.’ And I’m going to respond in a caring and loving way, so that that child is not scared or fearful, or the brain is going to develop a process in which whatever I serve may or may not get dealt with.

For example, if I was a baby, and I say ‘goo goo ga ga,’ and Daddy smiles down at me and gives back—the brain is making connections. The neurons are connecting.

This past weekend in Ulukhaktok, I played a serve and return game with some early childhood staff. All I had was a ball, and I let them pass it to me. At first, I never catched it. They served me a ball. I sat there, and I never even looked or paid attention. Then, I threw it to them and they caught it. Then they threw it back to me. I caught it, but I didn’t do anything with it after a while.

So you think about all the feelings that the person who served me that ball (or information).

If the caregiver doesn’t respond, the baby might become stressed. And the little minds of babies really don’t like that, because we’re social beings, and we do need our parents to be responsive and protective. If you’re not, it’s stressful. Once a serve is returned, the baby recognizes that it’s fun! Then you get good vibes going on—seratonin, oxytocin. All these things are happening in your brain and it’s all good stuff! It’s connecting all the neurons. And if you use the language often, on a regular basis, you’ve built strong connections in your brain. You can’t just have it 20 minutes a day. You need to have it all the time—through immersion.

‘Serve and return’ is number one—initially, the parents are going to learn about the different sounds that their baby makes. They recognize that it’s a ‘change my diaper’ or ‘I need a hug’ or whatever. Even at this level, babies learn about self-regulation. They learn to wait, and even the back and forth of a conversation, taking turns.

As they grow older, we play games, we might speak Inuvialuktun, we might go to a drum dance—and the child’s little brain is absorbing all of whatever is happening in their environment, whether or not it’s in the home, in the community hall, visiting nanuk and daduk. The brain is constantly developing.

In the science of early child development, scientists have found that years zero to three are the most important years of a human being’s life. They say even when a woman is pregnant, the baby’s hearing is one of the first things to develop, and their brain is also beginning to develop. It’s so amazing.

I was in Ulukhaktok recently, and they were taking youth out into the land with Elders to hunt. We found out that group got six caribou—oh my goodness! They were so happy. The community’s gonna have meat for Christmas. Caribou! I was just happy for them—I felt their joy, and their relief. When something like that happens, children hear what’s happening. Already, they’re starting to get a bank of words—of excitement. They can hear and see what’s happening in the community as it’s all happening.

The importance of all of this—building the brain, and the foundation for success in life—it happens in the home. The health, the wellness, the relationships. How the parents influence the child’s behaviour, their decisions, or their problem-solving—the parents have a major role in all of that. I think we have to inform our young parents about that importance, to prepare them for parenthood. We need to let them know how ahealthy pregnancy is, through precautions and parenting skills to better prepare them to be parents. I want to plant that seed there.

Through the science of early child development, in the first three years, parents and guardians are the external brain of the baby. It’s these first three years—starting from conception, through healthy pregnancies and relationships—where we act as the external brain for that child. That awareness, I think, is not happening right now. Children are sometimes set aside with an iPad or TV, and a couple are trying to manage their relationship. Even though the child is over there, they’re still taking in what’s happening in their environment, right? To have a child growing up in an unhealthy family that has little support for their development…this hinders our wellness, and our success as a society—if I could put it like that.

Because it’s for the health and success of our next generation. They are the ‘stakeholders’ of our next healthy generation. They are going to raise the next generation; they have a responsibility to ensure that child’s healthy development.

When we think of young parents, it’s the importance of their own wellness themselves, and the wellness of their relationship(s). It could be their partner, their parents—whoever. Sometimes, underlying issues exist there because many of that has been taken away. There was no role-modeling when residential schools happened.

Elders played a role in passing on language and culture to kids, as well. They used to do that; they had the responsibility of looking after the child while parents were doing other duties.

The science of early childhood development should be a program for the youth. Transitioning from teenager to parenthood, letting teenagers know that one day they may be a parent—that is important! We should teach what is required to be a parent: strong healthy relationships, strong language and culture, and healthy pregnancies. Young parents need support. We need to take care of our own health, too. We need to educate ourselves, and have family and friends, instead of being entirely dependent on the government. We want to grow to be an independent society.

There is a belief or value where, because a baby seal only crawls, we’re not going to make sealskin shoes—because the baby wearing it may not learn to walk.

We value our children to the point where we will ensure that traditional knowledge or beliefs get passed on to the next generation. It might a taboo for some people, but it’s important for those who believe in cultural beliefs to pass on that information, so that it is valued.

Young parents need to focus on learning the language and the culture, different parts. They say language is the foundation for a culture. And if you don’t have a language, you might have traditions—but you might not have your full culture and ways. You need to have the language. Exposing your baby to different forms of language, drum dancing, and storytelling is important. We have certain apps that are already available (see right). Young parents could also use that to develop their own skill, but they have to be really willing and really dedicated to want to learn the language.

They say a child can learn up to seven languages. Even when the baby hasn’t been born, the foundation of language is being acquired, right off the bat. If we want to teach Inuvialuktun or Innuinaqtun, it needs to be constant and on a regular basis. Having language in early childhood programs is really important—and even in the homes, because that’s where it begins. You can have an Elder there, and it’s okay for them to speak in two languages, but the majority should be in Inuvialuktun. All the sounds are important. They might not talk, but they would understand even before they spoke because their brain is becoming connected in a way that’s conducive for that little human being.

Seven years ago, someone shared with me: ‘Maria, you need to go on the land and just listen to Inuvialuktun—no English. I would have to go out for a year, and even that is still not enough.’ So, I can start developing my hearing for Inuvialuktun now as an adult. I understand some if someone is speaking it, but it’s not the same as if I was exposed to it when I was a baby. It’s a different level—a different kind of learning. My hearing might develop—but to speak it, you really need to practice and use it.

50% is our genes—we have no say in that. The other 50% is our experience. I could be Inuvialuit and if I was pregnant and dropped off in Africa, I might have the genes of the Inuvialuit. But in terms of experiences, I am going to have African children. I am going to develop their language, culture, and everything because that is the environment in which I am growing up in. If we want our Inuvialuit to be Inuvialuit, they need to be immersed in their language and their culture, starting at this age.

We are accustomed to becoming dependent on various governments and organizations. We evolved into these dependencies, so we need to remove ourselves—whatever steps it takes—to not become dependent on the system, but to rely on our own selves and our own people to learn the language and culture. Take on the personal initiative to learn the language, and your culture will be revived. We must become independent, and have these hopes and dreams for a stronger Inuvialuit society. We are so fortunate. We have so many beautiful childhood programs. If our youth, parents, and Elders become involved in those programs and make it theirs in their community, with their own culture—that would be powerful. If the community is concerned and wants the culture and the language in the program, they should be involved in the development of that. They could contribute cultural resources, skins, pails to pick berries, or even take our children out to go pick berries. Working with the staff to help implement our language and our culture through storytelling is another way.

But it’s difficult right now for involvement because of financial limitations. Sometimes, we don’t value it enough to just get involved to pass on language and culture. That’s what the system has done, though—we have become so dependent on money.

It’s become full circle now. Before, they slapped our hands and told us not to speak our language, took us away from our culture, our communities, and our families. Now they’ve come full circle and they’re giving money and honoraria—but guess what? You can only do it from 10:30 to 11! And it’s all of these different kinds of policies and procedures that could be our barriers to passing on our language and culture. We have become so dependent on money. We do have some sincere people who pass on language and culture, but there are still people who will only do it for the money.

Education needs to come from the heart, from the person—from the self. It begins with you! If we think of the IFA and ISDP, our mandate stems from our people and the responsibility for our own people—not anybody else.

The way of letting young parents become aware of their important role in growing healthy, capable Inuvialuit is to have their input. It’s the involvement of parents—being involved in early childhood education.

We encourage participation in our programming, and involvement in a parent committee. Come to the early childhood programs and contribute in whatever way you can. For example, if you know how to carve on driftwood, carve a boat out for the children! Then they have something culturally-relevant, made by their own people for their people to pass on! Come in and play with them. Drum. Dance. If you see someone practicing their culture, or trying to speak their language—think of a way how that might be used in the early childhood program. Encourage others to be a part of the program.

Maybe they have a story! Come and tell a story about something culturally-relevant. Come in and share the story. Storytelling is very basic—very simple. The kids will get used to your face, and you could become familiar to them. You could build your relationship with the program staff as well as the children there.

But we must build that relationship first. By doing that is being a part of the program.

We have to make sure that our programs are not things that come from the South to be delivered here. We need local involvement in our early childhood programming to pass on our language and our culture. We all need to be a part of it.

There is this amazing young man in one of our communities who really fell in love with drum dancing. He was actually in the Aboriginal Head Start program back in the day.

20 years later? He has initiated and is now the drum dancer leader of that community group. Aboriginal Head Start was the foundation of that. He was a part of that foundation, and he is now 20 years old and a leader for his community. Maybe he was a part of drum dancing as an infant. Since they used culture and language in Headstart as the main components of this early childhood program, I like to believe that it helped him. Aboriginal Head Start helped him go where he needed to go.

I just think that’s so amazing. You think of all the good things that happened with children in every community. That program affected someone positively, and it’s because of that relationship they built with that caregiver.

Take care of yourselves—mentally, physically, and emotionally. If you don’t know how to and want to know, you need to reach out to someone who would know. Go to an Elder, someone whom they trust and have a relationship with—their nanuk, daduk, parents, aunt, or even a good friend. Reach out to those individuals.

It starts during pregnancy and even before, so we have to make sure couples’ relationships are strong and healthy before even trying to have a baby. Sometimes we have children when we are too young. But for those who are pregnant—planned or unplanned—you must take care of yourself, because you’re the shell of your baby right now being grown. Your own emotional health, physical health, and even social health all matter. You need to try to make your life healthy because your environment also affects the baby’s development.

Immerse yourself in as much language and culture as you can, because that’s when the baby’s language begins to form. Understanding the sounds (like a, i, and u), and all of that—the baby hears it and is learning to recognize your voice! That’s the time when the foundation is all being built.

Looking back: if I knew then what I know today, I probably would have raised my children differently. Even just 20 years ago. If I knew what I knew today, I’m sure my family would look very different.

I always tell myself that I wish to work myself out of this job, and that will probably be two or three generations from now. But we’re planting the seeds now. It’s for our youth now to take it and run with it. They need to focus on their own health, relationships, and careers. Above all, they need to be involved in our culture and language and be committed to that.

The idea of being a global leader in early childhood education is far beyond me—now I just focus on being a role model for my kids. What I’ve done in the past, I’ve done. I didn’t know certain things before. And now that I’m learning, it’s time to make changes.