As Cheryl's aunt, my first contact with Cheryl was when she was about two or three months old. When I first held Cheryl she cried consistently and tried to wriggle free. During the whole time I was holding her, I consistently said, "I'm your aunt, and there's no need for you to be afraid of me."Shortly afterward, I had Cheryl with me for about 18 hours while her parents were out of town. During this time she cried and whimpered even when she was asleep. When her parents returned to pick her up she immediately stopped crying and turned to stare at me. It was evident that she was thinking that I was "okay."I appreciate Cheryl's parents allowing me to be her alternate care provider during her toddler years.

When Cheryl began to walk and talk she spent the majority of her days with me and her grandfather, going home only at night. She and I would wait several hours by the road watching a caterpillar to make sure it crossed safely. While waiting I explained to Cheryl how a caterpillar fits into the nature of things. Cheryl insisted that books of any nature be read to her and was encouraged to make up her own stories from the pictures.

Since both Cheryl's father and myself had cared for any animal we could get our hands on as children, Cheryl was also encouraged to care for animals. This led to some difficulty Cheryl had in eating the various subsistence foods that were caught by her father, although she participated in the gathering and preparation of those foods. When it came to a choice, Cheryl preferred to have fresh or canned fruit over candy or pop. Dill pickles became the preference over candy when given a choice.

Cheryl spent lots of time going out into the country with either her father or myself on the machines or with the dog team I had during this time. If our dogs got into a fight it bothered her to see them being hit by their owner. Several times she had nightmares after witnessing an incident, regardless of whose team it was.

As Cheryl has cousins that are within her age group, there was always some competition for attention. She also understood that parents have one set of rules and other adults have their own rules.

During Cheryl's first six years I encouraged and emphasized independence, respect for herself and others, respect for nature, education as a means for future survival, and developing a strong family and cultural identity.

By: Dolores Hunter