Theme, History and Mission Statement

(as taken from the Native Sons and Daughters Programs™ Tribal Members Handbook and National Longhouse Ltd., Native Sons and Daughters Programs™ bylaws)

• North American Indian Theme - The Indian theme of the Native Sons and Daughters Programs™ is significant, but not simply because a North American Indian provided the inspiration for them. Deeply rooted in North American Indian culture is a profound appreciation for the Creator, or Great Spirit, as well as an understanding of the independence of the forces of nature. The importance of these values is becoming increasingly accepted in modern urban society which, until recently, had failed to recognize their significance. Also ingrained in North American Indian culture are honesty, dignity, and a feeling of responsibility for the well being of others. Perhaps most important is the genuine concern among North American Indian parents to teach these ethics to their children and to guide them to an adulthood of integrity. These traits, which permeate the way of life for the North American Indian, are the essence of parenting and the foundation of this program.

• History - The Native Sons and Daughters Programs™ are the carrying on of a Native American Indian theme parent-child program that was started many years ago, from an idea borne out of a hunting trip taken in the early 1920's by Harold S. Keltner, then a St. Louis YMCA director. On his hunting trip, Keltner's guide and friend, Joe Friday, an Ojibway Indian, remarked that it is the Indian father who raises his son, while the white man relinquishes this to the mother. Inspired by this campfire discussion, Keltner and Friday initiated the first tribe in 1926. The Native Sons and Daughters Programs™, independently founded in 2002, continue that tradition that began so many years ago. The Keltner and Friday families officially support the Native Sons and Daughters Programs™.

• National Longhouse Ltd., Native Sons and Daughters Programs™

  Purpose / Mission Statement:

  The purpose of this organization is to operate a not-for-profit entity whose purpose is to establish and strengthen parent-child relationships in a manner that is based upon Christian ideology and the theme that you help yourself by helping others.