In a modern time when Indian people find it a struggle to make sense out of an ever- changing world, one thing remains fairly constant and that is the ability to draw upon a reservation's greatest natural resource for guidance.

While it is easy, at this point, to draw the conclusion here that this refers to the latest panacea to hit the reservation - casino gambling - but the correct answer lies with the ability to turn to the wisdom and knowledge of a tribe's elderly population.

This is true on the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Indian reservation in Northeast Kansas, as well as numerous other Indian reservations across this great Indian land.

It's those elders, while sitting on the front porch of life, who have seen the world go from a simple time of their youth to a complex time in their later years.

"Things don't always work out the way you want them to. You can do everything right, and bad things are still going to happen," said one man about life.

Yes, it is true many of our elderly have seen their share of the bad times, it is still an undisputed fact that they are survivors, so in that regard life had treated them fairly.

Many elders have experienced a life-changing Great Depression, where they learned to share whatever they had, sacrificed together, prayed together and generally depended on each other to get by and survive. "We appreciated everything we received and prayed for it all to end," said Jane Puckkee, an 87-year old Potawatomi elder. And it did, but they kept those hard-earned lessons for life.

Soon after, many Potawatomi men went through another troubling time when the great war of the 1940s happened. Milton LaClair, had a leg blown off from combat in the European theater but said, "You become closer to God in combat."

It is easy to see how these elders have earned the unofficial title of leader and have constituted a very significant strand in the total social fabric of the tribe. They have carved out their own unique niche in Indian society, in part because of this hard-earned experience.

Puckkee and LaClair are not alone in this circle of respected Potawatomi elders. Maynard Potts, Curtis Masquat, Leonard McKinney, Wesley Wiskeno are joined by a 97 year old Kickapoo gentleman by the name of Philip Wewenes, who fought in World War I and has helped his brother Potawatomi throughout his life by shining example.

And without a long list of respected Potawatomi women to carry on the traditions and serve as the caretakers of the tribal religions, history would have been harder on the tribe.

Elizabeth Hale, Irma Pequano, Cecilia "Meeks" Jackson, Alberta Wamego, Ruby Shuchahosee, Coraline Potts, Minnie LeClere, Grace Wahwassuck, Nettie Wishkeno, Franny Masquat and Sara Patterson all have done their share and more.

All of these elders have seen people come and go on the reservation. They have seen new babies arrive and the joy of that great event and felt the sorrow of good friends and relatives leave this life.

They have seen happiness and sadness and have experienced every conceivable emotion known to man. Their brown, wrinkled, tired-looking hands have experienced years of hard work, tending gardens, raising children and sacrifice. Yet, they are able to hold and comfort their young crying grandchildren propped up on their weakening knees.

In the lessons of life, elders are teachers who don't need a certificate to prove anything. In an Indian society where knowledge of the culture, history and religion is so important to the way of life, it is doubly important for it to be passed on to the next generation.

The Potawatomi are lucky to have so many survivors who have made it possible for the culture and traditions to remain intact. They have done their job

A typical Potawatomi elder has a great sense of dignity, know who they are and where they are going and where they have come from. The elders are rarely recognized for all their contributions but they are the greatest natural resource on the reservation.