This paper describes an image of the learner and the relationship of the learner to society from the perspective of a set of Mohawk and Ojibway Elders participating in an Elders and Traditional Teachers Advisory Council at a Native Center in Toronto. Information from the Elders is presented in the following sequence: (1) traditional views of childhood, growth, and the "path of life"--the kinds of stages individuals go through as they progress through life and the educational implications of these stages; (2) discussion of the importance of experience in the learning process; (3) qualities of individual action and growth as expressed in the notion of the Medicine Wheel, which conceptualizes life into "empowerment" and "consciousness" sides, emphasizing people's responsibilities to themselves and to each other; (4) discussion of the relationship of the individual to the community in terms of the kinds of attitudes and activities that contribute to becoming a responsible adult within society; and (5) commentary on how this traditional "image of the learner" relates to the philosophical views of other educational institutions. Approaches such as active learning, cooperative learning, child-centered learning, and multi-age grouping consider the child's need to explore, to learn from experience, to share with others and to learn to cooperate for the common good. The school as community can help the individual become stronger and individuals can help the community become stronger. (KS)