The Seven Sacred Animal Teachings for Life
Learning from the Grandfather Teachings of the Anishinaabe People which have been adopted by many First Nations, Métis, Inuit Peoples and others like us
Hi, I’m Sue and I write about the beauty and ingenuity of Nature, and how we can deepen our connection for our optimum health and wellbeing. Discover more Nature-inspired content on Spiral Leaf, Twitter and my video Nature Channel.
There are many land-based Indiginous Teachings that we can benefit from. Above all, caring for ourselves, each other and the land to ensure our survival, health and spiritual growth. For many Indiginous Peoples, the Seven Sacred Teachings (also known as the Seven Grandfather Teachings) are timeless guiding principles for living our best lives.
Raechel Wastesicoot is the Culture Manager the Nature Conservancy in Canada. The Seven Sacred Teachings were taught to her by an Ojibwe Elder in terms of how to care for the land and protect wild animals. She shares her understanding in an article: The Seven Sacred Teachings: What we can learn from the species we protect.
The Seven Sacred Teachings are introduced as a teaching and classroom resource by Every Living Thing which helps teachers inspire compassion for animals, people and the environment.
The teachings originate from the Seven Grandfather Teachings of the Anishinaabe People and have been adopted by many (but not all) First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples. The teachings focus on the relationships we have with all of creation and with ourselves and with each other.
The seven teachings include Honesty, Humility, Truth, Love, Courage, Wisdom and Respect, each teaching represented by an animal. Each animal teaches us how we can live our lives in harmony and with respect for animals, people, the environment and every living thing.
I wrote about learning from animals in a post The Authenticity of Animal Archetypes which explores how the lives and behaviours of sentient beings in the Animal World provides guidance for human beings to navigate our wilder inner being.
Origins of the sacred teachings
Rocky Morin is Knowledge Keeper of the Enoch Cree Nation in Six Treaty Territory in Alberta, Canada. He introduces The Seven Sacred Teachings as guiding principles to show how we can live our lives in a respectful and sacred manner to all living things.
The teachings originate from his Anishinaabe relatives, the Ojibwe Nation, which were widely adapted across Turtle Island. Rocky explains that not all Metis and Inuit groups follow the teachings but, wherever we are in the world and however old we are, we can learn to integrate these core principles and values into our lives to great benefit.
The original teachings have been altered slightly to replace one of the animals that we are less unlikely to come across today. This is The Sasquatch who once walked amongst the Anishinaabe People and who was believed to bring the gift of truth to open the eyes and teach the importance of being honest with each other and with ourselves.
The Sasquatch has been replaced by the Raven known for their high intelligence, sophisticated behaviours, exceptional cognitive skills and close working (and family) relationship with the Wolves.
[The Raven by Kevin Mueller, Unsplash]
Animal teachings for life
The profound wisdom of the Anishinaabe and Ojibwe People can be found in the following timeless teachings that speak of the beauty of interconnectedness and interdependence. As a spiritual translation of the sacred laws, the teachings guide us towards what is described by the Ojibwe People as mino-bimaadiziwin or The Good Life which is a life of harmony, free from contradiction or conflict.
The Raven for Honesty
Honesty is a teaching that starts with learning about ourselves and understanding how to be genuine about our intentions, and how to practice honesty towards ourselves, each other and the land. Ravens show us that we need to work things out for ourselves using the resources we have available so that we can know ourselves, look after ourselves, take advantage of opportunities and protect those around us.
The Wolf for Humility
Humility is a teaching that enables us to face up to the reality of our actions and the impact we have on the environment and the land. Humility is practiced when we own up to our shortcomings and are willing to learn from past experiences. Wolves teach us how to work together and look after each other, how to be humble by understanding our capabilities and doing all we can to make a valued contribution.
The Turtle for Truth
Truth is a teaching the helps us honour all that we say, to know our own truth and to maintain a reciprocal relationship with Nature and the land. We must be truthful to ourselves and those around us so that we gain a clear perspective on who we are, what is going on and what we need to do to live a balanced and fulfilled life in the reality of the here and how.
The Eagle for Love
Love is a teaching that we learn to receive gracefully and and give unconditionally. It is mutual and reciprocal, just like the relationship we have with the land and all that Mother Earth sustains. Love is represent by the eagle who can soar high in the sky and is believed to connect with surce. The Elders remind us to love one another and to love ourselves as with love, anything is possible.
The Bear for Courage
Courage is a teaching needed to help us face up to our greatest fears and our greatest enemy which is our own selves. It makes us think of a Mother Bear who will stand up to a much bigger Bear to protect her cubs. The Elders remind us this is a virtue we must work towards every day so that we become stronger and know how to free ourselves of perceived anxieties and fears as we grow.
The Beaver for Wisdom
Wisdom is a teaching not to be confused with knowledge. Wisdom is gained from our experiences in life. It comes from taking all we have learned and experienced to make decisions and move forward in a way that protects other people, other creatures, the land and future generations. Wisdom is represented by the Beaver who has great wisdom in regulating water, building dams and creating a safe home for the family.
The Buffalo for Respect
Respect is a teaching that underpins all teachings. It represents the foundation for all the interactions and relationship Human Beings have with the land and it’s inihabitants. It is the foundation of a ceremonial way of life where we honour the land, our home lands and all it does for us. Respect is represented by Buffalo as this formidable creature provided all that was needed for life in Indiginous ancestoral times.
[The Beaver by Ales Krivec, Unsplash]
Teaching the teachings
I came across the Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings very early on in researching Home Education and was delighted to discover this is offered as a teaching and classroom resource by Every Living Thing.
I am learning that the everyone approaches home schooling differently and that there are many resources available for activities that support flexible, child-led learning. This spills out into the wider community as more people feel inspired to learn about things outside the curriculum and pass them on - just as our ancestors did before us.
The Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings not only bring us closer to Nature as we learn about the personalities and traits of friends in the Animal Kingdom, they also bring us a set of core values that we can relate to and aspire to live by.
We must never forget, hide or omit such teachings and wise wisdom from our Indigenous Ancestors and Elders in our communities. They are the Grandfathers and Grandmothers of life itself, they have the true best interests of humanity at heart, and they love, understand and respect Mother Earth. What better teachers to lead us into the Golden Age!
I hope you agree and that this has been helpful. Let me know what you think in the comments and I look forward to seeing you again soon.
[Feathers are highly respected and revered for their visionary powers and having flown so close to the Creator. They remind us to be respectful, truthful and honest, to have integrity, and to treat each other in a good way. A feather represents the course of our lives from our formative years as a child, through our adult years and as we become carers, parents, grandparents and great grandparents in the continuum of life.]
Further Reading
I came across this book to add to my reading list and will write a review about it. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, embracing the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Author)
If you click on the above link you can purchase the book from my affiliate bookshop in support of independent sellers and bookshops. Spiral Leaf may earn a small commission on purchases at no extra cost to you!
Beautiful post - thank you!
Thank you, Sue, for sharing this beautiful wisdom! And, I cannot wait for you to read "Braiding Sweetgrass!" It is one of my all-time favorites. Both the physical book and Robin's voice on the audiobook. Turtle, Bear, Buffalo and Wolf often meet me on my journeys to the Lower World. :)💚