Planting Seeds for the Next Seven Generations

Learning from the Original Indigenous Teachings of the Thirteen Grandmothers

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 and my video Nature Channel.

Mona Polacca is one of the Thirteen Grandmothers who hold the Grandmothers’ Wisdom in reverence for all creation. Their work centres on the Living Continuation of Ancient Traditions which Mona describes as: The way that we preserve our ceremonies, our culture, is by sharing the knowledge with those who would take the time to listen.

The Grandmothers Wisdom Project is inspired by thirteen elder women known as the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers. This post is about a talk given by Grandmother Mona Polacca who represents the Hopi, Havasupa and Tewa Indigenous Tribes on her homeland of Turtle Island in North America.

First Foundation of Life - Water

Mona speaks of our similarities as human beings and how we are all one, all related to each other. She asks us to think of the time we first came into the world as a seed inside our Mother's womb.

We each lived in water for three quarters of a year and when we are born the water comes first and we follow it. This makes it very special as a life-giving element of Mother Earth. This is therefore the first foundation of life.

Second Foundation of Life - Air

As soon as we are born, we each opened our mouths to take in our first breath of air and when we blew it out, we let out our first cry. This is our first sound sent out into the world which created a vibration to let the spirits of creation know we are here.

This we continue through our lives, moving the air inside and outside of us as we express ourselves and communicate with one another and those around us. Air is therefore the second foundation of life.

Third Foundation of Life - Fire

After we are born, each of us are taken home where things are made comfortable for us with heat and light and loving care.

Warmth is one of the first comforts we experience as a new born and is essential for our survival. It creates a bond that makes us feel safe and protected. Feeling cosy and warm is something that we continue to enjoy throughout our lives.

When we were taken outside for the first time, the Grandfather Sun looks at us for the first time and blesses us with a new day. Fire represented as the Sun is a gift given to us every day of our lives and is called the third foundation of life.

Fourth Foundation of Life - Earth

When we are laid down on the Earth as a baby, we are connected to Mother Earth for the first time. When we sit up for the first time, we experience the strength in our backbone before we are helped to stand on our own two feet when we experience balance and connection with the ground.

Standing up for the first time is a moment of joy experienced as much by the child as by the parent or care giver who sees the child experience the wonder of balance and their own independent connection to Mother Earth.

Then we take our first steps on our path through life, this connection with Mother Earth becomes the fourth foundation of life which we all have. It is something we have all experienced and continue to experience throughout our lives.

In the ethos of the Urban Native Collective of Turtle Island, The Land is the People and the People are the Land. As they say: The land is not separate from us - it is us, and we are it, in a continuous circle of unity and respect. In nearly all Indigenous languages, there is no distinction between the Peoples and the Land in our sacredness. This profound connection embodies our identity, culture and spirituality, entwining the destiny of the people with the fate of the land.

Planting seeds for future generations

These four basic foundations of Water, Air, Fire and Earth are part of us and as we grow through life we learn how to use them so that we can carve our own path and make our way. In doing so with gratitude and respect, we are planting seeds for the benefit of our own lives and for future generations.

Every parent and care giver therefore carries the responsibility to nurture and plant seeds in a way that life can continue. This is seen by Indigenous Peoples as planting seeds for the next seven generations.

Looking beyond today is supported by the fact that the Sun rises and sets every day. There is no question of this continuity of life which gives us the faith and courage to continue on our path and continue to help other seeds grow.

Children are like seeds and as such, we have to take them and sit them down to plant them and connect them to Mother Earth. We must take time out to spend this time with our children at whatever age. Any person who has the openness to hear, to participate and to see is encouraged to step into the circle of sharing and acquiring knowledge. This is one of the teachings passed down through the generations known as the Original Instructions which the elders carry with them for our benefit and for the benefit of Mother Earth and mankind as a whole.

A sense of purpose for life

For thousands of years, Indigenous People have been told how to live in this world and how to take care of the Earth. We are not in this world for nothing, we have a purpose and a responsibility to play our part well. What we do, what we say, how we behave and where we put ourselves all impact on our family, extended family, community, tribe, nation and the Universe itself.

This is why we need to take responsibility to take care of the things that give us life and respect those things in a reciprocal relationship of loving care.

The Original Instructions tell us not to jump into things without showing gratitude and respect. In terms of water, the way is to introduce yourself to it, touch it and ask to be able to experience it and use it. It is then important to say thank you and be thankful for the experience that brought you so much joy.

Looking ahead before we participate in something is a natural ability that helps us to take care of ourselves and to appreciate the things that make us feel good and help us to survive and thrive.

Giving thanks for the gifts of life 

Every day in the morning, one of the first things we do is go to water to clean ourselves, quench our thirst and cleanse our inner body at the start of a new day. But how often do we make the connection and say thank you to the water for making us feel so good, for replenishing and refreshing us through the day?

Incorporating simple rituals like this into our lives is a seed we can pass on to the next generation. Knowing how to respect all life and all living things is the key to nurturing and protecting life for the benefit of us all. It's a quality that we can pass on so that we can keep the water (and the other foundations of life) in good order for future generations. This teaches others to take good care of them as well.

Through personal thanks, ritual and ceremony, the Grandmothers teach us to bless Mother Nature’s gifts for the benefit of ourselves and future generations. They teach us to consider those we will not see.

It is therefore incumbent upon us to think about the next seven future generations and those that are yet to come by taking responsibility and considering this truth in all our practices and decisions. It makes the idea of a 5 to 10 year business plan insufficient and short-sighted as this does not take into consideration how the business impacts on future generations.

Protecting the gifts of life

Respecting the Earth's water (and other foundations of life) goes further than taking individual responsibility, it extends to protecting our global water supply from the short-term and devastating impact of industry that consumes water without thinking of local people and their right to life. Water is literally our life blood and taking it away or diverting it from its natural course or polluting it in some way threatens and destroys life itself.

This is the kind of work the Thirteen Grandmothers take on board in a bid to take care of the water and other essential elements of life for future generations. It is a sad reality that our inalienable right to enjoy Mother Nature’s gifts can be taken away by an act of congress or the blink of an eye.

We are at the point where the consciousness of the Original Instructions is surfacing in stronger ways than ever before. It is foretold that the next wars are going to be over water and it is something we all need to be aware of and help to prevent in any way we possibly can.

This is just one part of the problems we face and Mona shares this example to show how easy it is to overlook the importance of taking care of the basic foundations of life. Everything might seem to be in order when it clearly is not at this present time.

These are the issues being addressed by Indigenous Peoples all over the world. It's time for us all to step up and play our part for our own sakes and for the future health and happiness of our children, grand children, great great grand children and beyond.

Mona hopes that the words shared here will be of benefit in all our walks of life so please spare a moment to listen to her shared wisdom and those of two other of the Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers - Beatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance and Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance.

I hope this was helpful and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Further Reading

Grandmothers Wisdom - Living Portrayals from the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers (PRE ORDER)

The Original Instructions - Reflections of an Elder on the Teachings of the Elders, Adapting Ancient Wisdom to the Twenty-First Century by Manitonquat (Medicine Story)

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

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