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Seven Grandfather Teachings part 1
11-01-2016
In appreciation of BC’s new school curriculum which promotes the inclusion of First Nation history and knowledge, we’ve been exploring ways of learning from a Canadian Aboriginal perspective. Over the next three columns, we’ll focus on the wisdom inherent in the “Seven Grandfather Teachings”. Originating amongst the Anishinaabe people, a collection of tribes who lived throughout eastern Canada and the United States, the teachings provide foundational principles for community living. Taken together humility, courage, honesty, wisdom, truth, respect and love represent the qualities needed for societies to thrive and people to live in peaceful prosperity.
Like many First Nation’s concepts, the teachings are arranged in a circle. Community activist, Michael Meuers, explains, “The teachings are meant to work together, that's why they are in a Circle. If they were linear, they become a memory.” The circular nature means we are continually revisiting each concept as there is always more to learn. We don’t metaphorically check off “courage” or “love” as completed and say we have mastered it. Each day, in countless situations, we choose to uphold the Grandfather Teachings or to reject them.
Each teaching is characterized by an animal. First Nation peoples drew inspiration from looking deep into nature to have a better understanding of themselves. Each animal serves as an easy to remember symbol and gives us a new frame of refence for seeing the interconnectedness of life.
Humility – The Wolf. Humility is to know that as an individual you are insignificant but that you play a purposeful role in something greater than yourself. In nature, humility is represented by the wolf. Wolves lives for their pack, not for themselves. They mate for life and are devoted parents. A wolf will bow its head, not out of fear but out of deference, submission and loyalty. A wolf pack hunts together with strategy and cooperation. They share their food and jointly look after their young. Each wolf has a place in the whole and yet maintains its individual personality. The ultimate agony for a wolf or a human is to be an outcast, to be without community and companionship.
The wolf teaches us not to be selfish or arrogant. Through serving others and working for the wellness of the community, we secure our own place. We are neither superior or inferior, but equally important to the success of the whole. Humbleness includes being considerate, loyal, generous, calm, protective, balanced, and patient. It is doing the jobs put in front of you well so that you strengthen others. Recognizing and accepting that there is a power beyond oneself, and that your life is part of a bigger overall plan, is to be truly humble.
Courage – The Bear. Courage is the ability to face danger, fear or changes with confidence. Courage requires mental and moral strength to overcome difficulties and dilemmas that tempt us away from living a virtuous life. It is to be ready to defend what you believe and do what is right. To never give in. To never give up. Though gentle by nature, the fierceness of a mother bear when her cub is threatened is the epitome of courage. She will fight relentlessly and unwaveringly until her foe is defeated and her cub safe. Nothing distracts her from her goal. Nothing is more important than succeeding in protecting what she values. The bear’s habit of hibernation adds another lesson to be learnt. We too need rest and self-care in order to awaken the potential within ourselves and stand up for what we believe in. If we allow ourselves to be depleted and weakened, we will not be able to defend what we value.
The bear shows us how to live serenely through day-to-day interactions knowing that when we need to, we can act with confidence to overthrow any threat. We know what is right, what leads to safety and security for our loved ones, but we also know that to be in a state of hyper alertness diminishes our ability to protect those in need. When we take time to rejuvenate, including taking time to be playful the way a mother bear frolics with her young, we regain balance to draw upon when needed.
The “Seven Grandfather Teachings” are simple concepts that help us live in a complex world. We need to be both humble and courageous – the two are equally important and hard to keep balanced as most of us tend to emphasize one over the other. In the next columns, we’ll add the additional traits of honesty, wisdom, truth, respect and love for a fuller appreciation of the wisdom of our First Nations.
Zainab Dhanani can be reached at z_dhanani@yahoo.ca
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