Understanding the Origins of the Seven Grandfather Teachings
For our third blog post in the Anishinaabe Laws, Customs & Traditions research report outcomes series, we’d like to provide our readers with an overview of the Seven Grandfather Teachings. These foundational Anishinaabe teachings play a central role in Anishinaabe culture and traditions, especially in the context of Anishinaabe approaches to raising children – Koognaasewin.
The Seven Grandfather Teachings - Niizhwaaswi Gmishomsinaa Kinoomaagewinawaan
The Seven Grandfather Teachings were given to the Anishinaabe to help them live in harmony with creation. They act as a guide for how to live well in community and are fundamental pillars to law and governance within Anishinaabe nations.
According to Edward Banton=Banai, Ojibway tradition tells of Seven Grandfathers who were given the responsibility by the Creator to watch over the Earth’s people. They were powerful spirits. During a time of great difficulty for humans, when diseases and accidents took many lives, the Seven Grandfathers sent their Osh-ka-bay’-wis (helper) to Earth to walk among the people and bring back to them a person who could be taught how to live in harmony with Creation. On his seventh try the Osh-ka-bay’-wis returned with a baby boy who was well-loved and free from corruption. The boy was shown each of the four Quarters of the Universe for seven years before he was ready to learn from the Seven Grandfathers.
Each Grandfather gave the boy a gift. Ni-gig’ the Otter lead the boy back to his people. Along the way, they stopped seven times and the boy received the seven gifts of wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth. For each of these seven gifts however, the spirits taught the boy that each gift had an evil opposite. The boy would therefore need to be careful to instruct his people in the right way to use each gift.
By the time the boy returned to his people he was an old man. He shared with them the gifts he had received along his journey. From Edward Banton-Banai:
With all the people gathered round, the old man told them of his journey to the lodge of the Seven Grandfathers. He gave the people the seven gifts that the Grandfathers had given him out of the vessel. He told the people of the dangers that came with each gift. He gave them the understanding of opposites.
He told them of the way the Grandfathers said to live in order to have a strong physical body. He told them that the nee-zho-day’ (twin) of physical existence was spiritual existence. In order for the people to be completely healthy they must seek to develop themselves spiritually and find a balance between the physical and the spiritual worlds. The old man gave the people the avenue to use for this spiritual development. He gave them the Ba-wa-ji-gay’-win (Vision Quest). He gave others the capability to seek out the knowledge of the Spirit World through fasting, dreaming, and meditation. With the old man’s return, the people became better adjusted physically to live on Earth. The people had a sense of hope that gave them the strength to face life’s daily tasks. No longer did accidents and diseases claim so many lives. With the knowledge of the Four Sacred Directions that the otter gave them and with the gradual use of herbal medicines to treat illnesses, the people approached that delicate balance that lies in living in harmony with all of the Creation.
The Seven Grandfathers and the gifts they gave to Anishinaabe people through that little boy play a role in the spiritual journey of each Anishinaabe person, helping them to grow and learn and become good human beings. According to Elder Pauline Shirt:
Before our spirit enters the womb of our mother, we go on a spiritual journey. In the spirit world we sit with the seven grandfathers and the Creator. If we want to take the journey into the physical world we must first ask permission from the Creator to go on this physical journey. If the Creator grants us this request, we then have to learn what our purpose will be on this physical journey, then we must choose our parents.
We choose who is to be our mother and father based on what our purpose is. We select a mother and a father who will be able to assist us in fulfilling this life’s purpose. The Creator brings them together.
Once we choose our mother and father the Seven Grandfathers provide us with gifts and medicines to put in our bundle. This sacred bundle is with us throughout this journey. It provides us with the tools we need to fulfill our purpose. We can add to our bundle as we journey in the physical world, gathering items along the way that give us strength and guide us.
Elder Pauline Shirt describes how the Seven Grandfather teachings help children and youth to learn from their family members about how to live and act in the world.
Within each of these gifts we are to acknowledge our past and our future. Each of these gifts affects our Minds, Bodies, Spirit and Emotions. As young people we see how our parents and Elders exemplify each of these Gifts. We learn that we are to act in each of these ways: Brave enough to try, yet Humble enough to know that we have received assistance along the way. Wise enough to know but Honest enough to know what is Truth, Care for each other, Respect all of Creation and Love unconditionally all things given to us by the Creator. These are lessons that take a whole lifetime to learn yet each of us begins at birth to learn. The task of Anishinaabe schools is to create the role models and an environment where students can practice each of these Gifts.
From these teachings we can better understand how current child well-being systems and approaches designed to protect and care for our children need to take the Seven Grandfather Teachings to heart and internalize them as part of daily living. The Seven Grandfather Teachings are guiding principles.
The community stories of both Sagamok and Serpent River emphasize the importance of the Seven Grandfather teachings as a basis for governance and a guide for living every day in a good way. Nelson Toulouse, contributor to the Sagamok Community Story shared his understanding:
“that the Seven Grandfather teachings help guide Anishinaabe to walk the red road. Nelson Toulouse emphasizes that for Anishinaabe people, walking the red road is necessary for returning to the practice of living the Anishinaabe way. These practices include recording the Elders who hold the knowledge, the teachings, and bring back the regalia and the songs. These teachings are necessary for everyone to heal – especially Anishinaabe children.”