The Seven Sacred Laws - As Shared by Elder Nii Gaani Aki Inini (Dr. Dave Courchene), Anishinaabe Nation, Eagle Clan

In the Anishinaabe world, and others, the Seven Sacred Laws have acted as the foundation of our way of life and connection to the Spirit and the land.

The Seven Sacred Laws are represented by seven animals that ensure our close relationship with Nature. Each animal offers a special gift and understanding of how we as people should live our lives on Mother Earth.

We are living in a time that we need a vision of hope based on values and teachings that can set the foundation for a change of heart. The Seven Sacred Laws are the foundation we are to live by. These Laws emanate from having the spirit of kindness.
It is the spirit of these seven animals that we call upon to teach and remind us of the Seven Sacred Laws, beginning with the law of Respect – Represented by the Buffalo.

Respect is to be a giving and sharing people, first and foremost, following the example of the buffalo who gave its whole being for the life of the people.

Love – Represented by the Eagle – is about loving the Great Spirit, loving the land, loving ourselves in the way we were created, and loving each other in the highest way, as the eagle brings vision that is always based on love. The essence of love is understanding, with empathy and compassion. Through the unconditional love of the Great Spirit, we have all been given the ability to have vision, and to make our visions come true.

Courage – Represented by the Bear – is living from the heart, and having the courage to be ourselves. It takes courage to do the right thing for the sake of the children, the way a mother bear would die before seeing harm come to her cub.

Honesty – Represented by the Sabé or Bigfoot – is being honest with ourselves, speaking and living our truth from the heart. Honesty is refusing to lie or engage in gossip about others. Honesty is being true to our words. Honesty is never judging or condemning others, but to speak well of others, honouring their uniqueness within the human family.

Wisdom – Represented by the Beaver – is about using the gift the Great Spirit gave each of us to serve, and to build a strong family, community and Nation. Our gifts do not belong to us as individuals, but belong to all the people, to serve the good of the Nation. If the beaver did not use his gift to build, his teeth would grow long, and he would die. Similarly, if we do not use our gifts in a good way for the benefit of the Earth and the brothers and sisters of our nations, we too would die spiritually.

Humility – Represented by the Wolf – is about showing gratitude for life received, never overstepping the natural laws of Mother Earth. Humility is to know that not one of us is ever above or below our fellow human beings. We are all equal in the eyes of the Great Spirit. There is so much we can learn from the wolf. The teaching of humility is especially important for the leaders of our Nations.

The teaching of Truth is represented by the Turtle. Our motherland is referred to as Turtle Island. To know and live truth is to walk and live all the Seven Sacred Laws. Living truth means living in the spirit of Respect, Love, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility and Truth. It is when we live truth that we will know peace and find the truth of our humanity. Our spiritual constitution is written on the turtle. The turtle lives in the water and on the land to remind the whole world of the truth we should be living by.

The animals that represent the seven sacred laws ensure that we have a close relationship with the land – an alliance with nature. The animal world are our brothers. They live with each other in harmony and bring us teachings.

When one is able to walk the spirit of these Seven Sacred Laws is when one becomes truly free, it is then that one receives the full support of the universe, and the forces of the Earth itself.

David Suzuki shared the following remarks at the Honouring Ceremony, while hundreds gathered on Saturday November 6, 2021 at the Turtle Lodge International Centre for Indigenous Education and Wellness to honour Elder Dr Dave Courchene and his Vision of Turtle Lodge.

The National Turtle Lodge Council of Elders and Knowledge Keepers honoured Elder Dr. Dave Courchene, Jr. and his spiritual names, Nitamabit (The Original Way and One who Sits in Front) and Nii Gaani Aki Inini (Leading Earth Man) yesterday, in recognition of his leadership and role identified by his names, his service to the People and Mother Earth, and his work in fulfillment of the dream and vision of the Turtle Lodge to awaken, nurture and strengthen the spirit in all Peoples.

Yesterday, while hundreds gathered at the Turtle Lodge to honour Elder Dr Dave Courchene and his Vision of Turtle Lodge, Governor General Mary Simon hosted a simultaneous event in his honour at Rideau Hall. Listen to her remarks here.

The Birth of a New Life

A Dream and Teachings Shared by Elder Nii Gaani Aki Inini

Elder Nii Gaani Aki Inini (Dr. Dave Courchene) discusses that we are living in a time in need of a vision of hope based on values and teachings that can set the foundation for a change of heart and the birth of a new life for Mother Earth and Humankind. Elder Nii Gaani Aki Inini shares ancient teachings of the Seven Sacred Laws, and how these Laws can set a foundation for us to live by as they emanate from having the spirit of kindness.

Elder Nii Gaani Aki Inini is a respected Elder and Knowledge Keeper of the Anishinaabe Nation, the Founder of the Turtle Lodge International Centre for Indigenous Education and Wellness and Chair of the National Turtle Lodge Council of Knowledge Keepers.

Please visit our Website to learn more about the National Turtle Lodge Council of Knowledge Keepers here.

The Turtle Lodge is a place for reconnecting to the Earth & sharing Indigenous ancestral knowledge, founded on the Seven Sacred Laws. Visit our website at www.turtlelodge.org to learn more.

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On the 50th Anniversary of Wahbung: Our Tomorrows, the The Turtle Lodge and Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre - Mfnerc present: Wahbanang: The Resurgence of our People - Clearing the Path for Our Survival, which shares a path for the People back to our beginning, to lead us out of the darkness.

Included in the launch is a video presentation created by The Turtle Lodge International Centre of Indigenous Education and Wellness.

Wahbanang is authored by a respected group of Knowledge Keepers, Elders and Chiefs —members of the Anishinaabe, Ininiwak (Cree), and Dakota Nations, sharing knowledge from their Ancestors as the Original Peoples of Great Turtle Island and the Turtle Lodge Central House of Knowledge. Together, they sound an emergency warning and offer a blueprint forward for all peoples to stand with the Great Binding Laws of the Creator and Mother Earth.

In 1971, Manitoba’s First Nation leaders released WAHBUNG: Our Tomorrows (1971), published by the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood as their position paper in response to Trudeau’s White Paper. It continues to be an agenda for action that included First Nations’ inherent right to design and have full authority over their health, education, and child and family services systems, informed by First Nations worldviews, laws, and approaches.

In 2018, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Grand Chief Dumas passed tobacco to Elders and Knowledge Keepers at the Turtle Lodge to develop a position document for today.

Knowledge Keepers from the Anishinaabe, Dakota and Ininiwak Nations gathered numerous times at the Turtle Lodge in ceremony, and prepared this collective unified message for the people.
The root word of “Wahbung” is “Wahbanang” - the east, where the sun rises. It refers to “Going Back to the beginning” in Anishinaabemowin.

Wahbanang: The Resurgence of a People: Clearing the Path for our Survival is available for purchase at:

@oks/wahbanang

Grandmother Katherine Whitecloud discusses the root of addictions: an imbalance from unresolved trauma, being disconnected from the land and our ancestral ways of being. To address these issues, Grandmother Katherine teaches about the importance of understanding our individual gifts and the roles and responsibilities the Creator has put us on Earth to fulfill, which can be learned by attending ceremony in our Lodges, guided by the love and support from the Elders and our families.

The Turtle Lodge International Centre for Indigenous Education and Wellness has partnered with the Sagkeeng Mino Pimatiziwin Family Treatment Centre to share teachings and provide guidance on how to heal from addictions.

Join us over the next few weeks, as we share messages from members of the National Turtle Lodge Council of Elders and Knowledge Keepers that discuss the root causes of addictions and how we can heal to live a more balanced and healthy life.

Click here to view a playlist for the series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_wQ7QfAR0Hy9-LZsoVhKxSgQiQdDPIxs

The Turtle Lodge International Centre for Indigenous Education and Wellness is a place for reconnecting to the Earth & sharing Indigenous ancestral knowledge, founded on the 7 Sacred Laws. Visit our website at www.turtlelodge.org to learn more.

Follow us on social media:
Facebook (@turtlelodge)
Twitter (@turtlelodge)
Instagram (@theturtlelodge)

Elder Dr. Dave Courchene presented Returning to the Beginning on July 23rd, 2021. His presentation shared insights on how to find truth and a way forward given the current crises the world is facing.

This interview is part of the Shamanic Wisdom Summit a free online event. For more information, please visit https://shamanismsummit.com. This recording is a copyright of The Shift Network. All rights reserved.

Click here to view a transcript of the presentation: http://www.turtlelodge.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ShamanicSummitTranscript.pdf

The Turtle Lodge International Centre for Indigenous Education and Wellness is a place for reconnecting to the Earth & sharing Indigenous ancestral knowledge, founded on the 7 Sacred Laws. Visit our website at www.turtlelodge.org to learn more.

Follow us on social media:
Facebook (@turtlelodge)
Twitter (@turtlelodge)
Instagram (@theturtlelodge)

Wolf Joe is an exciting and brand-new animated series follows the daily adventures of Joe, a young First Nations boy who, with his two best friends, is inspired by the universal values of The Seven Teachings Wheel to explore his Indigenous culture, heritage and identity.

The children’s series was created in collaboration and partnership with the Turtle Lodge, Media Rendezvous and Amberwood Entertainment.

Wolf Joe, a 46 x 11 mins animated action adventure series, is a TVOkids Original!

To tackle a problem as large as climate change, we need both science and Indigenous wisdom, says environmental activist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim. In this engaging talk, she shares how her nomadic community in Chad is working closely with scientists to restore endangered ecosystems -- and offers lessons on how to create more resilient communities.

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is an environmental activist and geographer. She is the Coordinator of the Association of Peul Women and Autochthonous Peoples of Chad and served as the co-director of the pavilion of the World Indigenous Peoples’ Initiative and Pavilion at COP21, COP22 and COP23.