Understanding The Seven Grandfather Teachings and our Animal Relations Through The Arts
Indigenous peoples have a deep respect for the land and all living beings. In particular, animals are revered for their ability to sustain human life in the form of nourishment, clothing, shelter, and tools. Animals are also acknowledged in Indigenous cultures as having great spiritual significance for the way in which they teach humans how to live. For example, animals live in harmony with the land and maintain its natural state, they are in sync with the cycles of the seasons, and they only consume what they need to survive.
The Seven Grandfather Teachings are foundational for an Indigenous way of life and a reminder of what it means to live with reverence towards others. Each of the seven teachings can be understood by the animals that represent them*:
LOVE: Eagle “represents love because of its unique relationship with the Creator. Only the Eagle has the ability and strength to fly higher in the sky than any other animal, therefore placing it closer to the Creator than all others.”
RESPECT: Buffalo “represents respect because for as long as we have been here, the Buffalo has sustained our lives through clothing, food and shelter.”
COURAGE: Bear “has strength and natural ability to overcome challenges . . . It's believed that the Bear calls us to awaken the potential within ourselves and to stand up for what we believe in.”
HONESTY: Sabe “represents honesty because it is believed that the Sabe used to walk among humans to remind us to remain true to our nature. The Sabe keeps us aware of being ourselves and not someone we are not.”
WISDOM: Beaver “has impressive teeth and has the knowledge of how to build. If he doesn't use his gift, his teeth will grow until they hinder him. That's why the Beaver uses his gift wisely to have a positive impact on its environment and create a more sustainable world.”
HUMILITY: Wolf “represents humility because of its giving nature and devotion to protecting and working for the good of the Wolf family and the welfare of the pack.”
TRUTH: Turtle “represents truth because it is one of the oldest animals on our planet, and it is said to have witnessed Creation. The laws of time and life are recorded on the back of a Turtle. The Turtle is grounded, methodical, careful, and attentive to details.”
*Important Note: Teachings and animal representations may different across Indigenous Nations. All animal descriptions in this blog have been retrieved from HERE.
LESSON IDEAS
Talk with students about how Indigenous communities draw on the animal world to understand what it means to live in a good and responsible way. Provide examples and ask students to share examples of how they learn from animals in their own environment.
Teach students about the Seven Grandfather Teachings and their associated animals. Have them listen to a reading of The Story of The Seven Sacred Teaching Animals (book written by Kirt Bobbie and narrated by Etienna Moostoos-Lafferty) or choose another resource by an Indigenous creator.
Ask the students to think about the seven animals and their teachings. Which one resonates with them the most and why? Have them think about the following questions:
How does your chosen animal and teaching have meaning in your life?
Who in your life taught you about this value of ______________________ ? (e.g., love)
What else does this animal remind you of (or how does it make you feel) that was not mentioned in the story you listened to?
If there were to be an eighth grandfather teaching and associated animal what do you think it could be and why?
Divide students into small groups based on the animal that resonated with them and have them conduct research. Questions they can answer about their animal while researching:
What does its natural habitat look like?
What does it eat?
How does it behave?
What is its relationship with humans?
Have stories been written about this animal?
What challenges does this animal face to survive? And so forth.
Have students watch videos of their chosen animal to see how it moves. Make sure they watch a few videos and pay attention to the fine details. For example, an eagle dives low to the ground when it sees prey and can soar at great heights in the sky. It tends not to flap its wings but to be carried by the wind.
Invite the students to create a short choreographed movement sequence to represent their animal, which should last approximately thirty seconds to one minute in length. Have the sequence finish with the students creating a tableau (a frozen picture) to represent the Grandfather Teaching. For example, if their animal is an eagle the students will create a tableau to represent love. The tableau should be held for approximately ten seconds.
Move all of the desks to the side of the classroom or use an open space like a gymnasium. Invite the students to sit in a large circle so they have room to move in the centre.
Replay the video The Story of The Seven Sacred Teaching Animals (or recite the story in your own words). If you use the video, be prepared to stop it after each animal is mentioned. Each group will perform their movement sequence and tableau in the appropriate place in the story. You can play gentle music by an Indigenous artist while each group performs.
When the story and performances are finished, talk about the experience as a class. Here are examples of questions you can ask the students:
How did it feel to perform your animal movement sequence and tableau?
What are two stars and a wish for each group performance?
What is your biggest take-away from this experience?
How might you live by the Seven Grandfather Teachings?
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Traci L. Scheepstra, Ph.D., is the CEO/Founder of Embodied Learnings. Read here to learn more about her work in education.