The Seven Ancestor Teachings, from Elder Duke Rebird

Summary

This script explores the indigenous teachings of the seven principles of Good Conduct, derived from the seven canopies of the food forest. The first canopy, the tallest trees like walnut and maple, symbolizes wisdom. The fruit trees represent courage, while berry bushes teach respect. Squashes and pumpkins above ground embody honesty, and ground-level plants like strawberries signify truth. Root vegetables like potatoes and carrots symbolize humility, and creepers and vines convey love. These principles have guided indigenous peoples for generations.

Takeaways

• 🌳 The first canopy of wisdom is represented by the tallest trees like Walnut, chestnut, and maple, symbolizing protection and teaching wisdom.
• 🍎 The second canopy of courage is embodied by fruit trees such as Plum, Cherry, Apple, and Pear, which endure harsh conditions to bear fruit.
• 🍇 The third canopy of respect is characterized by berry bushes like Raspberry, Blueberry, and Gooseberry, which grow in harmony despite their differences.
• 🥒 The fourth canopy of honesty is associated with above-ground vegetables like Squash, Pumpkin, and Cucumber, which are genuine and beneficial.
• 🍓 The fifth canopy of truth includes ground-level foods and medicines, teaching the importance of discerning fact from fiction.
• 🥔 The sixth canopy of humility is represented by underground vegetables like Potatoes and Carrots, which require effort to uncover.
• 💚 The seventh canopy of love is symbolized by creepers and vines, which embrace and support each other, teaching the value of love and connection.
• 🌱 The seven canopies of food in the forest are seen as teachings from ancestors, imparting values like wisdom, courage, respect, honesty, truth, humility, and love.
• 🌿 Indigenous peoples have been practicing these seven principles of Good Conduct since ancient times, maintaining a deep connection with nature and its teachings.

Q & A

What are the seven principles of Good Conduct mentioned in the script?

The seven principles of Good Conduct are wisdom, courage, respect, honesty, truth, humility, and love.

Which trees are associated with the canopy of wisdom according to the script?

The canopy of wisdom includes the oldest and tallest trees such as the Walnut, chestnut, beach nut, and maple trees.

What lesson does the Walnut tree impart to us as per the script?

The Walnut tree imparts the lesson of wisdom, symbolized by its meat's resemblance to the human brain and its nutritional benefits for the mind.

Which canopy represents courage in the food forest, and why?

The second canopy of food, which includes fruit trees like the Plum, Cherry, apple, and pear, represents courage because these trees endure harsh conditions and still produce fruit.

What is the significance of berry bushes in the food forest according to the script?

Berry bushes, such as raspberry, blueberry, thimbleberry, and bearberry, represent respect. They grow together in harmony, despite their differences in color, shape, taste, and texture.

What lesson do the foods that grow above the ground teach us?

Foods that grow above the ground, like squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and lettuces, teach us honesty due to their evident goodness and trustworthiness.

Why are strawberries associated with truth in the script?

Strawberries are associated with truth because their seeds are on the surface, just as humans occupy the Earth's surface, and they are also shaped like a heart, symbolizing the heartbeat synonymous with truth in the anishinabi language.

What does the canopy of truth include, and what lesson does it teach?

The canopy of truth includes foods found on the ground's surface and teaches the lesson of discerning fact from fiction, such as distinguishing between poisonous and non-poisonous plants.

Which vegetables are part of the canopy that teaches humility, and what is the lesson?

Potatoes, carrots, turnips, and other vegetables that are buried under the ground are part of the canopy that teaches humility. The lesson is about the value of things that are not immediately visible and require effort to discover.

What is the significance of creepers and vines in the food forest, and what do they teach?

Creepers and vines that go through the woods and embrace each other represent love. They teach about the importance of connection and support among different elements of nature.

How have these seven teachings been preserved and practiced?

These seven ancestor teachings have been guiding and practiced by indigenous peoples since time immemorial, serving as a foundation for their way of life and connection to nature.

Outlines

00:00

🌳 Wisdom from the Forest Canopies

The script introduces the concept of seven principles of Good Conduct, which are ancestral teachings from the seven canopies of food found in the food forest. The first canopy comprises the tallest trees like the Walnut, chestnut, and maple, symbolizing wisdom. These trees provide essential nutrients and protection, with the Walnut's meat resembling the human brain, indicating its significance for mental nourishment. The second canopy includes fruit trees like the Plum, Cherry, and apple, which face harsh conditions yet yield fruit, symbolizing courage. The third canopy consists of berry bushes that grow together in harmony, teaching respect through their coexistence. The fourth canopy includes foods that grow above ground, like squash and pumpkins, which are honest and beneficial, teaching honesty. The fifth canopy is the ground surface with medicines and the strawberry, which represents truth and the human connection to Earth, teaching the importance of discerning truth from fiction. The sixth canopy involves vegetables like potatoes and carrots, buried underground and requiring effort to find, symbolizing humility. The seventh and final canopy is the creepers and vines, teaching love through their interconnectedness. These teachings have been integral to indigenous cultures for generations.

Keywords

💡Mother Earth

Mother Earth, in the context of the video, symbolizes the planet and its natural resources as a nurturing and teaching entity. It embodies the idea that the Earth provides not only sustenance but also wisdom and guidance. The script refers to Mother Earth as the source of 'seven principles of Good Conduct,' which are derived from the natural world and its various elements.

💡Seven Principles

The 'Seven Principles' mentioned in the script are a set of values or teachings that are likened to the seven layers of the food forest. Each principle is associated with a different type of plant or tree, and together they form a comprehensive guide for ethical and respectful living. The principles are wisdom, courage, respect, honesty, truth, humility, and love.

💡Canopy of Wisdom

The 'Canopy of Wisdom' refers to the first layer of the food forest, which consists of the oldest and tallest trees like the Walnut, chestnut, and maple. These trees are seen as protectors and are believed to impart wisdom. For instance, the Walnut's nut meat is said to resemble the human brain, symbolizing its nutritional value for the mind.

💡Courage

Courage is one of the seven principles and is associated with the second canopy of the food forest, which includes fruit trees like the Plum, Cherry, Apple, and Pear. These trees endure harsh conditions and still bear fruit, representing resilience and bravery. The video uses these trees as a metaphor for the human quality of courage.

💡Respect

Respect is another principle tied to the third canopy of the food forest, which consists of berry bushes. These bushes grow together in harmony, despite their differences in color, shape, and taste. The video suggests that just as these bushes coexist respectfully, so too should humans respect one another's differences.

💡Honesty

Honesty is linked to the fourth canopy, which includes foods that grow above the ground, such as squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, cabbages, and lettuce. These foods are straightforward and beneficial, teaching the lesson of honesty. The video emphasizes the straightforward nature of these plants as a model for honest and genuine behavior.

💡Truth

Truth is the principle associated with the fifth canopy, which includes ground-level foods and medicines. The video discusses the importance of distinguishing between what is beneficial and what is harmful, akin to separating fact from fiction. The strawberry is highlighted as a symbol of truth, with its seeds on the surface, reflecting the idea that truth is always in accord with reality.

💡Humility

Humility is the principle connected to the sixth canopy, which consists of vegetables that grow underground, such as potatoes, carrots, and turnips. These foods are not immediately visible and require effort to uncover, symbolizing the virtue of humility. The video suggests that just as these foods are hidden, humans should not be overly boastful but rather seek depth and value within.

💡Love

Love is the final principle and is associated with the seventh canopy, which includes creepers and vines. These plants embrace and support each other, illustrating the concept of love and interconnectedness. The video uses this imagery to convey the importance of love in human relationships and communities.

💡Ancestor Teachings

Ancestor Teachings refer to the traditional wisdom and guidance passed down through generations, as mentioned in the script. These teachings are rooted in the natural world and are seen as a way to maintain a connection with the past while living in harmony with the present. The video emphasizes the enduring relevance and practicality of these teachings for contemporary life.

💡Food Forest

A 'Food Forest' in the script is a diverse and self-sustaining ecosystem that provides food and medicine. It is used as a metaphor for the interconnectedness of life and the lessons that can be learned from observing and interacting with nature. The video describes the various layers of the food forest, each representing a different principle or teaching.

Highlights

Mother Earth teaches seven principles of Good Conduct, known as the seven ancestor teachings.

The first canopy of food forests represents wisdom, with trees like Walnut, Chestnut, and Maple.

Walnuts provide nutrition for the mind, symbolizing the connection between food and human intellect.

The second canopy includes fruit trees like Plum, Cherry, Apple, and Pear, symbolizing courage.

Fruit trees teach resilience through harsh conditions, representing the virtue of courage.

The third canopy consists of berry bushes, teaching respect through their harmonious coexistence.

Berry bushes demonstrate respect by thriving together in diversity.

The fourth canopy includes foods above ground like squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers, embodying honesty.

Above-ground foods teach honesty through their transparent and beneficial nature.

The fifth canopy is the ground surface with medicines, teaching the discernment of truth from fiction.

Ground surface foods like strawberries represent the Earth and the concept of truth.

The sixth canopy includes underground vegetables like potatoes and carrots, symbolizing humility.

Underground foods teach humility, as they are not immediately visible and require effort to find.

The seventh canopy comprises creepers and vines, teaching the virtue of love.

Creepers and vines demonstrate love through their embracing nature and mutual support.

The seven ancestor teachings guide indigenous peoples, emphasizing wisdom, courage, respect, honesty, truth, humility, and love.

These teachings have been practiced since time immemorial, reflecting the deep connection between indigenous cultures and nature.

Transcripts

Mother Earth taught us among other

lessons that there are seven principles

of Good Conduct they are called a seven

ancestor teachings and were imparted to

us from the seven canopies of food that

are found in the food Forest the first

canopy are the oldest trees that grow

the tallest in the forest and protect

all the other plants the Walnut the

chestnut the beach nut and the maple

trees from them we learn wisdom for

example the meat of the Walnut is shaped

like the human brain in modern science

tells us what our ancestors already knew

that walnuts provide nutrition for the

Mind along with the sap from the maple

tree therefore we call the tallest trees

in the food forests the canopy of wisdom

second canopy of food that is available

in the food Forest are the fruit trees

represented amongst many others by The

Plum the Cherry the apple and the pear

tree fruit trees are challenged by harsh

Winters storms hurricanes and droughts

and still as far agile as they appear to

be give their fruit which represents

courage to us the third canopy of food

available in the food Forest are all of

the berry bushes the raspberry blueberry

thimbleberry Gooseberry bearberry the

berry bushes are sulfurred lysine and

self-propagating and grow together

amongst each other they come in

different colors and shapes and tastes

and textures yet they exist and thrive

in harmony with one another we learn

respect from these berry bushes the next

canopy of food that lives in the food

Forest is the food that grows right

above the ground such as the squash the

pumpkins the Cucumbers the cabbages and

lettuce there's an honesty about these

Foods the fact that they are trusted and

are evidently good for you chosen their

very existence they are never

counterfeit and they teach us honesty

the fifth canopy in the food forests is

the food found on the surface of the

ground here we find our medicines we

sort the poison ivies from the good

ivies the poison oaks from the good Oaks

the mushrooms from the toadstools truth

is always in accord with fact and

reality and it is up to us to separate

fact from fiction that is what we learn

from this canopy which also includes the

strawberry which represents the Earth

itself unlike every other fruit the

seeds of the strawberries are on the

surface of the fruit just as we the

humans occupy the surface of the Earth

strawberry is also shaped like a heart

and strawberries are good for your heart

in fact the anishinabi word Deborah is

synonymous with both truth and heartbeat

beneath the canopy of Truth in the food

Forest we find potatoes carrots turnips

and other vegetables which are buried

under the ground they're not necessarily

evident on the surface we must dig and

search for them often on our knees in

this process we learn about humility

from these foods and the seventh cat

are the creepers and vines that go

through the woods and embrace each other

from plants and from them we learn about

love

wisdom courage respect honesty truth

humility and love these seven ancestor

teachings have been guiding and been

practiced by indigenous peoples since

time immemorial

foreign

[Music]