Seven Grandfathers Sacred Teachings
Transcript of Seven Grandfathers Sacred Teachings
SevenGrandfathersSacredTeachings InterdisciplinaryArts
AnEco-Jus<ceandWellnessIndigenousArtsEduca<onProjectwithEstherOsche(Ojibwastoryteller)+AllyciaUccello+CharmaineLurch(visualar<sts)Grades4to6
TheFirstNa,ons,Mé,sandInuitpeoplesofNorthAmericaweregivensevensacredTeachingsoftheSevenSacredGrandfathers that formthe founda,onof theirspirituality.Thetradi,onalconceptsof respectandsharing that form the founda,on of the Aboriginal way of life are built around these teachings. Eachteaching honours one of the basic virtues to a full and healthy life. All other feelings, thoughts andac,onsarederivedfromtheseteachings.EachScaredTeaching isrepresentedbyananimalbecauseanimals live close to the land and therefore serve to remind us of our connec,on to nature andrespectforallthings.
Indigenous peoples spent thousands of years evolving with these close connec,ons. SevenGrandfathersSacredTeachingsblendsOjibwastorytellingwithnarra,vepain,ngs.Storyteller isEstherOsche.Visualar,stsareCharmaineLurchandAllyciaUccello.
Idealforjuniorgradesbutmaybeadaptedforprimaries.
LearningOutcomes
•AwarenessofCanada’sFirstNa,onsbeliefsonhumanityandourinterconnectednessthroughstorytellingandgroupvisualartinstalla,on
•Exploresevensacredteachingsinallegory(giNofanimalcreatures)thatbeginwiththeEagle (love) andalsodiscern truth fromhonestyand includehumility,wisdom,respectandcourage
• Programsupportsaposi,vepsychologymodelofteachingthroughtheartswithoutcomes designed to build these virtues in us all understanding that this leads to self-understanding, love for humanity,
interdependenceandsocialintelligence
• All of the above supports individual resilience, op,mism, hope and faith in ourselves and others, necessary for coping with life’svicissitudes,whilealsoencouragingapurposefullife
Animalcreature Visualelements Virtues(SacredTeaching)
EAGLE Air,land,mountains,terrain LOVE
TURTLELand,water TRUTH
BEAVERLand,water WISDOM
WOLF Land,(highplacesandcrevasses) HUMILITY
MEESHOO Water(lakes) HONESTY
(specifictoOjibwaisaserpentratherthanaSasquatch)
BUFFALO Land RESPECT
BEAR Land,traveller,highplaces COURAGE
Ar<s<cProcess
• StorytellerEstherOschevisitseachclassroomtwice
• First visit is the telling of the CREATOR’SGIFT exploring themes of our interconnectedness to all living things and our universaldiversityincludingthatofNorthAmerica’sFirstNa,ons
• SecondvisitwithEsthercon,nuestheSEVENGRANDFATHERSSACREDTEACHINGS
• StoriesprovideallegoryofanimalstohumanityandourvirtueswiththeEagleatthecentre,thusourSEVENsacredteachingsalignwiththeTDSBcharactertraits
• Visualar,stpar,cipatesinthestorytellingsessions
• Storytellingmayincludevisualsofeachanimalwithprojec,onscreen
• Storiesarereinterpretedvisuallyinthenarra,vemural
• Ar,stvisitswitheachclassfour,mesincluding2classroomvisitsforresearchanddrawingsand2visitstotransposeillustra,onsandpain,ngsonthewall~allguidedbyEsther
TeachingResources
• WoodlandCulturalCentrehYp://www.woodland-centre.on.ca/
• TheMishomisBook:TheVoiceofthePeoplebyEdwardBental-Banai(forstudents)
• HistoryoftheOjibwayPeoplebyWilliamWarren• OjibwayHeritagebyBasilJohnson
Video• SevenGrandfathersSacredTeachings(InnerCityAngels+
MariposaInTheSchools)https://youtu.be/ELk-4r6q8bw
ExtensionIdeas• Howdoweknowit’sthereifwecan’tseeit?• Allofuswillexperienceanimbalanceinlife(whatdoesthismean?)• HowdowerestoreourbalanceaNerloss• Arethesevirtuesfoundinothercultures?Whatdotheylooklike?• EarlynaturalhistoryandFNhistoryofyourneighbourhood(wherewe
stand)• Broadenperspec,veandknowledgeofFNpeoples(diversity)• Interconnectednessofbeingsandnature,personalwellbeing,and
communitywellbeing
Allycia Uccello with Esther Osche