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

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.

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

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

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.

How does an interfaith approach to climate change attempt to bridge the divides? How can a faith-based approach be more intersectional when it comes to justice issues? What are some specific

How does an interfaith approach to climate change attempt to bridge the divides? How can a faith-based approach be more intersectional when it comes to justice issues? What are some specific examples of work that is being done, and how can CCL members connect to that work?


Get to know the organization Interfaith Power & Light, which works on a faith-based response to climate change. With IPL's Rev. Susan Hendershot and CCL Regional Coordinator Mindy Ahler, this session will explore IPL's programs, state affiliates, faith climate voter campaign, and more.


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Please join The Commonwealth Club of California and UC Berkeley’s Townsend Center for the Humanities for the second in a series of dialogues on catastrophe, storytelling and the present

Please join The Commonwealth Club of California and UC Berkeley’s Townsend Center for the Humanities for the second in a series of dialogues on catastrophe, storytelling and the present moment. In “Climate Change and Sacred Groves,” Townsend Center scholar Sugata Ray will meet with visual artist Ranu Mukherjee to investigate the relationship between the natural world and the sacred realm, especially as it has developed in India over the last several centuries of civilization and the rise of the Anthropocene era.

In his most recent book, Climate Change and the Art of Devotion, Sugata shows how a site-specific and ecologically grounded theology emerged in northern India in the wake of the Little Ice Age (ca. 1550–1850), an epoch marked by climatic catastrophes across the globe. His interests dovetail in unexpected and compelling ways with Ranu’s visionary and captivating recent work, which positions the banyan tree as a meeting point between ecology and culture. Their conversation will be an opportunity for viewers to contemplate and rethink the role of art as it relates to contemporary concerns around climate, disease, human flourishing and the sacred.

Sugata Ray is associate professor of South and Southeast Asian art in the History of Art Department at the University of California, Berkeley. His research and writing focus on climate change and the visual arts from the 1500s onward. Ray is the author of Climate Change and the Art of Devotion: Geoaesthetics in the Land of Krishna, 1550–1850 (2019); Water Histories of South Asia: The Materiality of Liquescence (2019; coedited); and Ecologies, Aesthetics, and Histories of Art (forthcoming; coedited).

Ranu Mukherjee is a visual artist who makes paintings, animations and large-scale installations. Her current work focuses on shifting senses of ecology, non-human agency, diaspora, migration and transnational feminist experience. Her most recent installation was presented at the ecologically focused 2019 Karachi Biennale; she has exhibited solo at the San Jose Museum of Art, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Asian Art Museum, and the de Young Museum. She is an associate professor in graduate fine art at the California College of the Arts. Mukherjee is represented by Gallery Wendi Norris.

NOTES
Artwork from The Met (in public domain): "Krishna and Balarama by a River: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu)"

Part one in this series, “The Book of Exodus,” can be viewed here


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The Garrison Institute presents a live webinar with Jessica Morey.

During this interactive webinar, Jessica guided us through earth-based contemplative practices to connect us with our belonging to and love and grief for our world and all the beings with whom we share it. She invited us to reflect on what we might learn from this time of pandemic about how to respond to the even more devastating global climate crisis. We practiced together to build the inner resiliency, compassion, and embodied interconnection to thrive in the crucial work of advocating for a livable planet for all.

Jessica Morey is a lead teacher and co-founder of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (www.iBme.com). She began practicing meditation at age 14 on teen retreats offered by the Insight Meditation Society. Before joining iBme, Jessica worked in clean energy and climate policy and finance at the World Bank, the Pew Center on Climate Change, and the Clean Energy States Alliance. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Dartmouth and a master's degree in Sustainable Development and International Affairs. Her published works range from the chapter “Ordinary Awakening” in Blue Jean Buddha to Conflict Resolution of the Boruca Hydro-Energy Project: Renewable Energy Production in Costa Rica. In 2014, Jessica brought her two life passions together to write about the potential of contemplative practice to heal our relationship with the natural world in a Shambhala Sun article.

Your support matters. Our vision for a more just, compassionate world has never felt more urgent.  If you have any questions about this event, please contact us here. .

TED head Chris Anderson introduces "Infectious Generosity," exploring how the internet can supercharge small acts of kindness, transforming lives globally. Discover how to cultivate a generous

TED head Chris Anderson introduces "Infectious Generosity," exploring how the internet can supercharge small acts of kindness, transforming lives globally. Discover how to cultivate a generous mindset, with or without money, and amplify your impact. Anderson encourages: "Be brave. Give what you can, and then be absolutely amazed at what happens next."

Learn more about Infectious Generosity at infectiousgenerosity.org and meet the AI Guru, designed to help you help others, at ai.infectiousgenerosity.org.

Support TED's mission of spreading ideas by becoming a TED Member here.

This speech, "The Hidden Promise of Our Dark Age," was delivered by Joanna Macy at the 2009 National Bioneers Conference and posted August 22, 2018. Introduced by Bioneers Co-Founder Nina Simons,

This speech, "The Hidden Promise of Our Dark Age," was delivered by Joanna Macy at the 2009 National Bioneers Conference and posted August 22, 2018. Introduced by Bioneers Co-Founder Nina Simons, Macy, a respected activist and spiritual teacher, offers a hopeful message. She posits that by freeing ourselves from the "industrial growth society's" delusions, we can discover our inherent wisdom, strength, and beauty, unlocking creativity and solidarity during times of crisis.

Since 1990, Bioneers has been a fertile hub for social and scientific innovators, providing practical and visionary solutions for the world's most pressing environmental and social challenges. Support their vital work: www.bioneers.org/donate.

This speech, titled "The Hidden Promise of Our Dark Age," was delivered by Joanna Macy at the 2009 National Bioneers Conference and posted on August 22, 2018. Macy, a renowned activist and

This speech, titled "The Hidden Promise of Our Dark Age," was delivered by Joanna Macy at the 2009 National Bioneers Conference and posted on August 22, 2018. Macy, a renowned activist and spiritual teacher (1929-2025), offers a hopeful message: by freeing ourselves from the "industrial growth society's" delusions, we can discover our inherent creativity and solidarity amidst crisis, avoiding panic.

Introduced by Bioneers Co-Founder Nina Simons, the organization has served as a vital hub for social and scientific innovators since 1990, providing practical solutions for pressing environmental and social challenges. Support Bioneers today: www.bioneers.org/donate

The Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice: Path to COP30 and Beyond, hosted virtually by the Women’s Earth and Climate Network (WECAN) from June 23-28, 2025, convened over 125

The Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice: Path to COP30 and Beyond, hosted virtually by the Women’s Earth and Climate Network (WECAN) from June 23-28, 2025, convened over 125 grassroots and frontline women leaders, global advocates, and policymakers from 50 countries. This forum featured 25 unique panels showcasing diverse visions, projects, and strategies to accelerate a transformative path to a healthy and just world, with interpretation available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Among the key sessions was the panel “Healing Justice in the Climate Crisis: Restoring Mind, Body, and Spirit,” held on June 25th. Panelists included Cara Page (Changing Frequencies, Healing Histories Project, Turtle Island/USA), Zainab Salbi (Daughters for Earth, Turtle Island/USA), Dr. Vivian Tatiana Camacho Hinojosa (Ancestral Traditional Medicine, Bolivia), Nina Simons (Bioneers, Turtle Island/USA), and Daiara Tukano (Indigenous activist and artist, Brazil). Resources shared during this panel and across the entire Assembly are available here.