Indigenous Teachings for Uncertain Times ELDER NII GAANI AKI ININI (Leading Earth Man) – DR. DAVID COURCHENE, HON. LL.D. Ancestral, land-based teachings that bring balance to life. An

Indigenous Teachings for Uncertain Times ELDER NII GAANI AKI ININI (Leading Earth Man) – DR. DAVID COURCHENE, HON. LL.D. Ancestral, land-based teachings that bring balance to life. An Indigenous Perspective on healing, connection and Mino-Pi-Mati-Si-Win – A Good and Peaceful Way of Life. Donations welcomed towards The Turtle Lodge http://www.turtlelodge.org THE CALL OF NATURE The Elders say, “What you do to the land and Nature you do to yourself.” Because we have harmed nature, we have harmed ourselves. We have to surrender to the fact that Nature is in control and always has been. We need to stop and reconcile with Mother Earth for all the harm that we have done to her. Our world will not change until we remember the Original Instructions we were given in how to be a human being. At the end of the day, we all have to realize how fragile our lives are, and how dependent we are upon the land for everything. Now, collectively, we must become true stewards of the land and teach our children the truth of that sacred relationship. We can’t live without the Animal, Bird, Fish, and Plant life. Nature is essential for human existence. Now is the time for change. This is the call of Nature: Change or you will not survive. Miigwech to the Institute of Traditional Medicine who originally broadcast this teaching with Elder Dave Courchene live on Facebook on April 15, 2020.

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Mah Pe Ya Mini (Henry Skywater), a respected Dakota Elder, Knowledge Keeper, and ceremonial leader, often shared his "Spirit of Life" song. He connected it to the Dakota creation story: a blue light journeys from a heavenly house to a mother's womb, lives on Earth, and then returns to its celestial origin.

The song's essence, "Lightning beings! It's me! There is a house in the heavens where I was born," reflects this journey. Shared with his family's permission to continue his legacy, this video is posted on behalf of the Turtle Lodge, where Henry was an Elder, and Elders Circle Seven, who honored him with the Mikinak-Keya Spirit Tour. Learn more about Henry Skywater: Turtle Lodge.

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