Seven Grandfathers

kina gegoo (all things in life)

I found this great website where I have been doing a lot of learning. It is called kina gegoo and means "all things in life". It appears to be written by a teacher for his students. A salute the work he is doing and he is teaching more than just them, as I have become a virtual student. Here is what he has to say about the Seven Grandfathers. I will be studying the seven grandfathers for a while as I beleive they are important and significant Ojibway teachings.

Seven Grandfathers according to kina gigoo....

Seven Grandfathers - Truth
Truth - Debwewin
Truth is to know all of the Seven Grandfathers. Some of the other Teachings from this Grandfather include : to have a genuine interest in learning; to be loyal in our human relationships; the state or character of being true in relation to being, knowledge or speech; know and understand our children/ student's growth and development as it pertains to all of the Seven Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers.

Seven Grandfathers - Honesty
Honesty - Gwekwaadziwin
Honesty in facing a situation is to be brave. To have personal qualities in truthfulness, sincerity and fairness; to know how to manage confidential information; respect the inner workings and difficulties of a school setting; know how to apply an evaluation strategy; know how to communicate results of feedback.

Seven Grandfathers - Bravery
Bravery - Aakde'win
Bravery is to face the foe with integrity. Some of the Teachings from this Grandfather include : to have courage and face difficult situations; to acknowledge the ability to go deeper into self awareness; to be strong and achieve completeness in our personal and professional development; to have self-assurance; to identify professional development needs and undertake to meet them; demonstrate ability to take initiative; maintain self-awareness- manage personal needs, feelings and values; demonstrate awareness and understanding of own attitudes and values in the learning process.

Seven Grandfathers - Humility
Humility - Dbadendizwin
Humility means understanding that every person and every living thing is a small part of a larger creation. Some of the Teachings connected to Humility include : to be modest in our actions; to have sensitivity towards others; to be respectful of our students' preferred ways of doing things; to recognize yourself as a sacred and equal part of the Creation; develop self-awareness on personal strengths and limitations; know you have the capacity for growth and change; develop listening and observation skills.

Seven Grandfathers - Love
Love - Zaagidwin
Love is a powerful feeling involving respect, trust, caring, humility, wisdom and courage - family is a good place for love to start. Some of the Teachings from this grandfather include : To know love is to know peace. To know how to get along with others and work with people; to have the capacity for caring; to show kindness and cooperation; to apply values of acceptance and empowerment; demonstrate capacity to offer hope and effective support; a desire for harmony and well being in interpersonal relations.

Seven Grandfathers - Respect
Respect - Mnaadendiwin
Respect means having special consideration for all things and all people- including yourself. To honor all of Creation is to have Respect. Some of the Teachings from this Grandfather include : respect for others; to accept cross cultural difference; to have a strong sense of what is right; to maintain high standards of conduct; respecting the integrity of oneself and others; form a meaningful relationship with staff, students, and others.

Seven Grandfathers : Wisdom
Wisdom - Gwekwaadziwin
Wisdom means learning from the experience of others as well as your own experiences in life. To cherish knowledge is to know Wisdom. Some of the other Teachings from this Grandfather include : to take time to reflect on everything we experience; to acknowledge the opportunity of every lesson learned; consistently seek to extend knowledge and improve skills; striving for accomplishment of our vision and our goals; to seek guidance from our Elders.