The seven fires prophecy as shared by Tom
Dostou
Benton-Banai
The Seven Fires Prophecy of
the Anishnabe is spiritually encoded in the Wampum Belt. The belt is sewn with
thousands of tiny, polished, cylindrical purple and white sea shell beads woven
together with leather strips. This Wampum Belt has been handed down among the
Algonquin for hundreds of years. It has seven Diamonds which represent the
Seven Fires. Grandfather Commanda and other Traditional Leaders believe that we
have entered the time of the Seventh Fire, which is the time of decision
between the two roads of materialism and of spirituality. If the light skinned
race chooses the right road, then the Seventh Fire will light the Eighth and
final Fire, an internal Fire of peace, love, brotherhood and sisterhood.
Seven Fires Prophecy of the
Anishnabe People and the Process of Reconciliation
"At a time when the
Anishnabe People were all living in peace and harmony along the shores of the
Great Salt Ocean (Atlantic), there came among them seven prophets."
So begins the reading of the
Seven Fires Prophecy as woven on a Wampum Belt sacred to the Anishnabe people
throughout Turtle Island (North America). Chief William Commanda, the 89 year
old spiritual elder of the Algonquin Nation is now the present holder of this
belt, which is believed to have come into existence circa 1400 CE. The Seven
Fires Prophecy is ancient but its message is relevant for today's world and for
us, who must bring about a new balance to our lives and to the environment
which we need for survival.
The Anishnabe are a family of
indigenous peoples who, historically, lived along the eastern coast of North
America. Anishnabe is translated as "good person" or "one who
came down from the sky." Somewhere in a period of time before 1000 CE. And
1400 CE a great migration of the Anishnabe people took place. This migration saw
10,000 large canoes filled with people head inland following what is now called
the Saint Lawrence River toward the Great Lakes.
Today, Anishnabe people still
live along the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada, as well as, the shores of the
Great Lakes, the Rocky Mountains and even as far south as Mexico. They are
called by many names including, Cree, Pequot, Wampanoag, Abenaki, Algonquin,
MikmaÌq, Shawnee, Innu and Chippawa. The Anishnabe family is probably the
largest of all the indigenous nations living on the North American continent.
Why, then, did a people who
lived for many thousands of years decide to leave their homes and travel many
thousands of miles to new and unfamiliar lands at a time when, according to
Anishnabe traditions, we were living in peace and harmony? The answer lies in
the reading of the Seven Fires Prophecy and its implications not only for the
Anishnabe people living 1000 years ago but also for us today.
What does the Seven Fires
Prophecy say to Anishnabe people and how does that relate to people living in
North America in the year 2000? First, the Seven Fires Prophecy is not only
addressed to the Indian people of this land, it was meant for people of all
colors. It is a warning and at the same time a promise of better things to come
if all of us living on Turtle Island can learn to put aside our egos, our
cultural and racial bias and come together as a people, one people, for our
collective healing and the healing of Mother Earth.
The first three Prophets who
came among our people brought a warning. They told us to be aware that a race
of people, referred to as the "Light Skinned Race" would be coming to
these lands.
They advised the Anishnabe
that in the interest of security for our people and our nation, it would be
wise if we divided our population into two groups. One would leave and go deep
into the interior of this continent and wait until the intentions of the Light
Skinned Race were made known. The other would wait and greet the newcomers as
brothers and sisters.
These Prophets also told the
Anishnabe where they would travel and how they would be guided to their
ultimate destination. They told of a sacred Megis shell that would appear and
lead the way to a series of islands where their journey would end. The final
destination would be at a spot where the "food would grow on water."
That area turned out to be the Great Lakes region where
"pagwadjanomin" or wild rice grows on water.
For those of us who were to
stay and greet the Light Skinned Race the 4th, 5th and 6th Prophets gave these
warnings and prophecies.
"If they (Light Skinned
Race) come bearing nothing in their hands, you must still be cautious for they
may be smiling, but in reality they may be wearing the face of Death. Do not
accept them readily but wait and see. You will know them by their
actions."
"If they come with the
face of Brotherhood, you will become one people. Their knowledge of the
material world and your spiritual wisdom will be joined together to create a
mighty spiritual nation and you will be joined by two other races, (we believe)
Asian and African, to create the mightiest nation of all."
"If, on the other hand,
the Light Skinned Race comes wearing the face of Death then a great calamity
will befall the people of this land. Great suffering and pain will be visited
upon your people. The very cup of Life will almost be overturned."
"You will know which
face the Light Skinned Race is wearing when the fish are dying and the water's
unfit to drink."
The 6th Prophet warned that
the Natural People of this land would be attacked by a Light Skinned Race and
that a great period of suffering would ensue. He foretold of a darkness, which
would overshadow this land, and the suffering, which would be inflicted on the
Anishnabe people, as well as on all indigenous peoples.
At this time the 7th and
final Prophet came to the Anishnabe. "He was different from the others and
had a strange light in his eyes." He came with a message, not only for the
Anishnabe people, but directly for the Light Skinned Race "At the time of
the Seventh Fire, a new people will emerge. They will retrace the footsteps of
their ancestors and will try to find those things which have been lost along
the way. They will approach the elders in search of guidance. It will not be an
easy task but if they are of good heart and pure intentioned they can prevail.
Some elders will be sleeping and have nothing to say, others will say nothing
out of fear.
The New generation must be
fearless in their quest.
The Light Skinned race will
be at a crossroads. If they continue down the road of Materialism, it will be
their destruction and for all humanity as well. But if the Light Skinned Race
chooses to join with the Natural People of this land on the Spiritual path then
they will again have the chance to create a nation, the greatest spiritual
nation ever to have existed.
Two other races will join
these two races. Together, they will together light the 8th and final Fire an
eternal fire of Peace, Harmony, Brotherhood and Sisterhood."
We believe that the road
towards blind materialism, the choice for the majority of humanity and
especially the Light Skinned or European/American, created an environment where
Nature and Natural People have suffered immensely. In the end, it can only lead
to our collective destruction. Our way is above all a Spiritual Path. We are
not, nor have we ever, been slaves to the material path. Our strength lies in
our native ability to go beyond all that happened to our people in the past 508
years. The joining together of the material knowledge of the west with the spiritual
wisdom and values of the Indigenous Peoples of this land is a path of healing
and survival for all humanity.
The choice is in our hands.
Reconciliation is the first
step in accomplishing our vision as Anishnabe people of a world where the grass
is once again green, the waters fit to drink and the air pure. Our people, the
Indigenous peoples from the Arctic to Terra Del Fuego, 000share a common vision
to stand united in our hearts for the healing of our pain, as well as the pain
that all humanity endures.
We have been through the
fires of oppression. We have felt the whip of hate. We have tasted our blood
and tears as it ran into the bosom of our sacred Mother, Earth. The history of
our two peoples, one Red, one White has been written in blood and suffering.
The lands where the Anishnabe lived from "time immemorial" were taken
by armed force. Our people were killed. Genocide, incarceration, disease, was
and, still is in many parts of this hemisphere, the price to pay for being
Indigenous.
We must forgive. There is no
option
By forgiving we liberate, not
only ourselves, but also our oppressor. By forgiving we open the door to those
who desire forgiveness. It is not that we believe we are superior to those
people who, because of their fear, blindness and isolation did not see us as we
are, their brother and sister, their father and mother, their lover, their
friend. Through forgiveness we allow the spirits of our ancestors to accomplish
their mission, which began so many centuries ago on these very shores.
We offer our hands to you,
America, and ask you once again to come with us along the path where the grass
is still green, the air is still pure and fish can still live in the waters.
Megwitch, hagana, Thank you,
to all my relations, Tom Dostou, July 11, 2000
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