Warriors of the Red Road: Pathways to Resistance

To cherish knowledge is to know wisdom;

To know love is to know peace;

To honour all of Creation is to have respect;

Bravery is to face the foe with integrity;

Honesty in facing a situation is to be brave;

Humility is to know your self as a sacred part of Creation;

Truth is to know all of these things. (Richland, J. B. & Deer, S. p. 28)

In the legend of the seven grandfather teachings, a boy was taught how to protect and care for life living with Mother Earth. This legend was passed from generation to generation as a teaching tool for both young and old alike. It is a principle based tool that has given many First Nations an understanding of where they fit into the circle of life. When settlers arrived on Turtle Island, this legend became less and less adhered to and eventually, and understandably, ignored. The disruption of teachings, traditions and systems of knowledge was under constant demoralization by the imported ideology of settlers. This disruption became central to an imbalance within Indigenous communities and within the family life. Alcoholism, abuse and violence became normalized and a once equal and egalitarian state became a toxic and a patriarchal dominated nation. Traditional methods have slowly been reclaimed by Indigenous peoples as a tool to decolonize in the latter half of the 20th century. By understanding and providing a framework for decolonization, Indigenous peoples look to legends, stories and relations of identity to heal communities and individuals. In this paper, I aim to examine how the legend of the Seven Grandfather Teachings can be used as a holistic model of wellness for Indigenous men and women, both recognized through the Indian Status issued from Indian and Northern Affairs and self-i...

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