'They're so interconnected': The significance of the 7 sacred teachings
Each lesson is associated with an animal, says Mi'kmaw educator Trevor Sanipass
The seven sacred teachings have been a central part of Mi'kmaw educator Trevor Sanipass's life from the very beginning.
The traditional laws, also known as the grandfather or grandmother teachings, are at the heart of many Indigenous cultures, including the Mi'kmaw culture.
They are the basis for a worldview that's rooted in respect for one another and the natural world, Sanipass said.
That's why each lesson is associated with an animal.
Love is the eagle, respect is the buffalo, courage is the bear, truth is the turtle, humility is the wolf, wisdom is the beaver, and honesty is the sabe or Bigfoot.
"They're all so interconnected," Sanipass told CBC's Information Morning.
Sanipass, who's from Eskasoni in Unama'ki, has been learning about the importance of the seven sacred teachings since he was a boy.
He remembers an elder asking if he'd ever seen an eagle fly so high that it seemed to disappear. When that happens, the eagle has left our world and joined the creator, Sanipass was told.
"When we do our prayers, we use an eagle feather because the eagle has delivered the prayers and messages to the creator," he said.
Listen to Trevor Sanipass's full interview about the seven sacred teachings with Information Morning below.
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With files from CBC's Information Morning