Sacred Teachings-RESPECT

Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings
The teachings originate from the legends of the Mohawk and represent the traditional concepts of respect and sharing that form the foundation of the Aboriginal way of life. Each teaching honors one of the basic virtues intrinsic to a full and healthy life and is embodied by an animal to underscore how man's decisions manifest on the physical plain. We use these teachings as a foundation to promote a healthy lifestyle where we are in harmony with nature, our family, and our community.

RESPECT.  The Buffalo

Respect is the condition of being honored.

The Buffalo represents respect because for as long as we have been here, we have sustained our lives through the Buffalo in terms of clothing, food, shelter, and expressing ourselves in art.

North American Natives depended on the Buffalo for survival and used every part of the animal - hides for tipis and clothing, bones for tools and toys, meat for food, tendons and muscles for sinew and bow strings, horns for cups and spoons, and brains for hide tanning. Today, the eyes are also used for liquid paint thickener, and buffalo chips for fuel and baby powder.

The Buffalo is a tool of life guided by the Creator to live harmoniously with a sense of balance. Native people have seen the Buffalo driven to near extinction. With the renewal of Native traditions, there is a preservation and symbolization of the Buffalo that is alive and strong today.