On Feb. 17, Valoree Gagnon, a postdoctoral researcher in environmental and energy policy, presented “‘For Seven Generations’ — Integrating Anishinaabe History, Bimaadiziwin (“lifeways”) and Policy in Natural Resources Education” through the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. The Anishinaabe people, which include the Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Oji Cree, Mississaugas, and Algonquin peoples, have resided in the Great Lakes region for almost a millennia.
The focus of Gagnon’s lecture was on how Anishinaabe history and policy can be integrated for the betterment of education, specifically in the environmental sciences and in natural resource management. The Bimaadiziwin component refers to ways of living, and encapsulates seven concepts which are central to Anishinaabe culture (Anishinaabewin). These concepts include language, thinking, knowing, being, doing, relating, and connecting to the land.
The ways in which these concepts relate to issues in environmental science, policy, education, and resource management are multifold. The concept of “Seven Generations” refers to the idea that decisions in environmental policy and resource management should be made with the future in mind. In other words, the wellbeing of seven generations forward in time should have an impact on the policy. The idea is that if something doesn’t have what it takes to be sustainable for approximately 140 years, then it might not be a wise decision for a group attempting to do something with regards to the land.
When it comes to the significance of history in the integration of these branches of study, there is much to be drawn from simply by learning the development of the traditions of the Anishinaabe people, their relationship to the land, and cultural developments over time. What is revealed by such studies is deep reverence and awareness of the land, the multigenerational, historic awareness of nature as sacred. Not only does the concept of “Seven Generations” have practical significance for those concerned with sustainability, but it also speaks to the Great Lakes region and the people who have historically resided there.
At Michigan Tech in particular, there are strong implications regarding the role of sustainability in education and technology, and the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science forum works to spread awareness of these subjects in the form of lectures. For more information about events and lectures presented by the SFRES, visit mtu.edu/forest.
