Presencing the Future
Chief Oren Lyons
Seven Generations Ahead
I recently listened to Native American Faithkeeper of the Wolf Clan Chief Oren Lyons speaking about an indigenous view of the world. Lyons is a Chief of the Onondaga Nation Council of Chiefs of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, the Haudenosaunee. He was a founding member in 1977 of the Traditional Circle of Elders and Youth. In 1977, he also was part of the Haudenosaunee delegation of Iroquois representatives to the first World Conference on Racism.
Revelatory to me was his statement that Native Americans make decisions by thinking of seven generations in the future. Consideration about the impact—potential benefits or harm—of a decision is made through reflection of those 150 years in the future. That’s an inspiringly mature life philosophy.
The Seventh Generation takes its name from the Great Law of the Haudenosaunee, the founding document of the Iroquois Confederacy, the oldest living participatory democracy in the U.S. It is based on an ancient Iroquois philosophy that says: “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
Even though you and I are in different boats, you in your boat and we our canoe, we share the same river of life. What befalls me befalls you. And downstream, downstream in this river of life, our children will pay for our selfishness, for our greed, and for our lack of vision.
—Chief Oren Lyons
Later that day, I heard the same philosophy expressed by award-winning playwright, actor, choreographer, eagle dancer, and hoop dancer Ty Defoe (Giizhig) during a PBS interview. Defoe, who is from the Oneida and Ojibwe Nations, spoke about his work interweaving his artistic projects with social justice, indigeneity, trans rights, Indigi-Queering, and environmentalism. A powerful symbol in his work, representing the ever-constant flow of life, is the hoop—a circle exemplifying the inclusivity of all life. In his choreopoem “Circle,” Defoe says that the circle is belief, the circle is peace, the circle is a web reclaiming sacred geometry, and that we are the circle.
Whether it is regarding resources, such as energy and water, or relationships, the seven generations principle is grounded in the sustainability and thrivability of those to come.
We typically talk a lot about creating a better future for ourselves and our children. Can we be expansive enough to think about our children’s children six times removed?
What might it take to step into this life-affirming, future-thinking space?
Otto Scharmer
Activation of Agency
Author and lecturer Otto Scharmer defines the future as your personal relationship with possibility through the activation of your agency. This activation requires feeling into the connection of those around you and thinking beyond your immediate sphere of family, friends, and associates.
Scharmer posits that moving into a better future will require shifting from an ego-system awareness to an eco-system awareness. This would mean extending our awareness from organizing around special interests to the full spectrum of our environment, business, community, nation, and the world. The quality of awareness is crucial, which Scharmer describes as “presencing”—having an open heart, mind, and will to what is to be born. We touch and give birth to the future through our states of presence.
If the principle of seven generations was at the heart of leadership decisions, perhaps Benton Harbor, Michigan residents wouldn’t be suffering the same fate as those in Flint, Michigan — that of lead poisoned water causing irreparable damage to countless children and adults. The estimate for the Benton Harbor fix—$30 million. But it’s not just Flint and now Benton Harbor, other cities—Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, and many others—are suffering the same short-sighted fate.
We say that the faces of coming generations are looking up from the earth. So, when you put your feet down, you put them down very carefully – because there are generations coming one after the other. If you think in these terms, then you’ll walk a lot more carefully, be more respectful of this earth.
Chief Lyons’ quote above gives a whole new meaning to watching our step.
The future is now.
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