“The seventh prophet that came to the people long ago was said to be different from the other prophets. He was young and had a strange light in his eyes. He said, ‘In the time of the Seventh Fire, a Osh-ki-bi-ma-di-zeeg’ (New People) will emerge.’”
We learned from the last episode that for at least 600 years, a prophecy has been passed down through a lineage of the Anishinaabe keepers that predicts the future of their own people as well as the fate of the “light-skinned race,” leading all the way to the End of the World and the possible emergence of a New World. It’s called “The Seven Fires Prophecy.”
After the first five prophecies have been fulfilled, the time of the Sixth Fire has come. According to “The Mishomis Book: The Voice of the Ojibway” by The Honorable Edward Benton-Banai, or Bawdwaywidun, a spiritual teacher of the Ojibway First Nation:
“In the time of the Sixth Fire it will be evident that the promise of the Fifth Fire came in a false way. Those deceived by this promise will take their children away from the teachings of the chi’-ah-ya-og’ (elders). Grandsons and granddaughters will turn against the elders. In this way the elders will lose their reason for living… they will lose their purpose in life. At this time a new sickness will come among the people. The balance of many people will be disturbed. The cup of life will almost be spilled. The cup of life will almost become the cup of grief.”
From the 1800s to the late 20th century, First-Nations-children had been forcibly taken away from the care of their elders to attend boarding schools mostly established by Christian missionaries and church leaders to learn European-American culture as mandated by law. Children were sent as early as three years old and often were not allowed to return home for many years. They were coerced to cut off their hair, wear uniforms and replace their traditional names, and were prohibited from speaking their native language.
“Excerpt from ‘The dark legacy of Canada's residential schools, where thousands of children died’ by 60 Minutes - Feb. 6, 2022: In 1879, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School opened in Pennsylvania, where this photo was taken of Native American children when they first arrived. This is them four months later. The school’s motto was, ‘Kill the Indian, save the man.’”
“Excerpt from ‘Waasa-Inaabidaa Episode Five - We Gain Knowledge’ by PBS North - Feb. 19, 2019 The missionaries and the Churches felt that if they were to leave their native ways behind – their native language, their native rites, rituals, religions behind – it would be much easier to Americanize them, ‘civilize’ them.
First was the removal from family and from culture and from everything that the child is familiar with.
It became usual for many, many, many Indian families to have their children taken from their homes, sometimes by force, sometimes by coercion.
I remember going. And I didn’t want to leave my mother. I mean I was only six years old. It was lonely.
They used to call us… their favorite name was pagan or savage. And, we’re all bad. We’re all going to go to hell.”
“Excerpt from ‘Boarding School Healing’ by the Native American Rights Fund - Jan. 25, 2017: Taking my identity from me made me very powerless.”
“Excerpt from ‘The dark legacy of Canada's residential schools, where thousands of children died’ by 60 Minutes - Feb. 6, 2022: They put me in a little dark room like that and they’d shut the door. Then, they would take off the light All I had to look through was this much light, like I was in jail.”
“Excerpt from ‘Recounting the horrors of St. Anne's residential school’ by CBC News - April 3. 2018 And I went into the boys’ room and that’s when the boys started to tell me they’re going to do the electric chair on us.
Then, when the first few boys were given that electric shock, they winced and I could see them jerk as they were cranking the handle.
The experience with the sexual abuse was really hard to bring up, but I had to tell the details of what happened. And that was really hard on me.”
Overcrowding, poor diet, unsanitary conditions, and lack of healthcare led to the rampant spread of disease. Illness, alongside abuse and other incidents, caused the deaths of countless First-Nations-children. Because of high mortality rates, many boarding schools had their own graveyards. Oftentimes, children were buried in unmarked graves, and their parents were rarely informed of their deaths. Without the children to educate and care for, the First-Nations-elders had their purpose in life taken away from them.
During the same period, the Anishinaabeg were uprooted from their ancestral lands and relocated to reservations. Through cunning deceit, the government convinced the Anishinaabe Chiefs to give up their land, which was then sold to settlers. Other laws established in the 1800s criminalized Native American religious ceremonies. The Anishinaabe people were thus separated from all that they had valued for thousands of years in their society: spiritual traditions, family, and maintaining a relationship with their sacred lands. The balance of life was lost and a new sickness crept in – heartbreak. For countless First-Nations-families, during that time the cup of life was filled to the brim with tears of immense grief. Thus, the grim prophecy of the Sixth Fire was also fulfilled.
However, during this long period of immense hardship, the Anishinaabeg held strong, because they knew the time of the Seventh Fire was yet to come!
“The seventh prophet that came to the people long ago was said to be different from the other prophets. He was young and had a strange light in his eyes. He said, ‘In the time of the Seventh Fire, a Osh-ki-bi-ma-di-zeeg’ (New People) will emerge. They will retrace their steps to find what was left by the trail. Their steps will take them to the elders who they will ask to guide them on their journey. The task of the New People will not be easy.’
‘If the New People will remain strong in their quest, the Waterdrum of the Midewiwin Lodge will again sound its voice. There will be a rebirth of the Anishinaabe nation, and a rekindling of old flames. The Sacred Fire will again be lit. It is at this time that the Light-skinned Race will be given a choice between two roads. If they choose the right road, then the Seventh Fire will light the Eighth and Final Fire- an eternal fire of peace, love, brotherhood and sisterhood. If the Light-skinned Race makes the wrong choice of roads, then the destruction which they brought with them in coming to this country will come back to them and cause much suffering and death to all the Earth’s people.’”
It’s believed that we’re living in the time of the Seventh Fire and the “elders” are the First-Nations-citizens who have preserved their traditions and sacred connection to Mother Earth since time immemorial. We are encouraged to see that the First-Nations-people are starting to band together, come forward with their ancient spiritual knowledge, and connect with other races, paving the way to lighting the final Eighth Fire and helping the light-skinned race to make the right choice.
In recent years, Native American Nations and Western environmental groups have stood as one, holding large-scale demonstrations and rallies, demanding that governments stop practices that are harmful to Mother Earth.
“Media Report from NBC News - Nov. 9, 2016: This land is where the Dakota Access Pipeline is being built.
Police used pepper spray and rubber bullets to disperse them.
We have our cameras and our prayers. That’s all we have.
Native people from hundreds of tribes have vowed to continue their movement and to tell it’s story on their own terms.”
“Excerpt from a speech by Nancy Beaulieu Treaty People Gathering to stop the Enbridge’s Line 3 Pipeline - Mississippi, USA - June 7, 2021: Treaties intended us to live in peace and to protect Ni Mama Akii, Mother Earth. So I call upon all those that want to exercise our treaty rights to protect the sacred. I need you now. The Nibi [Ojibwe word for water] needs you now. Our relatives need you now. Mankind needs you now!
“Protecting Greater Chaco From Archaeology southwest - May 5, 2022: This here is our motherland.”
We hold these areas deep in our hearts because we would like to pass it on to our unborn.
Our history is not written, it’s taught orally.
Passed from generation to generation. Some of the ceremonies that we did here are still being practiced today.”
Signs show that the process has begun to return some of the ancestral lands to the First-Nations-people, seek forgiveness for the immense suffering caused by colonization and industrialization, create positive initiatives to promote First-Nations-peoples and culture, and ask for guidance from their elders on how to better care for our planet.
ETC…
These positive developments indicate that the time has come for the Seventh Fire to “light the Eighth and Final Fire – an eternal fire of peace, love, brotherhood and sisterhood.”
One of the leaders in the movement to light the Eighth Fire is the Honorable Chief Phil Lane Jr. (vegan), a member of the Ihanktonwan Dakota and Chickasaw First Nations. In 1982, he founded the Four Worlds International Institute, which aims to be the “supporting catalyst to the establishment of Peace on Earth by 2030.” He’s also the author of “The Seven Fires of Global Unity: Pathways to the Eighth Fire and the Most Great Peace,” a free eBook available in 27 languages, downloadable at icmglt.org.
“Chief Phil (vegan): It’s time for us to join together with one heart and one mind in many bodies and stand up to unify and understand the spirituality of the Oneness of our human family. To end war. And I believe, to begin peace on Earth by 2030. This is not somebody else’s agenda, this is the indigenous people in our prophecy’s agenda, that this is going to happen.”
In December 2023, GlobalFire.Earth, a project uniting the Four Worlds International Institute, Compassion Games, the Global Centre of Indigenous Sciences and Ancestral Wisdom, and the Synergized Impact Network Exchange, held an online global convergence called “Enlightening Our Way Together.” This event brought together First-Nations-citizens from around the world, alongside their global sisters and brothers of other races, to pray, share ancient wisdom, perform ceremonies and offerings, and more, all in the noble spirit of ushering in the Eighth Fire.
During this event, as an honored guest speaker, our Most Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) praised the First-Nations-people for keeping their sacred traditions and highlighted the way to enhance their spiritual knowledge.
“As per the invitation from Chief Lane, which I am very honored to accept, I herewith just contribute a humble respect, a humble gratitude to all of you, for always remembering to be grateful for what we have from Mother Nature, by the Grace of God Almighty. And by doing your ceremony and having your gathering of gratitude and festivity, you also thereby remind the whole world how to conduct our life according to virtues: goodness, gratitude, humility, and above all – love for God. […]
Just to remind you one more time that you all, the First-Nations-people, keep the spiritual knowledge and traditions in the best way, and by practicing it, you will enhance it more. You will enhance this knowledge in your memory and for the next generations to come. By practicing, it will make us a master of any domain, especially in the spiritual domain.
At this time of our urgent situation, our planet Earth is truly in peril. So we should try to be more diligent in spiritual practice and adhere to the vegan diet in order to keep the compassion and loving kindness to all who live together with us on this precious planet Earth. May God bless you for that. Amen.”
We send our heartfelt gratitude to the Honorable Chief Phil Lane Jr. and the many First-Nations-people around the world who are preserving their ancient wisdom and traditions, while teaching the modern generation how to reconnect with Mother Earth and light the Eighth Fire together. Their effort will also light up the right path for the light-skinned people so that they will not walk down the wrong path of destruction.
As part of the Seven Fires Prophecy, a “New People” are emerging on our planet that will unite the Four Races to live in peace with all beings. Who are these “New People,” and how will they usher in the Eighth Fire? Tune in next week, as we share another Native American Prophecy related to our current time.
