Today, we step outside the colonial framework that treats land as property and sunrise as commodity, learning instead from Anishinaabe teachings about sacred relationships. Many of us are uninvited guests on Turtle Island (North America), and as such we have the responsibility to listen humbly to Indigenous wisdom about how to exist in the right relationship with creation.
The Turtle Island creation stories teach us that we are not separate from the land, water, and sky; we are in relationship with them. This understanding directly challenges the capitalist worldview that reduces everything to resources for extraction. When we learn how Anishinaabe peoples understand the Sun as Grandfather, a relative and creator, we begin to see how Indigenous sovereignty offers pathways beyond colonial destruction.
Today's Action:
Take your family outside at sunrise and practice respectful witness
Watch the Anishinaabe Turtle Island creation teachings at:
Reflect on what it means to be in relationship rather than ownership with the land
Consider how Indigenous teachings challenge the systems causing our collective grief
Support Indigenous-led movements for Land Back and water protection
This isn't about adopting Indigenous practices; it's about learning from Indigenous wisdom as we work to dismantle the colonial systems that harm us all. Our grief for environmental destruction connects us to Indigenous communities who have never stopped defending the sacred.