Seven Generation Thinking

We are often told that an elephant never forgets, and a fish never remembers. Whilst this may not be exactly accurate, it is true that human beings are relatively unique in the animal kingdom for their ability to think in the long term…

Whilst we plan where our next meal might come from, we are also capable of planning future career plans. When we plan where we will plant our seeds, we are also thinking ahead to the fruits we will receive. And whilst plans rarely, well, go to plan, nevertheless we continue to reflect upon our futures: where we may be when we are hopefully old and grey.

Yet, when it comes to thinking further ahead - beyond our own lifetime - we are surprisingly ill-equipped. Often, whilst we may be able to reflect upon our children’s future lives, and perhaps their children, we struggle to think beyond this timespan.

This is reflected (to the extreme) in many cultural instances: governmental systems often work on a 4 or 5 year cycle; business plans look to the next quarter; and social media is so innately biased towards short-termism, 3 seconds is considered a ‘view’ on a video. As a result, in politics, marketing, consumerism and even our online identities, short-term successes are rewarded over long-term wellness.

In a ‘chicken or egg’ kind of cycle, this cultural fore-fronting of short-term success in many aspects of certain societies has further cemented our own short-sightedness. But like many aspects of our culture, the importance of short-term success is just one story, one narrative. This is where seven generation thinking comes into play.

So, what is seventh generation thinking?

Whilst there are varying definitions of the seventh generation principle, most explanations claim that The Seventh Generation Principle is based on an ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)* philosophy that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future. Roughly speaking, one generation would be you, the second generation would be your children, the third generation your grandchildren, the fourth generation your great-grandchildren, and so on. This means, with every decision that we make, we must consider how it will impact those seven generations ahead of us. Will this decision sustain our descendants? Will this decision damage our descendants?

According to the Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., the first recorded concepts of the Seventh Generation Principle date back to the writing of The Great Law of Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Although the actual date is undetermined, differing dates place this writing at any date from 1142 to 1500 AD.

“The Great Law of Haudenosaunee Confederacy formed the political, ceremonial, and social fabric of the Five Nation Confederacy (later Six). The Great Law of Haudenosaunee Confederacy is also credited as being a contributing influence on the American Constitution, due to Benjamin Franklin’s great respect for the Haudenosaunee system of government, which in itself is interesting from the perspective that the United States formed their Constitution not on the principles of European governments, but rather on that of a people considered “savages”.”

An alternative variation of seven generation thinking places ourselves in the middle of the seven generations, reflecting on the life spans both before and after ours. For example, this includes (going backwards) your parents, your grandparents, and your great-grandparents, as well as (going forwards) your children, your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren. This variation invites us to reflect on how our existence material touches a 360 years timespan (180 years either side of us), based on the idea that we must reflect on the oldest person we materially touch (roughly 90 years older than us) and then also the oldest person they materially touched (again roughly 90 years older than them). This means the moment we are born into this continuous ribbon of generations, the past 180 years is an immediate presence in our lives.

Both perspectives of seven generation thinking focus on the innate thread which links us across time: how we are the result of seven generations prior, and we have an impact on those who still exist seven generations away from us into the future.

Is this the same as sustainability?

Considering the long-term repercussions of actions made today is a concept largely interwoven into the emerging discourse of sustainability. One of the most often used definitions of ‘sustainable development’ comes from the UN Brundtland Report of 1987: sustainability "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Indeed, the Seventh Generation Principle today is increasingly referred to in regards to decisions being made about our energy, water, and natural resources, and ensuring those decisions are sustainable for seven generations in the future. But, it is important to remember that seven generation thinking is traditionally applied to all relationships: ecological, cultural, communities, and even our individual wellbeing - every decision should result in sustainable relationships seven generations in the future.

The Healing of the Seven Generations

It is important not to conflate sustainability and Seven Generation Thinking.

As stated in the Healing of the Seven Generations: “Researchers in many areas are now looking to the long-standing teachings, stories, and cultural traditions of First Peoples to fill in the gaps in their knowledge.” However, “for years, First Peoples’ knowledge was dismissed as useless, a relic of the past with no relevance to the future.” This historic marginalisation, dismissal, and even violence, must be acknowledged, and learnt from, as we look to these cultural traditions to inform our future decisions.

The Healing of the Seven Generations goes even further into the history of seventh generation principle, and of the reverberating impacts of historic events: “Researchers have evidence that massive generational trauma, such as the genocidal policies enacted against the First Peoples of Canada, can potentially be passed down epigenetically for over a dozen generations, literally altering the genetic instructions of a family’s DNA for centuries.”**

Inherited trauma is a stark reminder of the lasting repercussions present-day decisions will hold. Seven generation thinking must prompt us to question how societal structures and decisions made today will reverberate into the future, as well as pushing us to reflect on how historic decisions and injustices continue to shape lived-experiences today. The inherited trauma of descendants of genocide also further emphasises the importance that seven generation thinking does not become a greenwashing marketing slogan, or appropriated and poorly-applied by mainstream sustainability movements.

The beauty & potential of seven generation thinking

Increasing climate change and environmental degradation are quickly forcing us to reckon with the unavoidable reality of cause and effect and the long-term consequences of short-term thinking. Past focus on economic growth, consumer lifestyles, and individualism have led to many of the ecological crises we are witnessing today. The continued burning of fossil fuels and cutting down of trees will affect future generations tomorrow.

For some people, a growing awareness of the repercussions of human activity has arrived in the form of ‘impending doom’. Increasingly, people are considering not having children, on account of climate change and the fear of an inhospitable planet. [7] Others consider the future ahead of them with an overwhelming sense of climate anxiety. [8] Many may retreat to the familiar and instantly gratifying bubble of short-sightedness. Again, this is the result of poor story-telling.

Seven generation thinking should encourage us to consider the possible impacts of our present-day actions, yes... But it should also motivate us to appreciate the amazing fact that what we choose to do today, will echo past our own short lifespan. We are a part of an unbreakable community which spans both before and ahead of us: far beyond the rise and fall of power structures, the peaks and crashes of business, the fleeting back and forth of consumption.

In a world preoccupied with short-term success, achieving a sense of purpose, community, and belonging feels like a never-ending chase: forever beyond the next hurdle. Once we situate ourselves within this wider chain of those before us and those to come, we can begin to see how our purpose and belonging is built within the fact of our own existence. We have inherited the consequences of the decisions of those before us, and we will pass on the consequences of our own decisions today.

Perhaps it is further helpful to reflect on the distinction between the ‘modern’ conception of sustainability in comparison. Whilst meeting ‘the needs of the present without compromising the [needs of] future generations’ does reflect on the longevity and impacts of our present-day decisions, it almost implies a type of trade-off, or bargaining, between ourselves and these ‘future generations’.

In a recent article for CBS, Rick Hill, a member of the Tuscarora Six Nations in southern Ontario commented, in contemporary times:

"we're stuck with this idea that growth is necessary in order to be modern, to be competitive in the world. [In comparison,] Seventh-generation thinking says you have enough: Earth already provides everything you need to be happy and healthy, so take care of it well.”

The narrative of growth and competition continues to underline many of our conceptions of sustainability. In comparison, Seventh Generation Thinking is a narrative of abundance and fulfilment (if only we remember to take care of it) rather than one of compromise and bargaining. In this narrative, we can not only meet the needs of the day, but ensure that we nurture and cultivate happiness and health for future generations also.

Looking forwards

When considering how to incorporate this Seventh Generation Principle into current decision-making, one of the main barriers is the reprogramming of our thinking from short-term quick fixes and instant gratification, to complex and long-term approaches, which will require nurturing, constant reevaluation, and multiple perspectives.

Reflecting on how to adopt this seven generation thinking, Hill commented on the fact that such a forward-thinking process will never provide quick answers. If the government asked his community for a response on a matter of importance, for example, "we would then sit down and talk to our elders, talk to our women or talk to the children [and ask]: 'What do we think about this?'"

Arriving at a joint decision, Hill said, "could take days, weeks, may take a year. Because you're cautious, you're careful and thoughtful." In a world of same-day delivery, ever-refreshing social media feeds, fast food, and reactionary politics, are we capable of investing the time, thought, and care needed for such long-term thinking? Of course we can - it is the former which is unnatural. As Hill put it: "We [First Nations] are out of step with modern society. But we say modern society is out of step with the Earth."

Across cultures, one aspect of life is uniquely positioned to thrive throughout generations: the stories we tell. From family histories to bedtime fairy-tales, from the stories we tell ourselves about happiness and where to find it, to the stories we tell in the media about success: these narratives and their language can shift our perspectives, and in turn our behaviour. So, perhaps it’s time to rediscover and retell a new, and yet ancient story. One of intergenerational connection and community, one of abundance and nurturing, one of time and the gift (not curse) of repercussions, footprints, and legacy.

So settle in, because this story is not going to be a short one.

*Terminology note: Called the Iroquois Confederacy by the French, and the League of Five Nations by the English, the confederacy is properly called the Haudenosaunee Confederacy meaning People of the long house. The confederacy was founded by the prophet known as the Peacemaker with the help of Aionwatha, more commonly known as Hiawatha. The exact date of the joining of the nations is unknown and said to be time immemorial making it one of the first and longest lasting participatory democracies in the world. (ICTInc)

References

How climate action can benefit from Indigenous tradition of '7th-generation decision-making'. (CBC Jan 2021)
What is the Seventh Generation Principle? (Indigenous Corporate Training Inc May 2020)
Ron (Daganadus) McLester, Executive Director and Special Advisor to the President on Aboriginal Initiatives. (Algonquin College May 2017)
Rev M. Kalani Souza explains the Hawaiian take on the 7th generation principle (Bioneers Feb 2018)
Our Common Future, Chapter 2: Towards Sustainable Development. (the United Nations March 1987)
The Healing of the Seven Generations.
** ‘If you are suffering from the intergenerational effects of the residential school system, please check out their Programs section
Climate ‘apocalypse’ fears stopping people having children – study. (The Guardian Nov 2020)
‘Overwhelming and terrifying’: the rise of climate anxiety. (The Guardian Feb 2020)