WEBVTT 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:06,000 The Mi’kmaq people have been gathering together around fires. 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,000 And when we gather together, we hear the stories from our old people. 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,000 And the stories talk about the importance and the meaning of the number 7. 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,000 Life began with the number 7. 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:23,000 First, there was the Giver of Life, who made everything. 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:31,000 Then there was the sun, we call Nisgam, our Grandfather. 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,000 And it’s the sun that gives us our shadows, 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,000 and it’s important that we have shadows. 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:42,000 And they are our spirits, it gives us our lifeblood. 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:49,000 And then, the third entity was the Earth, Ootsitgamoo. 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,000 And upon the Earth, 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:59,000 all life is given to us from our Mother Earth we call Oetsigitpogooin. 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,000 Not too long after everything was created, 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,000 the Life-Giver caused a bolt of lightning to strike and hit the earth. 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,000 It formed the shape of a person. 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,000 The head was in the direction of the rising sun. 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,000 And the arms were outstretched 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,000 and the feet were in the direction of the setting sun. 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,000 It was not until the second bolt of lightning that hit the earth, 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,000 that the first one who spoke, 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:42,000 we call Gellulaskiv in our language, Glooscap. 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:49,000 He was given his toes, his fingers, his hands 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,000 and he was given 7 sacred parts to his head. 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,000 He had to listen to his world. 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:00,000 When we are born, the first thing we hear is our mother’s heartbeat. 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,000 Also Glooscap was given his eyes, 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,000 so he could look and see his world around him. 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,000 He also was given two holes in his nose, 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,000 from there, he sensed his place in this world. 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,000 He also was given his mouth, 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,000 to drink the water that is in abundance for everybody. 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,000 Also to be able to share the food that we eat, 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,000 that comes from Mother Earth. 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,000 We take the medicines that we gather from the animals 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,000 and the birds and the plants and the trees. 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:51,000 And last that came from Glooscap’s mouth was words. 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,000 And our Elders teach us that if we can listen first 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:59,000 and look and sense and share our food, our medicines, 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:03,000 our water and the air and then to be able to speak. 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,000 Then in this way, we have been able to honour and 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,000 give respect to all life and everything around us. 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:22,000 So Glooscap was still lying on the earth, 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,000 because it was not until the third bolt of lightning 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,000 that hit the earth that he was given his freedom. 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,000 And he stood up and he said: 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,000 “Gisoolg, Oh Giver of Life,” He said. 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,000 “thank you for giving me my life. 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:39,000 Grandfather sun, thank you for giving me my shadow, 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:44,000 my heart, my lungs and my life, my blood. 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,000 And Mother Earth, thank you for giving me 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,000 all life that I need to continue to survive and to live. 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,000 Thank you for the birds that fly in the sky, 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,000 the trees and the plants, 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:07,000 the animals and the fish that are in the waters. 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:12,000 So Glooscap now started to explore his world around him. 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,000 He travelled to the setting sun, 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,000 until he arrived at some water. 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,000 And then he travelled South 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,000 and then he came back to the North 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,000 the land of the ice and snow. 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,000 And he turned around and wanted to go back to the East 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,000 where he was given his life. 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,000 And he came to the place where the sparks were still left 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,000 over from the bolt of lightning that caused his creation. 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:43,000 He was looking at the sparks and he saw an eagle soaring. 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,000 It was flying around in a circle, 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:51,000 slowly coming down and descending. 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,000 Finally, the eagle landed in front of him. 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:59,000 And the eagle said: “I am Gipu, 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:04,000 I come with a message from the great spirit, Gisoolg.” 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:11,000 He said; “I have come to tell you that you will be joined by your family, 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,000 to help you understand your place in this world.” 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:23,000 And as the eagle was flying up, a feather fell. Glooscap picked it up. 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:27,000 And he looked up at the eagle and he said: 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:31,000 “This is going to be my reminder and my strength, 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:36,000 my connection to the Great Spirit, and the eagle, the messenger.” 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:41,000 And so as he was hanging onto the eagle feather, he turned around. 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,000 He saw an old woman sitting on a rock; 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,000 silver hair was shining and glittering. 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,000 “I am your grandmother.” She said. 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,000 “I owe my existence from this rock on the ground. 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,000 Early this morning, dew formed over this rock 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:03,000 and with the help of the Life-Giver, the Shadow-Giver and Mother Earth, 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:09,000 they gave me a life of an old woman, already wise and knowledgeable.” 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:14,000 She said: “I will teach you all there is to know about the animals, 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:18,000 the birds, the plants, the trees and the fish. 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:22,000 Then you will be able to gain your life from there.” 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,000 Glooscap was happy that his Grandmother came to join him, 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:30,000 because now he was going to be taught about everything 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,000 there was to surviving on the earth, 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:38,000 because she was old and wise and very knowledgeable. 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:44,000 So Glooscap, since he was so happy, he called upon an animal: 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,000 “Abistanooj, he said, come here, my brother.” 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,000 Abistanooj came, he was the marten. 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,000 “What do you want, my brother.” He said: 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,000 “I want to ask you if you can give up your life 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,000 so that Grandmother and I can continue to live. 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,000 We will be able to get clothes from your skin, 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:10,000 food from your meat and tools from the bones and medicines from inside.” 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,000 Abistanooj said: “Take my life, Glooscap.” 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:18,000 So, Grandmother grabbed Abistanooj and snapped his neck, 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,000 while Glooscap looked up and said: “Oh, Gesulk, 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,000 forgive me for taking the life of an animal, my brother. 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:31,000 Give us strength so that we can survive and continue to live. 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:36,000 Glooscap was happy that the animal had given up his life. 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,000 And Grandmother told Glooscap: “Gather 7 sparks 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,000 that are leftover from the bolt of lightning. 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,000 Bring 7 pieces of wood, put them on those sparks, 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,000 and with your eagle feather, light the fire. 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,000 This is our Jiwukto, our great spirit fire. 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:57,000 And so there, Grandmother cooked Abistanooj the meat, 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,000 to celebrate Grandmother’s arrival to the world. 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:09,000 Glooscap one day decided he would walk down to the water. 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,000 As he was walking along these sweet smelling grass, 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,000 a young man stood up in front of him. 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:18,000 He was tall and he had long hair and white sparkling eyes. 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,000 “Who are you, where did you come from?” He said: 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:26,000 “I am you sister’s son, Netaoansom. Far out in the ocean, 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,000 Widjosin the whirlwind caused the water to foam up 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,000 and foam began to form on top of the water, 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,000 and finally was blowing along the sand, 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,000 and it rested on this tall, sweet smelling grass. 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:43,000 And with the help of the Life-Giver and the Shadow-Giver 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:47,000 and Mother Earth, they gave me a life of a young man. 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,000 I have strength in my arms and my legs. 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,000 I can run and help Grandmother and you. I have vision. 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,000 With my eyes, I can see far away into the future. 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,000 You will be able to be guided by my strength, my vision. 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:07,000 And I also am gifted with the spirit to guide you.” 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:11,000 So Glooscap was happy that his nephew came into the world. 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:15,000 He called upon the fish from the waters to come ashore, 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,000 because he did not want to bother the animals anymore. 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,000 The fish came ashore. And he told his nephew: 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,000 “Gather the fish and bring them to Grandmother, 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,000 because it’s the fish that will give us food and medicine and tools.” 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,000 So, they had a feast of fish to celebrate 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,000 Glooscap’s nephew’s arrival to the world. 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,000 And one day, as he was sitting by the fire, 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,000 a woman came and sat beside him. 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:55,000 She put her arm around him and said: “Are you cold my son?” 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,000 And he looked at her and he said: “Who are you? 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:03,000 Where do you come from?” She said: “I am your mother.” She said: 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:08,000 “I owe my existence to the leaf on the tree that fell to the ground. 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,000 And early this morning, dew formed over this leaf; 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,000 and with the help of the Life-Giver, Grandfather sun, 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,000 and Mother Earth, gave me a life of a woman. “She said: 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,000 I bring life into this world. I bring all the colours 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,000 of the blues of the skies and the yellows of the sun, 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,000 to form together the greens of the grass and the forest. 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:31,000 I bring the black of the night, the white of the snow, 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,000 the red of the earth, the colour of the rainbow. 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,000 And I bring strength and understanding for my children, 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,000 that they will continue to survive and to live, 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:45,000 and to understand one another and to share and rely on each other.” 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:49,000 So Glooscap was happy that his mother came into the world. 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,000 He called upon his nephew to gather the food from the plants 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,000 and the trees and the roots and bring them together 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,000 so that Grandmother prepared a feast, 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:03,000 so they could celebrate his mother’s arrival to the world. 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:13,000 And so one day, after they all ate and celebrated and 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:17,000 were living their lives, the eagle came back. And he said: 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,000 “I bring another message. The Great Spirit tells us 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,000 that you and Grandmother have to leave this world, 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:28,000 and you have to go to the land of the spirits. 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,000 But you have to make sure that the fire does not go out. 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:37,000 Instruct your mother and your nephew to look after that fire.” 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:55,000 Out of the fire, 7 sparks will fly and when they land on the ground, 00:11:55,000 --> 00:12:00,000 7 women will be created. 7 more sparks will fly out of the fire, 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,000 and of these sparks, 7 men will be created. 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,000 And these 7 women and 7 men will come together 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:13,000 to form the first 7 families and go off in 7 different directions. 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:17,000 The Mi’kmaq are one of these 7 original families. 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,000 When the Mi’kmaq reach their territory, 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,000 they later will split up into 7 clans, 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:27,000 each having their own fires or mawiomies. 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:31,000 After the passing of 7 winters, all of the families 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,000 will once again gather at the sight of the original great fire. 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,000 There they will honour the first 4 levels of creation 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,000 by bringing together all their fires to form, 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,000 once again, the Great Spirit fire or Ekjibuctou.” 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,000 To honour Glooscap’s grandmother, Nogami’s arrival 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:02,000 was celebrated with a sweat lodge ceremony. 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:06,000 To make a sweat lodge, 7 large animal skins are placed 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:10,000 over a dome, shaped out of 7 saplings and 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:14,000 red-hot rocks are placed inside the centre of the lodge. 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:22,000 Inside, representatives from the 7 original families pray and sing, 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:26,000 and together they give thanks for the gift of life and they ask 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:31,000 for forgiveness for taking the life of animals, birds, trees and fish. 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:42,000 There are 4 rounds to give thanks to the 7 levels of creation. 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:47,000 7 rocks are taken from the Great Spirit fire and placed inside the lodge. 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:51,000 Then 7 more rocks are brought to honour the 7 original families. 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:55,000 Then 7 more rocks are brought inside to honour the 7 clans. 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:59,000 Then 7 more rocks to honour the 7 sacred medicines. 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:04,000 This is what the Mi’kmaq sweat lodge ceremony is about. 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:17,000 To honour Glooscap’s nephew, we braid the sweetgrass, 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,000 the hair of Mother Earth. 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,000 We light the sweetgrass on the Great Spirit fire 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:32,000 and offer the smoke to the 7 sacred directions. 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:36,000 With the smoke, we cleanse our ears for understanding, 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,000 our eyes to look from the goodness of our hearts, 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,000 our nose to sense our place in the world and our mouth 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,000 so that we will share the water, the medicine and food 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,000 which comes from Mother Earth, and then to ensure 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:52,000 that we speak with kindness, from our hearts. 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:57,000 To honour Glooscap’s mother, who came from the leaf of a tree, 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:02,000 the leaf that we burn as tobacco, we offer tobacco 7 times 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:07,000 to the Great Spirit fire, to give thanks to the 7 levels of creation. 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,000 In order to make everything more meaningful, 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:14,000 we take the stones from which Nogami or Grandmother comes from 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,000 and shape it into a sacred pipe bowl and attach it to a stem, 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:23,000 shaped from the wood of a tree from which Glooscap’s mother was created. 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:27,000 This is how we bring together the spirit of Mother and Grandmother. 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:33,000 We then give thanks to all creation by offering tobacco to the 7 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:38,000 sacred directions, each time, putting some into the sacred pipe. 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,000 And in this way, we honour all of creation, 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:45,000 all of our families and that we are all related to one another: 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,000 the birds, the plants, the animals and the fish. 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,000 the birds, the plants, the animals and the fish. 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,000 And since our collective words are represented in the smoke, 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:56,000 we blow our words in 7 sacred directions. In this way, 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:01,000 the seven levels of creation are entrusted to hold onto our words. 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:11,000 This is the way our Elders honoured our creation and explained 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:14,000 how our world came into being. 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,000 This is the creation story.