Seven generation sustainability facts for kids
Seven generation stewardship is a special idea. It asks people living today to make choices that will help people seven generations into the future. Imagine your great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren! This idea is about making sure their lives are good.
This way of thinking comes from the Iroquois people. Their Great Law of the Iroquois taught them to think far ahead. They believed in planning for about 525 years into the future. This is like multiplying 7 generations by 75 years (an average human lifespan). The goal was to make sure today's decisions would benefit their descendants far into the future. This concept is often linked to caring for the environment, but it's much wider. It's about being a good caretaker for everything.
Thinking for Future Generations
Many people repeat a saying: "In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation." This means every time you make a big decision, think about its long-term effects. It's a powerful idea about responsibility.
However, this exact saying is not found in the original Constitution of the Iroquois Nation. The Constitution does talk about leaders and their duties. It mentions that leaders should have "skin as thick as the bark of a pine." This means they should be strong and not easily angered by criticism.
More importantly, the Iroquois Constitution tells leaders to always think about the well-being of all people. It says they should look and listen for the good of everyone. And they should always keep in mind "not only the present but also the coming generations." This includes those "whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground" – meaning the children not yet born.
Oren Lyons, a Chief of the Onondaga Nation, explains this idea. He says that one of the main jobs of chiefs is to look ahead. They must make sure every decision helps the welfare and well-being of the seventh generation to come. He asks, "What about the seventh generation? Where are you taking them? What will they have?"
Connecting Past and Future
The idea of seven generation stewardship also helps us think about our connection to the past. It's not just about looking forward. It's also about honoring those who came before us. And it's about understanding the legacy we leave for those who come after us.
Some people think about three generations before them. They also think about three generations after them. If one generation is about 25 years, this means thinking about 75 years before your birth. And also about 75 years after your death. This helps us see our place in a longer timeline.
Another way to think about this is how your own life connects to a very long period. Imagine the oldest relative or friend you knew as a baby. Maybe it was a great-great-grandparent who was 90 years old. Now, imagine that great-great-grandparent knew someone even older.
Then, think about a baby you might know in your lifetime. And imagine that baby growing old and knowing another baby. This way of thinking stretches far back into the past. It also reaches far into the future. It can cover a period of 360 years. This shows how much your own existence can touch a wide span of time.
