Indigenous wisdom is developed by trying out what works and what doesn’t, i.e., trial and error. It is passed down from generation to generation rather than being inscribed in a book. Then the descendants value these wise ideas, paying their respects up to today, because they benefit their everyday lives.

For the Next 7 Generations is a 2009 documentary. It is the story of thirteen wise Indigenous women who came together at a historic gathering, the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, to represent a global alliance of prayer, education, and healing for the earth and indigenous ways of life. Their concern about this world and planet in crisis spur them to share their visions and wisdoms of healing and to call for change that protects their lands, medicines, language, ceremonial ways of prayers, and the education of their children, before it is too late.

The Pachamama Alliance, the organization which empowers indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest to preserve their lands and culture, wrote a blog titled “Reconnecting with Indigenous Wisdom” and introduced their posts exploring the profound value of indigenous wisdom. These posts explain why reconnecting with indigenous wisdom is essential to creating a thriving and sustainable world.

Indigenous wisdoms traditionally represent the hope that connects the old generation to the new one. And, at the same time, resistance to the encroachment of non-Indigenous values and morals is a means by which they strive to preserve their identity.