We invite you to join us for a Sacred Journey of Discovery to find your place in community and to bring your gifts and talents forward with confidence, skill and grace.
With great joy, we dedicate this offering to the memory of Paula Underwood, our beloved guide and friend, and Oneida Wisdom Keeper. Here are her own words about The Learning Way, the foundation for our offering.
"To all those, old and young, who sat in patient circles over countless generations adding mind to mind to create this learning tool..
To all those, young and old, who sit in patient circles now, adding heart to mind in growing awareness of possibility..
To all these, this present dance of words on pages is most gratefully dedicated."
Learning our Way through Chaos is more than a course. It’s an invitation to move past overwhelm and isolation. To embark on a Sacred Journey with kindred spirits who share your commitment to co-creating a future that works for all beings. Each of us have a unique contribution to offer at this unique moment in history. Let’s discover them together. One experience at a time. Over a four month period so that you have time to absorb and apply the practices.
You’ll belong to an intergenerational learning community walking along ancient paths to peace. We’ll be immersed in indigenous ways of weaving community. We’ll experience a practice field for nurturing communities where no one is left behind. Where learning is the most sacred activity of all. It is a path of wisdom.
Join us on the Journey
Paula Underwood, Oneida Wisdom Keeper, gifted all Listening Ears with the practical wisdoms that have allowed people within the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to live in peace for over 800 years. Their decision making guide is the Great Law of Peace. Paula shares with us HOW we can move towards a future that works for all beings in the most practical way you can imagine. A do-able way. A way in which Learning is vital. Her approach is known as The Learning Way.
So what makes this offering unique?
Our Central Fire offers medicine for your life by fostering a warm, supportive, intergenerational learning community.
For those who sometimes feel unseen, unheard, undervalued or alone in your efforts to promote a better world
Here, you'll find kindred spirits who share your dedication to creating a better world. Together we'll cultivate a sense of belonging and mutual cooperation renewing your vigor and commitment. In-between these sessions, you’ll meet with two other learning partners at a time and place of your choosing. Locally if you are lucky! We encourage you to attend with two of your neighbors or friends. Otherwise we’ll link you with others in the community!
You cannot learn to ride a bike by reading about it.
You will be practicing and directly applying what you learn to your own life.
Paula Underwood was clear that practicing within a community was the only way to truly learn indigenous ways of being, doing and learning. Our learning community serves as a practice field. The path to wisdom is knowing how and when to apply the knowledge based on the situation. We’ll guide you in applying the knowledge to your unique circumstances.
What People Experience across generations . .
Sarah Beardmore
"I love the precious wisdom you share. The energy is so grounding, practical, gentle and loving. I would come off of stressful and angsty work calls, and just feel myself uplifted. I was always transformed into higher order thinking, eagle sightedness of the big picture and a sense of equanimity."
Jamie Petit
"7th Generation helped me get past my comfort zones to work toward my passion. They introduced me to mentors who helped me learn how to run a meeting smoothly and how to create goals and enlist volunteer help. They created a safe place for me to learn skills from community members as well as make more connections within my community."
QuinXing Webber
“7th Generation gave me opportunities and hope that I couldn't imagine possible in high school. Incredible mentors guided me and many others through creating projects, problem solving, reaching out to our community, and teamwork. Every meeting I would come in motivated to share my ideas and see how they could be improved and applied to the real world. I was always respected and encouraged and this created a unique community of loving and understanding while we worked toward the common goal of helping our commonwealth. it was one of my most beloved and impactful high school experiences.”
No overwhelm. We will drop deep . . . but we will provide you with a canoe and a paddle
We will slowly and consciously introduce all elements of The Learning Way.
For Paula’s people, learning was the most sacred value. They had 27 words for learning. The wisdom we share will be clear and elegant. The pacing will allow you the time you need to take the material deep – to weave body, mind and spirit into one unified thread. We’ll create a Central Fire that draws us toward our common purpose: Living into the Great Law of Peace.
Our design is based on blended learning.
You will find it easy to stay fully present during on-line interactive gatherings that are lecture-free.
You’ll view videos and handouts at a time of your choosing prior to our live interactive community sessions. These 90 minute interactive sessions will be entirely focused on our inquiries and insights that arise from the material we read in advance.
The on-line Learning Way Lodge serves as the space for everything we do.
So no frustration about breakout room conversations that are too short.
The Lodge provides free ‘zoom meetings’ anytime for anyone in the community - no middle person required. So you can continue any conversation with any participant any time. The space also has conversation threads for resources, Q and A for real-time responses from us, sharing projects, needs and offers. And simply celebrating connections. One link is all you need for all activities. And like in a real home, we will be there a lot to simply gather.
We’ll be viewing both the forest and the trees so that we can discover the true nature of our circumstances. Context and understanding how all our futures are all interconnected is crucial.
We see prophecy unfolding before our eyes. Crazy Horse, the Lakota war leader from the Battle of the Little Bighorn, foretold our current circumstances in 1877. He saw a world filled with broken promises, selfishness and separations. A world longing for light again. A people rising in solidarity to make justice for all a reality.
