Ancient Teachings Reshape How We Live and Die

This question comes to almost anyone who’s considered whether or not to have children: What kind of world will they inherit? What are we leaving for future generations?

For the Haudenosaunee — the Iroquois Confederacy, made up of the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations — this question was their governing principle. Embedded in the Great Law of Peace, their foundational constitution, was a directive that shaped every major decision made by tribal councils: consider the impact of your choices on the seventh generation yet to come.

The Seventh Generation Principle is older than the United States, which, according to many historians, borrowed heavily from the Great Law of Peace when crafting the Constitution and the concept of federalism. Since we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of this flawed but beautiful country, I thought maybe a deep dive into this underreported past was warranted. A deep dive that could change all of our lives and deaths, for the bett…