 The seventh prophets came to Anishinaabe. They came at a time when the people were living a full and peaceful life on the northeastern coast of North America. These prophets left the people with seven predictions of what the future would bring. Each of the prophecies was called a fire, and each fire referred to a particular era of time that would come in the future. Thus, the teachings of the seven prophets are now called the seven fires. The first prophets said to the people, in the time of the first fire, the Anishinaabe nation will rise up and follow the sacred shell of the Medaemon Lodge. The Medaemon Lodge will serve as a rallying point for the people, and its traditional ways will be the source of much strength. The sacred mages will lead the way to the chosen ground of the Anishinaabe. You are to look for a turtle-shaped island that is linked to the purification of the earth. You will find such an island at the beginning and the end of your journey. There will be seven stopping places along the way. You will know the chosen ground has been reached when you come to a land where food grows on the water. If you do not move, you will be destroyed. The second prophet told the people, you will know the second fire because at the time, the nation will be camped by a large body of water. In this time, the direction of the sacred shell will be lost. The Medaemon will diminish its strength. A boy will be born to point the way back to the traditional ways. He will show the direction to the stepping stones to the future of the Anishinaabe people. The third prophet said to the people, in the third fire, the Anishinaabe will find the path to their chosen ground. A land in the west to which they must move their families. This will be the land where food grows on the water. The fourth fire was originally given to the people by two prophets. They came as one. They told the coming of the light-skinned race. One of the prophets said, you will know the future of our people by the face of the light-skinned race wears. If they come wearing the face of brotherhood, then there will come a time of wonderful change for generations to come. They will bring new knowledge and articles that can be joined with the knowledge of this country. In this way, two nations will join to make a mighty nation. This new nation will be joined by two more so that four will form the mightiest nation of all. You will know the face of brotherhood if the light-skinned race comes carrying no weapons. If they come bearing only their knowledge and a handshake. The other prophets said, beware if the light-skinned race comes wearing the face of death. You must be very careful because the face of brotherhood and the face of death look very much alike. If they come carrying a weapon, beware. If they come in suffering, they could fool you. Their hearts may be filled with greed for the riches of the land. If they are indeed your brothers, let them prove it. Do not accept them in total trust. You shall know that the face they wear is one of death. If the river is run with poison and the fish becomes unfit to eat. You shall know them by these many things. The fifth prophet said, in the time of the fifth fire they will come a time of great struggle that will burn the lives of all native peoples. At the warning of this fifth fire, they will come among the people one who holds a promise of great joy and salvation. If the people accept this promise of a new way and abandon the old teachings, then the struggle of the fifth fire will be with the people for many generations. The promise that comes will prove to be a false promise. All those who accept this promise will cause the near destruction of the people. The prophet of the sixth fire said, in the time of the sixth fire will be evident that the promise of the fifth fire came in a false way. Those deceived by this promise will take their children away from the teachings of the elders. Grandsons and granddaughters will turn against the elders. In this way the elders will lose their reason for living. They will lose their purpose in life. At this time a new sickness will come among the people. The balance of many people will be disturbed. A cup of life will almost be spilled. A cup of life will almost become the cup of grief. At the time of these predictions many people scoffed at the prophets. They then had medices to keep away sickness. They were then healthy and happy as a people. These were the people who chose to stay behind in the great migration of the Anishinaabe. These people were the first to have contact with light-skinned rays. They would suffer most. When the fifth fire came to pass a great struggle indeed did grip the lives of all native people. The light-skinned rays launched a military attack on the Indian people throughout the country, aimed at taking away their land and their independence as a free and sovereign people. It has now felt the false promise that came at the end of the fifth fire was the materials and riches embodying the way of life of the light-skinned rays. Those who have been in the ancient ways and accepted this new promise were a big factor in causing the new destruction of the native people of this land. When the sixth fire came to be the words the prophet rang true as children were taken away from the teachings of the elders. The boarding school era of civilizing Indian children had begun. The Indian language and religion were taken from the children. The people started dying at an early age. They had lost their will to live and their purpose of living. In the confusing times of the sixth fire, it is said that a group of visionaries came from among the Anishinaabe. They gathered all the priests at the Medewan Lodge. They told the priests that the Medewan Lodge was in danger of being destroyed. They gathered all the sacred bundles. They gathered all the scrolls that recorded the ceremonies. All these things were placed in a hollowed out log from the ironwood tree. Men were lowered over a cliff by long ropes. They dug a hole in the cliff and buried the log where no one could find it. Thus the teachings of the elders were hidden at the site but not out of memory. It was said that when the time came for the Indian people to practice their religion around here while the dream where the iron was long all of the sacred bundles and scrolls were buried which lead his people to that place. The seven prophets that came to the people long ago were said to be different from the father prophets. He was young and had a strange light in his eyes. He said, in the time of the seven fire, new people will emerge. They will retrace their steps to find that was left by the trail. Their steps will take them through the elders. Oh, they will ask to guide them on their journey. But many of the elders will have fallen asleep. They will awaken to this new time with nothing to offer. Some of the elders will be silent out of fear. Some of the elders will be silent because no one will ask anything of them. The new people will have to be careful in how they approach the elders. The task for the new people will not be easy. If the new people will remain strong in their quest, the water drum of the mid-wave enlarge will again sound its voice. There will be a rebirth of the Anishinaabe nation and the rekindling of the world flames. The sacred fire will again be lit. At this time that the light-skinned race will be given a choice between two roads. If they choose the right road, then the seventh fire will light the eighth and final fire. An eternal fire of peace, love, brotherhood, and sisterhood. If the light-skinned race makes the wrong choice of the roads, then the destruction which they brought back with them in coming to this country will come back at them and cause much suffering and death to all the earth's children. Traditional mid-day people of Ojibwe and people from other nations have interpreted the two roads that face the light-skinned race as the road to technology, the other road to spiritualism. They feel that the road to technology represents a continuation of the headlong rush to technological development. This is the road that has led to modern society to a damaged and seared earth. Could it be that the road to technology represents a rushed destruction? The road to spirituality represents a slower path that traditional native people have traveled and are now seeking again. Earth is not scorched on this trail. The grass is still growing there. The prophet of the fourth fire spoke of the time when two nations will join to make a mighty nation. He was speaking of the coming of the light-skinned race in the face of brotherhood that the light-skinned brother could be wearing. It is obvious from the history of this country that this was not the face worn by the light-skinned race as a whole. That mighty nation spoken of in the fourth fire has never yet been formed. If the natural people of the earth could just wear the face of brotherhood we might be able to deliver our society from the road to destruction. Two roads that today represent two clashing wild views come together to form a mighty nation. Could a nation be formed that is guided by respect for all living things? Are we the new people of the seventh fire?