Traditional Teachings with Elder Joseph McQuabbie

This week on Tuesday we had an inspiring and motivational traditional teaching by Elder, Joseph McQuabbie. We are so happy to welcome Joseph to the college and to join us in Pimooteewin.

He taught about the various uses of 4 in the Medicine Wheel such as the four directions, the four seasons, the four stages of life, the four sacred medicines, the four races of the world and the four dimensions of self.


He also taught us about the power of 3 and how we have three major responsibilities on the Red Road we call life and that is to 1) Self  2) Family  and 3) Community


What does 3+4 equal? Joseph then brilliantly moved into the seven Grandfather teachings, helping us to pull together the teachings into the ultimate teaching: WISDOM, the state we achieve once the other teachings have been balanced into our lives.


Most of all, the teachings Joseph spoke of were about empowerment and self-direction, about standing proud in the light of who we are as individuals, distinctly beautiful and authentically powerful, each in our own way and for our own purpose.

As a class we reflected on Joseph's teachings and this is the poem we wrote together to represent these thoughts:

PAUWAUWIN THROUGH PIMOOTEEWIN

2010©Pimooteewin Program

Pauwauwin means gaining insight and understanding through dreams

Learning lessons to see what our experience means

On the Pimooteewin—finding the path through the trees

I feel a nice cool breeze

Trust truth and what it brings

A butterfly dances across the meadow

Making a change is to know yourself

Bee-Leave!!!

Miig Wetch to Joseph and all our fabulous students!!!

By Rachel Larabee