"We are nurturing the Eighth Fire. We are looking toward the future and what is it we can do now to help that happen." — JoAnne Cook In this episode, we sit down with JoAnne Cook, a citizen and elder of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. JoAnne shares her insights with Conservancy staff Claire Wood and Jenee Rowe and Producer Mark Wilson about the Anishinaabe creation story, the significance of the "Eighth Fire," and the importance of reclaiming ancestral knowledge for future generations.

JoAnne explains the Seven Fires prophecy and the vision of the Eighth Fire, a guiding force for both the Anishinaabe and the greater society. She emphasizes the importance of restoring the relationship between Anishinaabe communities and the land, while also navigating the complexities of sharing this knowledge in a respectful and responsible way.

Join us for this enlightening conversation as we explore how to listen, learn, and nurture the path to a brighter future.

This is part of the Indigenous Knowledges Series, a project of the Leelanau Conservancy. The goal is to elevate Aanishinaabeg voices in conservation through conversation.

Learn More: https://leelanauconservancy.org/indigenousknowledges

Our producer and liaison is Mark Wilson of New Leonard Media https://newleonard.com/.