New made-in-Manitoba animated series brings sacred Indigenous teachings to life

A new animated series aims to educate Manitobans about a set of traditional Indigenous teachings.

The Seven Sacred Laws is series of three- to four-minute vignettes, which followan Indigenous boy as he embarks on a spiritual journey andmeets the seven sacred animals who deliver lessons about each teaching.

"This is a great opportunity to educate people about who we truly are, and I'm just so honoured that I was able to be a part of this project and help bring it to life," said Erica Daniels, a filmmakerfrom Peguis First Nation who directed the seriesand acted asco-writer withAnishinaabe Elder David Courchene.

The seven sacred laws are teachings or values represented by different animals that offer guidance on how we should live our lives, that are practised by Indigenous nations across North America.

Each teaching is represented by a differentsacred animal: the buffalo (respect), the eagle (love), the bear (courage), the sab or bigfoot (honesty), the beaver (wisdom), the wolf (humility) and the turtle (truth).

Daniels said she hopes the series,which can be viewed online now atthe Manitoba 150 website or on YouTube, will be used in schools and widely shared, and will help young Indigenous people learn about their culture.

She also hopes it will educatenon-Indigenous people about important Indigenous teachings, "and showcase what a beautiful culture that our people come fromand what we represent, and the values that we are honoured to live by."

LISTEN | Erica Daniels on bringing the seven sacred laws to life:

Each video has been released in English, French, and Anishinaabe.

The animated films,created byManitoba's Peg City Pictures Inc., werereleased by the Manitoba 150 Host Committee a group formed to oversee events to celebrate Manitoba's 150th birthday in 2020 in partnership with the Turtle Lodge International Centre for Indigenous Education and Wellness and IG Wealth Management.

Watch a promo clip for the series below: