The Seven Circles Quotes

“the notion of violence against children, even a spanking, is unthinkable. In precolonial times, a person would have been considered less mature than a child if they could not control their temper in response to a child’s tantrum or misbehavior. There was less weight on the child to act “in line” and instead more expectation on the adult to demonstrate patience and self-control.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“We hear that in the old days, healthy relationships based on equality and mutual respect were the norm. With the influence of Western patriarchy, the culture of healthy relationships has been disrupted.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“In 2019, Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel (Lakota and Diné) started running high-profile marathons with a red handprint painted across her face to raise awareness of the overlooked crisis of Native American women, girls, and LGBTQ people going missing and/or dying by homicide at higher rates than women of any other ethnicity.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“In 1492, somewhere between twenty million and one hundred million Indigenous people lived in North America. By 1900, only two hundred thousand were left. Our ancestors are survivors.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“When something bad happens, breathe, think, and try to avoid a knee-jerk reaction. Don’t allow yourself to go to the worst-case scenario, because if your mind goes there, it’s more likely to turn out that way. Always know that there’s got to be a solution and that there will always be a better day.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“Traits of a healthy relationship include the following: Each person is independent and makes life easier for the other, not harder. An idea of commitment is shared and agreed upon. Open communication is consistently evaluated and reprioritized. Each person’s strengths are appreciated and acknowledged. Each person clearly understands, acknowledges, and feels good about their role in the relationship. Each person feels valued and needed. Each person is respected and treated as sacred. Trust is paramount for all parties. Love and positive feedback are abundant.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“Abusive and toxic relationships can be powerful enough to completely degrade one’s health. Unfortunately, these types of relationships have become so normal that it can sometimes be difficult to recognize them, even if we are in the midst of one.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“Today, we may once again ensure that our children walk in this world with a sense of knowing who they are and how they can contribute, preventing them from feeling lost or hopeless. This requires a shift toward ancestral parenting and educational methods, in which mentorship, gentle guidance, and doing are utilized instead of harsh discipline, shame, and telling.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“Frank Fools Crow was a Lakota medicine man and Sun Dance chief who lived from 1890 to 1989.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“In our ancestors’ time, everyone understood that they had the power within them to do good things, to be a good person, and to live a good life. Dominant culture has led many of us to stray from this self-empowerment. You are not weak or broken. You are strong, and you can heal. Know your own power.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well

“Around the Indigenous world, from Aotearoa to Arizona to Alaska, there is one common practice that is shared by nearly all Native people. We begin with gratitude. With each new day, new season, new life, or new endeavor, words and actions of thanks are consciously, generously, deliberately expressed.”
― Chelsey Luger, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well