Picture your family, seven generations back and seven generations from now. You will never meet them. You may not know their names. But you do know what you are grateful to them for. And you know, in your heart, what kind of world you want for your grandchildren’s children, and beyond.
According to teachings held by many Indigenous communities, you are responsible to both: honouring what your ancestors gave you and preparing the way for the generations ahead.
Seven Generations?
I didn’t grow up with that idea. I learned it through exploring, reading and talking to Will Power’s Indigenous-led charity partners and other experts.
There are hundreds of distinct Indigenous cultures, languages and systems of governance. Each have their own teachings and traditions. One you may have heard of is the Seven Generations philosophy, rooted in Haudenosaunee teachings.
“The Seventh-Generation Principle is based on an ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) philosophy,” explains Bob Joseph, founder of Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. “It teaches that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future.” Bob, who is a hereditary Chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation, part of the Kwakwaka’wakw2, traces it to The Great Law of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
None of us Got Here Alone
If we think seven generations backward, we recognize that none of us built what we have on our own. Our ancestors worked hard to create the opportunities we now enjoy. We grew up in communities they built, went to schools they paid for, drive on roads they built.
Some of what we inherited came at a cost others paid: the land most of us live on was taken from Indigenous nations. And in the same country where most of us can turn on a tap without a second thought, many First Nations communities still don’t have clean water coming out of theirs.
For Elder Aimee Bailey, a Knowledge Keeper from the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and Founding Spokesperson for the Circle of Turtle Lodge, looking back seven generations means confronting what her ancestors lost. Looking forward means imagining something different for their descendants:
“Our territory was ‘discovered’ by Champlain in 1613, making it the most affected by colonization in Canada. Yet we have no treaty. Our land was simply given away to settlers from Europe, displacing the seventh generation of our ancestors on to a tiny patch that was useless for farming. Our descendants strive for a more balanced future where we live in harmony with those living on our land.”
None of that is comfortable to sit with. It’s also true. And it’s the starting point for something I’ve been thinking about: reciprocity.
Potlatch and Ningiqtuq and Reciprocity
Reciprocity is a loaded word. It shows up in heavy conversations. What has grabbed my attention recently is the connection between generosity and reciprocity.
The Kw’umut Lelum Foundation says that Coast Salish Elders and Knowledge Holders teach that “to give is to reciprocate our abilities and resources. [It fulfils] our collective responsibility to ensure a mutually benefiting existence.”
In my experience, giving is often treated like an act of kindness, something optional we do when we feel moved to help.. Reciprocity isn’t that. It treats giving as a responsibility we all share.
Among Coastal First Nations, the potlatch is a ceremony built on that idea. The person who has the most is expected to give the most. Wealth that isn’t shared isn’t wealth. It’s just clutter.
In Inuit communities, there’s a word for something similar: ningiqtuq. It describes sharing food and resources across a community, so that what one hunter brings home feeds many. Nobody keeps score. Everybody eats.
This is your invitation to use these teachings to reframe your thinking.
Think about what sustained you or got you to where you are now -a person, a place, a program, a piece of land. And think forward about who or what you want to help long after you’re gone.
Today’s decisions about what we do with the wealth we have accumulated ripple forward seven generations.
What Counts as Wealth?
We tend to think of wealth as something to build up: for ourselves, for our family, maybe for status. But Indigenous principles have made me think that the act of sharing with others is, in itself, a form of wealth.
Chief John Elliott, Chair of the Kw’umut Lelum Foundation, describes it this way: “Having the agency to change our lives and support our communities, based on our knowledge, experiences, and understanding of our interconnectedness to each other and the land, is the only way we can build social and economic prosperity.”
From Generosity to Duty
Indigenous teachings, especially the Seven Generations principle, treat giving back as a duty. It’s not guilt, and it’s not a debt you’re settling. It’s an obligation that comes from having received in the first place.
That is where you come in.
Charitable giving is one way to practise reciprocity. For a lot of people, it’s already tied to something deep: honouring ancestors, living out your community’s values, acting on your faith, or simply being who you are. You want to help the causes you care about. You want to leave something meaningful behind, and set an example for your kids and their grandkids.
What’s Your Will Got to Do With it?
Most Canadians already have a way to demonstrate reciprocity just sitting in a drawer: a Will.
What often surprises people is that it doesn’t have to be only a family document. There’s room in it to send something to the causes and communities that made your life possible and will sustain what you value for future generations.
RAVEN, an organization funding Indigenous-led legal action to protect land and water, puts it this way: “Generational Giving is an act of care rooted in the understanding that what we leave behind will nourish futures we may never see. It’s more than a financial gift, it’s an opportunity to choose how your values continue to make an impact for years to come”
Charitable giving through your Will can be an easy way to contribute, even if you don’t have much to give right now. It’s not just a donation; it’s a signal of values to the people who come after you. It’s a letter to your loved ones that says: “I’m passing on what I built, you’re receiving it, and part of it will go toward helping others, too.”
Naming a charity in your Will
Everything you need to know.
A Movement, Not a Moment
On September 30, Canada marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. For me, Reciprocity and Reconciliation are related.
Reconciliation, according to The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation isn’t a single moment, it’s a movement, carried forward by everyone willing to listen, learn, and act.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 2015 final report put it in practical terms, too: real reconciliation takes awareness of the past, acknowledgement of harm, atonement, and a change in behaviour going forward.
What Will You Change?
You don’t need to be wealthy to give through your Will. And you don’t need to choose between your family and a cause you care about. Even a small percentage of an estate, added alongside gifts to the people you love, can make a real difference. Most Wills already list more than one beneficiary. A charity can simply be one more name on that list.
Whatever cause moves you, practising reciprocity through your Will can be simple: pick something you care about, decide what amount feels right, and revisit it as life changes.
Where This Leaves You and What You Leave
Reciprocity isn’t only about specific causes. It’s about who we are to each other.
“We are all people in nature. In our natural state, regardless of race, wealth or status, we are all equally human, ” says Kevin Loring, Artistic Director of Savage Society.
I didn’t grow up with a seven-generations way of thinking about what I’m responsible for. I’m learning it now, the way a lot of us are – by paying attention to people who never stopped honouring what came before, and preparing the way for what comes next.
A gift in your Will is one of the clearest ways I know to act on both.
Do I need to be wealthy to leave a gift to charity in my Will?
No. Most gifts left in Wills are a percentage of an estate, not a fixed amount, so they scale to whatever you have. There’s no minimum.
Can I support a cause I care about and still leave everything I planned to my family?
Yes. A gift to charity doesn’t come out of what you leave your family. It’s simply one more beneficiary alongside the people you love, for whatever share you choose.
How can I tell if an organization is Indigenous-led?
Look for Indigenous leadership at every level of decision-making, not just an organization that serves Indigenous communities. The Circle on Philanthropy’s I4DM framework is a good reference for understanding that distinction.
And Indigenous-led work isn’t only for Indigenous communities: these organizations lead on issues like climate solutions, health and wellness, youth programs, and preserving language and culture, work that benefits everyone. You can explore Will Power’s Indigenous-led partners on our website.
I already have a Will. How do I add a charity to it?
You don’t need to rewrite the whole thing. Just tell your lawyer, or notary if you live in Quebec, that you want to add a charity to your Will. They can take care of adding it in. You can amend your Will at any time, it’s as simple as letting your intentions be known to whoever drafted your documents.
1. There is no single Indigenous worldview. These ideas reflect shared themes found across many distinct Nations, cultures and teachings.
2. “What is the Seventh Generation Principle?” by Bob Joseph, May 30, 2020 https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/seventh-generation-principle
Topic: Why Leave a Gift
