Originally, the prophecies were given by eight prophets in seven different time periods. According to oral tradition, the
Mi'kmaq Nation heard the first Prophet. The remaining seven prophets appeared before and were recorded by the
Anishinaabeg. A prophecy of each of these seven periods were then called a "fire". The teachings of the Seven fires prophecy also state that when the world has been befouled and the waters turned bitter by disrespect, human beings will have two options to choose from,
materialism or
spirituality. If they choose spirituality, they will survive, but if they choose materialism, it will be the end of it.
First In heeding this prophecy, the
Anishinaabe peoples, after receiving guarantees of the safety of their "Fathers" (the
Abenaki peoples) and their "allied brothers" (
Mi'kmaq) of having the Anishinaabeg move inland, away from the Atlantic coast, mass migration of the Anishinaabeg took place, proceeding to the "First Stopping Place" known as
Mooniyaang, known today as
Montreal,
Quebec. There, the Nation found a "turtle-shaped island" marked by
miigis (
cowrie) shells. The Nation grew to a large number and spread up both
Ottawa River and the
St. Lawrence River. The second of the "turtle-shaped island" marked by
miigis shells was at
Niagara Falls.
Second The oral traditions of the members of
Council of Three Fires say that the realization of the Second fire came about the "Third Stopping Place" located somewhere near what now is
Detroit,
Michigan. The Anishinaabeg had divided between those who went up
Ottawa River and those that went up the
St. Lawrence River. After leaving the area about Niagara Falls, this group proceeded to the "Round Lake" (
Lake St. Clair) and found the third "turtle-shaped island" marked by
miigis shells. They continued westward until arriving along the southern shores of
Lake Michigan but by this time, the evidence of the
miigis shells were lost, and the southern Anishinaabeg became "lost" both physically in their journey as well as spiritually in their journey. The southern group of Anishinaabeg disintegrated into what today are the
Ojibwa,
Odawa and the
Potawatomi. The northern group along the Ottawa River divided into
Algonquin,
Nipissing and the
Mississaugas, but they maintained cohesion that was not maintained by the southern group. Eventually, a
Potawatomi girl had a dream and pointed the southern group back towards and past the "Round Lake". The southern group rejoined not as a single Anishinaabe peoplehood but rather as a unified alliance called
Council of Three Fires. Travelling east and north, and then west, the Council crossed a series of small islands known as "the stepping stones" until they arrived onto
Manitoulin island, described as the "Fourth Stopping Place" of the "turtle-shaped island" marked by
miigis shell. There on the island, the Council met up with the
Mississaugas, who then spiritually fully re-aligned the formerly lost southern group with the northern group who were never lost. The
Odawa facilitated the "healing" and the island became synonymous as the "Odawa's Island" in the Anishinaabe language.
Third From the cultural center on Manitoulin Island, the
Ojibwe moved to the area about
Sault Ste. Marie, where there was the next "turtle-shaped island" marked by
miigis shell.
Baawating or "The Rapids" of the
Saint Marys River became the "Fifth Stopping Place" of the Ojibwe. From this spot, the Ojibwe and the rapids became synonymous with each other, with the Ojibwe known by the Dakota peoples as
Iyo-ḣaḣatoŋwaŋ ("cascading-waterfalls people") and later by the French as
Saulteurs ("cascaders") and
Saulteaux ("cascades"). From here, the Ojibwe moved west, dividing into two groups, each travelling along the shores of
Lake Superior, searching for the "land where food grows upon the waters".
Fourth The Fourth fire prophecy was delivered two prophets who came as one. Some speculate that his prophet was a Two-Spirit person but it is not known for certain. The first prophet said, The other prophet said, While at the "Fifth Stopping Place", the light-skinned people in big wooden boats, known as the
French arrived. Consequently, the French were called
Wemitigoozhii ("wooden-boat people"). Though the French Crown was interested in colonialism, as far as the Anishinaabeg were concerned, the French appeared only interested in commerce and trade through
mercantilism. Together with the French, the Anishinaabeg formed trade alliances, which not only extended French colonial powers into the heart of North America, but strengthened the political and military might of the Anishinaabeg. After the French came the
Zhaaganaash ("Off-shore ones") of
Great Britain. But out of the
Zhaaganaash came the
Gichi-mookomaan ("Big-knives")—the
Virginians (i.e.
Americans).
Fifth Sixth Seventh The Seventh Prophet that came to the people long ago was said to be different from the other prophets. This prophet was described as "young and had a strange light in his eyes" and said: == Notes ==