If you really want to know the culture, the history, the spirituality, the ethics, the philosophy, it's all in the language.

And what I think is so ingenious about this is that human beings are hardwired to speak.

So we will put the teachings in an environment, in a medium that everyone has access to,

and that maybe you reach a point in your life where you're asking, well, what is it to really love someone?

What is it to be intelligent or to have strength apart and courage?

And you could look into the word itself.

And for me, when I began understanding that, it felt almost like I could hear the ancestor speaking to me, that I could hear their voice, that we too have had these experiences and we would like to pass them to you.

So have you ever wondered what ancient wisdom might be hidden in plain sight?

What if the key to living a good life was right in front of us?

Encoded in the languages and stories of ancient cultures that we largely ignore in the name of trying to find the next

hack or technology or platform supplement or intervention.

Well my guest today, James Vuklich, Kagegabbo, a descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of

Ojibwe, has dedicated over 20 years to studying, preserving, and sharing the indigenous

wisdom embedded in the Ojibwe language.

And James's journey is a really inspiring one after being largely estranged from the Ojibwe language stories and wisdom of his heritage

until his mid-20s. This seemingly inconsequential decision led him back to immerse himself

not only in the language, but in the rich cultural treasures and deep wisdom hidden within it.

And that quest led him to work on the Ojibwe Language Dictionary Project,

recording and translating wisdom from Ojibwe elders and fluent speakers across North America and over time,

uncovering, archiving, and sharing unconventional, yet deeply resonant and powerful insights about what it truly takes to live a good life.

And in his fascinating new book, The Seven Generations and the Seven Grandfather Teachings,

James reveals how the Ojibwe notions of truth, humility, respect, love, courage, honesty, and wisdom

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