--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are a part of everything that is…" description: "\"We are a part of everything that is beneath us, above us, and around us. Our past is our present, our present is our future, and our future is seven ge..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/winona-laduke-9240_environmental_we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-bene_1630187.png" --- # We are a part of everything that is beneath us, above us… ![“We are a part of everything that is beneath us, above us, and around us. Our past is our present, our present is our future, and our future is seven generations past and present.” quote by Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/winona-laduke-9240_environmental_we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-bene_1630187.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/winona-laduke-9240_environmental_we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-bene_1630187.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/winona-laduke-9240_environmental_we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-bene_1630187.png) > “We are a part of everything that is beneath us, above us, and around us. Our past is our present, our present is our future, and our future is seven generations past and present.” [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Everything is interconnected across time and space, linking past, present, and future generations. **In simple terms:** All things are linked across time. Key Takeaway Recognize and honor intergenerational connections. Themes interdependence environment generations Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - community planning - environmental activism - family traditions - policy making Key Concepts Ecology systems thinking ancestry Questions to Reflect On - How does your daily life reflect past influences? - What responsibilities do you feel toward future generations? A Different Perspective Neglecting past lessons can repeat mistakes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Environmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Our future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-future/) [Our past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-past/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past and present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-and-present/) [Past present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-present/) [Stewardship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stewardship/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilma-mankiller/in-iroquois-society-leaders-are-encouraged-to-remember-seven/) [Wilma Mankiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilma-mankiller/) > [One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/one-of-the-most-tragic-things-i-know-about-human-nature-is-that-all-2/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Concentrate the mind on the present moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/concentrate-the-mind-on-the-present-moment/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“Don’t bring the past into the present and don’t project the present into the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-burgunder/don-t-bring-the-past-into-the-present-and-don-t-project-the-present/) [Brittany Burgunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-burgunder/) > [Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat the eleventh grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/those-who-don-t-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-the/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time. The best thing about the future is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-acheson/the-best-thing-about-the-future-is-that-it-comes-only-one-day-at-a/) [Dean Acheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-acheson/) > [I am quite sure, that if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-am-quite-sure-that-if-we-open-a-quarrel-between-the-past-and-the/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [He who controls the past controls the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/he-who-controls-the-past-controls-the-future/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [We do not need to plan or devise a "world of the future"; if we take care of the world of the present, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/we-do-not-need-to-plan-or-devise-a-world-of-the-future-if-we-take-2/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“We do not need to plan or devise a "world of the future"; if we take care of the world of the present, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/we-do-not-need-to-plan-or-devise-a-world-of-the-future-if-we-take/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [There's a Dar Williams song about 'houses that are haunted, with the kids who lie awake and think about other generations past who used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-courtney-sullivan/there-s-a-dar-williams-song-about-houses-that-are-haunted-with-the/) [J. Courtney Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-courtney-sullivan/) > [“The Earth is not an inheritance received from our ancestors, nor a possession secured by ownership. It is a sacred trust held briefly within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shree-shambav/the-earth-is-not-an-inheritance-received-from-our-ancestors-nor-a/) [Shree Shambav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shree-shambav/) > [We of Macedon for generations past have been trained in the hard school of danger and war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have-been-trained-in-the-hard/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“You hold the collective story of all women in your body. The muscle memory of generations past. This is your legacy, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-hold-the-collective-story-of-all-women-in-your-body-the-muscle/) [Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/) > [Every one expects to go further than his father went; every one expects to be better than he was born and every generation has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/every-one-expects-to-go-further-than-his-father-went-every-one/) [William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/) ## More by Winona LaDuke > [I'm Harvard-educated; I'm an economist by training. I'm an author, a journalist, as well as being active in community development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/i-m-harvard-educated-i-m-an-economist-by-training-i-m-an-author-a/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [What our Seventh Generation will have is a consequence of our actions today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/what-our-seventh-generation-will-have-is-a-consequence-of-our-actions/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [I used to go to some Harvard parties with my athlete friends, and they would introduce me as 'Winona, the Indian activist.' It made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/i-used-to-go-to-some-harvard-parties-with-my-athlete-friends-and-they/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [The reality is, is that the military is full of native nomenclature. That's what we would call it. You've got Black Hawk helicopters, Apache…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/the-reality-is-is-that-the-military-is-full-of-native-nomenclature/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [Now that I think about it, I was arrested in 1992. Some people may think of that as a bad thing, but I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/now-that-i-think-about-it-i-was-arrested-in-1992-some-people-may/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [In the time of the sacred sites and the crashing of ecosystems and worlds, it may be worth not making a commodity out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/in-the-time-of-the-sacred-sites-and-the-crashing-of-ecosystems-and/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [The military is the largest polluter in the country, and so you have a lot of military waste contaminating reservations - as, for example,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/the-military-is-the-largest-polluter-in-the-country-and-so-you-have-a/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [The essence of the problem is about consumption, recognizing that a society that consumes one-third of the world's resources is unsustainable. This level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/the-essence-of-the-problem-is-about-consumption-recognizing-that-a/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [The reality is that the founding fathers were land speculators. The fact was that you couldn't vote in this country if you did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/the-reality-is-that-the-founding-fathers-were-land-speculators-the/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [“The question of socialism or communism or capitalism or between the left and right – I think the important question is between the industrial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/the-question-of-socialism-or-communism-or-capitalism-or-between-the/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [The first thing I am is a person. I am a woman. And I am part of a nation, the Indian nation. But people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/the-first-thing-i-am-is-a-person-i-am-a-woman-and-i-am-part-of-a/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [Food for us comes from our relatives, whether they have wings or fins or roots. That is how we consider food. Food has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/food-for-us-comes-from-our-relatives-whether-they-have-wings-or-fins/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [Mother Earth needs us to keep our covenant. We will do this in courts, we will do this on our radio station, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/mother-earth-needs-us-to-keep-our-covenant-we-will-do-this-in-courts/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [I think of some of my friends who have passed to the spirit world but are who here with me when I go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/i-think-of-some-of-my-friends-who-have-passed-to-the-spirit-world-but/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [If we moved from industrialized agriculture to re-localized organic agriculture, we could sequester about one quarter of the carbon moving into the air and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/if-we-moved-from-industrialized-agriculture-to-re-localized-organic/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) [Explore all 74 Winona LaDuke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) ## More Environmental quotes > [I don't own designer clothes, or a sports car, or a huge house, but I am seeing the world, experiencing amazing things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/i-don-t-own-designer-clothes-or-a-sports-car-or-a-huge-house-but-i-am/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [A social impact bond is a new way of bringing financing into social and environmental support issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-rodin/a-social-impact-bond-is-a-new-way-of-bringing-financing-into-social/) [Judith Rodin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-rodin/) > [The trees reflected in the river - they are unconscious of a spiritual world so near to them. So are we.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/the-trees-reflected-in-the-river-they-are-unconscious-of-a-spiritual/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [I've developed a huge regard for Toyota for its environmental awareness, for its immense commitment to research and development in this field, and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-ve-developed-a-huge-regard-for-toyota-for-its-environmental/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [Canada is the worst polluter in the world right now. There's absolutely no sign on a federal level that there's going to be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-pallett/canada-is-the-worst-polluter-in-the-world-right-now-there-s/) [Owen Pallett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-pallett/) > [Smog is affecting larger parts of China, and environmental pollution has become a major problem, which is natures red-light warning against the model of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-keqiang/smog-is-affecting-larger-parts-of-china-and-environmental-pollution/) [Li Keqiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-keqiang/) > [It is important to allow a broad debate on energy and climate. We must urgently explore realistic ways to address the different scientific, technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-bengtsson/it-is-important-to-allow-a-broad-debate-on-energy-and-climate-we-must/) Lennart Bengtsson > [The global industrial economy is the engine for massive environmental degradation and massive human (and nonhuman) impoverishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/the-global-industrial-economy-is-the-engine-for-massive-environmental/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [The government should set a goal for a clean environment but not mandate how that goal should be implemented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dixie-lee-ray/the-government-should-set-a-goal-for-a-clean-environment-but-not/) [Dixie Lee Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dixie-lee-ray/) > [While cares will drop off like autumn leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/while-cares-will-drop-off-like-autumn-leaves/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Be Thou praised, my Lord, of our Sister Mother Earth, which sustains and hath us in rule, and produces divers fruits with coloured flowers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-of-assisi/be-thou-praised-my-lord-of-our-sister-mother-earth-which-sustains-and/) [Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-of-assisi/) > [“There is no one as hypocritical as a man who massacred a tree in one place and cooled in the shadow of a tree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/there-is-no-one-as-hypocritical-as-a-man-who-massacred-a-tree-in-one/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) [Browse all 2,423 Environmental quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are a part of everything that is beneath us, above us, and around us. Our past is our present, our present is our future, and our future is seven generations past and present.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Winona LaDuke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-beneath-us-above-us-and-around-us/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Environmental" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-beneath-us-above-us-and-around-us/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/winona-laduke-9240_environmental_we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-bene_1630187.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/winona-laduke-9240_environmental_we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-bene_1630187.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1c/winona-laduke-9240_environmental_we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-bene_1630187.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are a part of everything that is beneath us, above us, and around us. Our past is our present, our…” — Winona LaDuke", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Winona LaDuke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are a part of everything...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-beneath-us-above-us-and-around-us/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-beneath-us-above-us-and-around-us/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```