This space is dedicated to honor the work of Paula Underwood, Turtle Woman Singing, Keeper of a 10,0000-year-old Oneida oral history. Who took the task upon herself to put into writing the ten-thousand-year old wisdom tradition that was passed to her by her ancestors. We are honored to introduce you to her ‘dances of words on paper’. Learn more about Paula's ancestors here.

Paula Underwood, Turtle Woman Singing.
Keeper of a ten thousand year Old Wisdom Tradition

‘What can we learn from this?’

That is the ever-returning question travelers in the work of Paula Underwood find. In the
Walking People, a Native American oral history, it comes back in many parts of that beautiful song. She shares the stories from her people's ten thousand-year journey from the Bering Strait to the Great Lakes in the US.

We are a Learning People.

What we honor deeply in the words Paula Underwood left for Listening Ears is the gift of the Learning Way.

Paula Underwood dedicated almost all her life to share this wisdom in such a
way that we, westerners, can hear it.
The Learning Way is a complete circle of knowledge that show us how we, living in our here and now, can learn to walk wisely towards a world that works for all.

How we can walk through chaos, like the Walking People have done for countless generations.

Learning, in the tradition Paula shares about, is key.

In Paula’s words:

The Learning Way is the pedagogy of the People, It is like training in the use of information analysis and storage systems. User friendly or not.

It is like the finger exercises which enable us to play more and more beautiful music on any piano we find.

My ancestors slowly taught themselves how the human system functions – from sensibility to decision. In so doing, they began to see how it was that Many Paths to Understanding were requisite – some more easily open to This One or That. _ Some so closed that the need for alternative paths became excruciatingly clear.

They saw also how these various paths must be woven together into a whole – so that the Whole People may prosper.

For that reason, they slowly crafted over many, many centuries complementary learning paths which – when woven together – gave memory and access – wholeness and utility.

Learning is so valuable, it is sacred.

A life lived in Learning is celebrated.

Community in all this work has a central place.

Community as in the dance between the individual and the group. How to do that wisely? How to do it such a way that they both prosper.

Since 7GL is a Learning Community, we cherish Paula’s words on community.

We learn together.

Community is vital. The dance between the individual and the group. How to do that wisely? How to do it such a way that they both prosper. That all beings may prosper. As a Learning Community, we cherish Paula's words on community.

Since the Circle represents any Whole – a whole cell in your body, your heart, you as a person, your community San Francisco, the Bay Area, the United States, North America, Earth herself, Universe – we may be focusing on any these levels. We are working at all these levels. And all at the same time..

Therefore, when I decide what’s good for me, what I prefer – my very next step, maybe my simultaneous step, needs to be thinking about what’s also good for you too, since we are working together here.

If you are a member of my Community – at any of these levels – and if I ignore your well-being, what have I done to my Community? And if I have harmed my Community, what have I done to myself? In my tradition the idea is – if I’m not considering
what’s good for you – I’ve already dropped the ball. We need to consider what’s good for me but also what’s good for you .. for each of us and for all of us together.

Celebrating being a Learning Community

Here are some words from The Walking people, a Native American Oral History. Celebrating learning.

SNOW ON TOP
Gazed at the bright distant reflections
On the water that lay beyond
And echoes of the gleaming water
Appeared in her own eyes
Which few were close enough to see.
‘Look beyond.’
--she mentioned –
‘For such is our destination—
And beyond even that
May lay our home.
‘Before we rise and descend this hill—
Thus losing sight
Of what we know is there—
‘I would speak to you my children
About the nature of our path.’
AND ALL KNEW
That she spoke as Mother
She spoke with Wisdom
For surely
She was Mother to the Spirit of the People
For surely
She was Mother to their Chosen Path
For how many more
Might lie still against the Earth
For want of her Wisdom.
AND SNOW ON TOP SPOKE--
‘YOU HAVE SEEN HOW IT IS
That we are a Strong People –
One who has walked out
From a thundering Earth
And an Ocean that became sky.
‘YOU HAVE SEEN HOW IT IS
That we are a wise People ‘--
One who learns survival quickly
Against a changing circumstance
‘YOU HAVE SEEN HOW IT IS
That we are an enduring People –
One who continues in the Chosen Purpose
Against great difficulties.
‘YET YOU HAVE SEEN HOW IT IS’
--and she traced in the air
The closing of the circle of her thought –
‘that we are a Young People –
Like small ones
Whose teachers go away
Before they have learned enough
Who quarrel
Over the resolution of this and that.
‘SO
LET US NOW LEARN TO BE A PEOPLE
WHO SEEK THE WISDOM OF ORDERED COUNCIL
LET US REMEMBER
HOW QUICKLY ONE WHO LEADS
MAY BE TAKEN FROM US
LET US UNDERSTAND
THAT WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ONE
MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR MANY
AND IF ALL THIS ESCAPES YOUR MEMEORY
REMEMBER IONLY THIS:
SEEK THE WISDOM OF ORDERED COUNCIL –
HOWEVER MANY
HOWEVER FEW
HOWEVER OLD
HOWEVER YOUNG
SEEK THE WISDOM OF ORDERED COUNCIL

Let even the youngest among us
Sit and be heard.

We aim to honorably share learnings from this tradition.

We invite kindred spirits to join our Learning Community. Paula wrote for all with Listening Ears. And she emphasized that any progress, no matter how small, is valued. As to being a leaner in our Learning Community, we share words from Paula on the topic.

And so it was
That this Wise Council
Began the work that must precede
All efforts towards viable Learning

First it is necessary they saw
To understand the nature of the Learner
And so it was
That they designed a way of enabling Learning
Which listened more often than it spoke.

FOR THEY HAD COME TO UNDERSTAND A GREAT TRUTH…
To enable Learning
One must first apprehend
The nature of the Learner.
AND THEY CAME TO UNDERSTAND ANOTHER GREAT TRUTH
A path towards learning
Which enables any two feet at all
To reach some destination
Must be designed for that pair of feet

AND THEY CAME TO UNDERSTAND ANOTHER GREAT TRUTH …
The one most able to design such a path
Was the Learner himself
Was the Learner herself.

Intrigued by all Paula Underwood has left for Listening Ears?

You may purchase her books directly from her daughter, Laurie Roberts at Tribe of Two Press.

Amongst her books:

The Walking People,
a Native American Oral History

Three Native American Learning Stories
With Information About the Nature of a Learning Story

Three Strand in the Braid: A Guide for Enablers of Learning

The Great Hoop of Life,
Volume 1
A traditional Medicine Wheel for Enabling Learning and for Gathering Wisdom

The Great Hoop of Life
Volume 2
Emotions on the Wheel

with Laurie Spencer Roberts and M.L. Abair

Franklin Listens When I Speak.
My father and the Lima Beans
Clan Mothers in the Twenty-First Century
Peace on Earth and The Warrior Way

Paula Underwood Online.

The Learning People
Was developed by Paula's learning circle to share many elements of her story. It's a Sacred Place Online. A place that allows wandering around The Walking People. ‘Let us be known as a Walking people and a Learning People’.

Past is Prologue
An educational program for young listeners around the Three Learning Stories

Listen to Paula Underwood voice on Audible

Paula Underwood recorded The Walking People (the 10,000 year old oral history) and her three Learning Stories. Listening to the words in her own voice is a gift!