Principles Heritage of Wisdom First Nations People live closest to the source of traditional cultures. They pass on the precious accumulated legacy of human experience, established over thousands of generations of learning and sacrifice. First Nations People endure on all the continents of the world, sometimes in their indigenous villages, sometimes interleaved with the non-traditional world. The First Nations are guardians of a rich depth of wisdom that has been challenged in the past five centuries by industrial culture. Affirming this common birthright is vital to the survival of the First Nations. It is also vital to those who struggle for human dignity within industrial culture, which has lost touch with its roots, with the earth, and with its vision. The elders, wise men and women, artists, healers, shamans, poets, teachers, visionaries, musicians and dancers of the First Nations keep this flame alive. They hold an essential key to the future of humanity, and to life on our planet.