The right of the Seventh Generation is based on an ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) philosophy that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world for our future generations. Decisions that could affect the community would pass by the Chief and council who had the sacred trust and duty to assure the safety of generations to come. Allegedly, in a severe winter the community had asked to cut down parts of the forest to provide heat and this was not permitted, as the trees would provide food and shelter decades beyond. A decision that caused one generation to suffer slightly in order to serve the next.