According to the stories handed
down through generations by the Ojibwe
people, their home long ago, was " on the
shores of the great salt water, toward the rising sun"
that is on the Atlantic Ocean. Indeed, they share their
language with many Native people who live in the Northeast U.S. and Canada and their westward migration predates European settlement and is a central part of their story. Ojibwe means puckered which many people believe refers to their moccasins. The Ojibwe call themselves the Anishinaabe or the first people. They sometimes use this word to refer to all Indian people. This video was made by a neighbor of ours from Bois Forte. She describes what it means to her to be
Anishinaabe
The Clan System for many Indigenous
cultures was a traditional form of governance
for the people. Every clan had their own roles and
purpose that pertained to the greater good of the
entire community. Within the Ojibwe Clan System each
clan had not only their own purpose, but the members of
that clan was said to have certain personality traits to
assist with upholding the clan structure. You may ask,
"What if a person within a certain clan portrayed personality
traits of another clan?" There was also a place within each
clan for members to be representatives of other clans. In
this way every person, role and personality was honored,
respected and had a place that was fitting for the
individual. For the Ojibwe people every clan had
representation at community gatherings and within
vital decision making.
Go north in winter. On the northern white plain,
you will come to understand how life moves from one
world to the next. Look to bear-Makwa- to model
Courage.
You are older now. Your hair is white. You are in the winter of your life. You have learned much. You understand to always act on what is right for you and your family. To do what is right is not easy. It takes courage. It takes courage to heal that which is not right within you before being reborn. Become a healer. Become Makwa.
Just as courage sleeps in Makwa through long winter months, it is dormant within you. It needs only to be awakened. Observe Makwa fight when her young are threatened. She will not stop until she
overcomes any and all threats. In your life, you will need
courage to transfom fears that might prevent you from living
a good life. Makwa shows you how to face danger.
The Ojibwe tell a story about how the first people came about as a result of a great flood and the cooperation between the first man, Anishinabe or Nanapush, and the animals.
Things to know
about the North/Winter-
Biboon/ Elders/ Courage
We will be learning about the
7 Sacred Teachings of the Ojibwe. These
teachings were passed down to the Ojibwe
people as guidelines on how to live in balance.
They were given to the people during a difficult time
in order that they should remember how to live a good life. They correspond with the Seven Directions- North, East, South, West, Above, Below, and Within. They are:
To cherish knowledge is to know Wisdom
To know Love is to know peace
To honor all of creation is to have Respect
Bravery is to face the foe with integrity
Honesty is facing a situation with bravery
Humility is to know yourself as a sacred part of
Creation
Truth is to know all of these things
We begin our journey in the Spring, in the
east. East is where all life begins and yellow best
represents the first teaching: Humility.
Every day, the beauty and power of creation are ignited in
the east. Are you not humbled by the strength and brillance
of the rising sun? Can you not sense that something much stronger than you is out there? Accept how small and insignificant you are. For the betterment of yourself and all creation, strive to be humble. Look to Wolf- Ma'iingan- for humility. Observe how Ma'iingan does not live for himself but for the pack. Watch him bow his head in the presence of others. He does this out of deference, not fright. Ma'iingan understands what a small part of the whole he plays. His ultimate punishment is to be cast away from his community. Learn this type of humility. Learn to not be arrogant. Do not think too highly of yourself. Do not want for yourself. Become humble. Become Ma'iingan. Ojibwe people have a special relationship with wolves. In their stories the wolf first taught Ojibwe
people how to hunt and how not to waste. The wolves and
the people since then were always respected allies. This
is why Ojibwe people do not hunt wolves, and why
hunting wolves is illlegal on Ojibwe reservations in
Minnesota.
Meet the Ojibwe
People: Ojibwe
Anishinaabeg
Truth is to know all of these teachings.
Look down toward the green earth.
Everything comes from Mother Earth.
Everything returns to her. Truth lies in spirit. Pray
every day, and when you can, pray under a tree at
sunrise if possible. Ask for yourself only when there is no
other recourse, and give thanks always. Give thanks with
Tobacco. When you are thankful, good will come to you and
those you love. Mother Earth was created on the back of
Turtle- Miskwaadesii. Look to Miskwaadesii to understand
truth. Look for Miskwaadesii for one whose existence is
strong and stable. Slow-moving Miskwaadesii understands
as you should, that the journey of life is as important as
the destination.
You have travelled the way of the
Medicine Wheel. Now look up into the blue
of Grandfather Sky for Wisdom. To live your life
based on your unique gifts is to live wisely.
You are not the same as your neighbor. You were
created special. You are one of a kind. So is your
neighbor. So are the tree and the flower. You need
only to look to see it is so. Do not ask questions.
Watch and listen. Notice what is going on around you. Observe your life and the lives of others. By watching
and listening you can learn everything you need to
know. Knowledge can be learned but wisdom must
be lived. Live and learn.
Look within yourself for Love. Love
yourself, and then love others. You cannot
love another until you first love yourself. You
must understand and live the other six Teachings
before you can love. Love is worth working for. Love is
worth waiting for. Love is the key to life. There is no short
cut to achieving the state of love and you cannot know love unless you are courageous. You cannot know love unless you are honest. Love is based on the wisdom to understand one's self and the humility to accept weaknesses as well as being proud of one's strengths. Love has as its very core the other Teachings. This is why I give it you last.
Central to the Ojibwe experience is the
great migration when Ojibwe people left their
homes on the Atlantic Coast and travelled to the Great
Lakes area. They left because seven prophets told the
people that they needed to journey to where the food grew on
water. The prophets warned the people of hard times to come,
times of great hunger and suffering, but told them that migrating
would be the only way to save the people. This turns out to have
been true, as many of the Native peoples of the east coast were
the first to be affected by disease and violence from the European
settlers. The Ojibwe people's migration took several generations
during which their group split into several different nations. The prophets had told the people that they would stop seven times, and would
recieve visions that would direct them. They did stop seven times for
long periods before finally reaching their destination in the
Fond du Lac area, where food grows on water in the form of the
sacred wild rice, fulfilling one of the prophecies.
http://www.ojibwe.org/home/episode1.html
Come summer, travel south where the sun
is at it's highest.There learn honesty. The sun is
hot and you are in your youth. This is the midday of
your journey. Now is the time for you to be honest with
yourself; see and accept yourself for who you are. Then
and only then, might you accept others for who they are. Be honest with yourself as others. When you speak, speak truthfully. Raven understands honesty. Raven accepts himself and knows how to use his gifts. He does not seek power, speed, or beauty of others. He uses what he has been given to survive and thrive. So must you. To want more than you have been given is to suggest that Creator has not given you enough. You have enough.
In the Fall, travel West. The sun sets in
the west as Turtle Island becomes black. Look
to Buffalo- Bashkode-bizhiki- for one who models
Respect and honor him. That Bashode-bizhiki offers
himself to sustain you does not make his life any less
than yours. It makes it more. Not long ago countless Bashkode-bizhiki roamed the west. It was said that he would
disappear if he was not respected. Is respect, like Bashkode-bizhiki, disappearing from Turtle Island? Do not waste. Use all things wisely. Never take more than you need and always give away that which you do not use. And treat others as you would have them treat you, respectfully. Learn respect and learn balance. What goes up will come down. What you do for others will be done for you. What you give away will always come
back to you in the One Circle.
Ojibwemowin is the Ojibwe
language. Ojibwemowin was
illegal and suppressed for nearly 200
years. It was kept alive by handfuls of speakers who risked their freedom and endured punishment to keep it part of their cultural practices. Today, there are thousands of proud Ojibwe speakers, and immersion programs in which students learn all their lessons in Ojibwe, as well as schools where Ojibwe language is an important part of the curriculum. It is widely recognized
that for a culture to endure, it's
language must be spoken by its
people.
Wild rice is a native plant to Minnesota. It is in the grass
family like rice, but it is a very distant relative to brown and
white rice. It is considered a sacred food for the Anishinabe people. Wild rice beds are home to many types of fish, amphibians, and waterbirds. Wild rice requires clean water and good water levels to grow. It does get affected by droughts and flooding which is one reason why Anishinabe wild rice harvesters have worked to preserve the health of the waters that manoomin is grown in. In this film clip the very respected Anishinabe leader Winona La Duke talks about wild rice and the domesticated paddy rice which is often sold as wild rice.
Children are the center of
Ojibwe culture. They are incredibly
and deeply valued. Children are
thought to be a gift to the families that are
entrusted to guide them.