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.jpg "Top image Anishinaabe & Haudenosaunee clan rings & clan jewelry")
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"He Whose Footprints Sink Deep into Our Hearts"
== A story about Bear, Bringer of Dreams and Medicine ==
Manidoo-giizisoons (Moon of the Little Spirit; December 11), 2018
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"The Ojibways have
great respect for the Bear. According to their legends, in the distant past the
Bear had a human form and was in fact an ancestor of the Ojibways. Therefore he
understands the Indian language and will never attack or fight any Indian if he
is addressed properly."
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Gibwanasii meets Gichi-bagwaanishikwe
“After Gibwanasii (the
Winter Hawk) had painted his adventures and visions on the cliffs of the inland
lake, he and his companions walked into the direction of the steep wajiw
(mountain) that still bathed in the light of the sign that stood patiently in
the sky straight above its top. They walked in a single file down a narrow
path that, meandering through shrubs of miinagaawanzhiig (blueberries),
led toward the east side of the mountain. Then, as they walked around a
bend, oonyooy! suddenly, a big shadow cast over the path made the
travelers stop in their tracks. A huge noozhek (she-bear), her strangely
colored pelt covered with a multitude of mide-miigisag (sacred white sea
shells) stood towering over them!
Gibwanasii, who walked
in front, realizing the bear was no ordinary bear, asemaa in hand,
respectfully addressed the fearful creature that blocked the path as nooko
("my grandmother"). He explained to her that he and his friends came
in peace and did mean no harm. After Gibwanasii had handed her the gift of
tobacco and related to her the purpose of their visit, the Makwa Manidoo
explained to him that the mountain they were about to climb was a midewigaan
(Spirit Lodge) and that it was her task to guard it.
Then the bear spoke:
“Nindinawendaagan,
noozis, bizindoshin
My relative, my
grandchild, listen to what I have to say.
Since we of the bear
nation came from the sun
To teach anishinaabeg (humans)
to live in harmony with aki, the Mother Earth,
Since it was a bear
who from the bowels of aki
Delivered the gift of
life, including the sacred miigisag,
To the anishinaabeg
through the layers of the four worlds
And under a vast body of
water to an island the shape of a shell,
Since our people and
your people are inawendaaganag (interrelated)
And peacefully cohabit
the same world,
Since bear people
possess the skill of hibernation
And arise again when
spring comes,
Thus embodying death
of the old life
And resurrection into
the new life,
Since we guide your medicine
people in your travels
Between the upper,
middle and lower worlds,
Since it us who
preside over the medicine plants
And hereby gave your
healers
The power to enter the
dream world
The power to guide
your visions
In order to obtain,
through mishiginebig, the great horned serpent,
Powerful medicine to
cure the sick of body and mind;
Because of all this,
noozis
I’ve come to
understand that
Your people honor us
by calling us
Anishninaabeg (humans)
and address us
As nooko (my
grandmother) or nimishoo (my grandfather)
And by incarnating us
in your aadizookaanan (stories) and midewii'iwewinan (rituals),
And by making us the
leading doodem of your people
Entrusting us with the
noble tasks of Defence and Healing,
And by appointing us
as guardians
Of the east doorway of
your Medicine Lodges,
And as protectors of
the healing medicines
And sacred rituals of
your medicine men and women,
And by tying
bright-colored cloth and ribbons
To the trees in the
forests and on the mountains,
And by making food and
asemaa offerings
As gifts in our honor.
I’ve also come to
understand, noozis, that
Throughout the ages
and generations
Your people have
danced and sung mystic songs
To invite the spring
and heal the sick,
To ensure abundant
plant foods,
And to guard
yourselves against your enemies.
Haw dash bizindoshin
noozis
Now listen to me my
grandson!
Since the bear people
are the progenitors of anishinaabeg
And long ago even had
a human form,
I therefore will not
fight you and your friends
Nor will I use my bad
medicine on you.
I will grant you safe
passage instead
And bless you with
these sacred shells.”
Hereupon the Bear Spirit
gifted Gibwanasii with a few handfuls of miigisag from her
pelt, which he knew symbolized the sun and long life and the virtue of
selflessness. After Gibwanasii had thanked the bear and traded the glossy sea shells with one of the round shiny stones from Kikonaang that he carried in his
medicine bundle (and that had become symbols of his quest), he and his
companions (who were still a bit shaky and counting their blessings) walked the
last stretch to the foot of the spirit lodge mountain. Gibwanasii, still
impressed by the encounter with the friendly bear spirit, looked over his shoulder
one last time, and he saw to his astonishment that the bear was nowhere to be
seen! Then he noticed a small stooping figure in the bush that seemed to be
picking blueberries; when he looked closer hoowah! he realized this
person was a gichi-bagwaanishikwe, an old Ojibwe grandmother, dressed in
poor rags that were, however, richly decorated with miigisag! He
smiled...”
-
Excerpt from Giibwanasi and Thunder Eagle Woman: Encounter with a Bear Spirit.
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Boozhoo, biindigen miinawaa, hello, welcome again!
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| Miskwaabik Animikii, untitled acrylic on animal hide, Spirit of Copper Thunderbird, 1979 |
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Boozhoo, biindigen miinawaa, hello, welcome again!
Welcome back in my Storytelling Lodge where legends and teaching stories are told. This blog story is the 3th in a series titled ‘‘What's Your Doodem,’’ in which I connect my and kindred artists’ storytelling art - in the form of jewelry and illustrations - with stories of, and knowledge about, the odoodemag (clans) of the Anishinaabeg, Ininewuk (Cree), and Ongwe-Honwe (Haudenosaunee
Peoples) of the northern regions of Turtle Island - nowadays called Canada and
the United States.
We will learn that in Anishinaabeg
as well as in, for instance, Ininewuk and Ongwe-Honwe societies
the families, which have an extended nature, are organized into clans, or,
in the case of the Anishinaabeg, into phratries (clan groups) that in
turn are divided into clans and subclans.
The purpose of these phratries and
clans has always been to divide labor and spiritual-ceremonial tasks, provide
general support, and to stress identity of self and the group.
To the Peoples of Turtle Island, a
clan system basically acts as family and marriage regulators and is still today
an essential part of our identity as a People and our
relations with Nations that surround us.
Today’s story is woven around images of some of my jewelry and around several paintings by the late Ojibwe artist Miskwaabik Animikii (better knowns as Norval Morrisseau), one by the late Anishinini painter Carl Ray, and one by my friend, Nakawē Ojibwe artist Simone McLeod. The story will tell us about the meaning and significance of the Bear, both in our
everyday lives and in our teachings – including our sacred star stories. We
will get to know bear, “He Whose Footprints Leave deep Marks in the Earth and
the Sky and in Our Hearts,” as a clan progenitor, an Earth Walker who is a giver and a keeper and
a teacher of plant knowledge, and as a Maker of Magic Stories who dwells in the
Night Sky. Let's start off with a brief introduction of the bear clans
among the Anishinaabeg and Ininewuk Peoples who live around, and far to the
west and north of, the Great Lakes area and also of the bear clans among our
brothers and sisters, the Ongwe-Honwe or Six Nations from the northeastern
Woodland areas of Turtle Island.
The bear is known as Makwa among
the Omàmiwininiwak Anishinaabeg (Algonquin), the Ojibwe/Mizisizaagiwininiwag
and Odaawaag Anishinaabeg, as M’ko among the Bodéwadmig Anishinaabeg,
and as Awaehsaeh among the Mamaceqtaw Anishinaabeg
(Menominee). The Nêhiyawak Ininewuk (Plains Cree), a cousin Nation to the
Anishinaabeg with a similar language, speak of Maskwa when referring
to the bear; the Aniywiya (who are related to to the Ongwe-Honwe) and Este Mvskokvike, both peoples from the Southeastern Woodlands, call the bear
respectively Yona and Nokose.
The Six Nations of the Ongwe-Honwe/Haudenosaunee have various names for the bear and the bear clan: for instance, in Kanien’kehaka (Mohawk) the word for bear and its clan is ohkwá:ri, in Onondowahgoh (Seneca) the word for bear is onyagwai’ and for bear clan is agedzöní’ga, in (Guyohkohnyoh) Cayuga the word for bear is hnyagwai, and in Onundagaono (Onondaga) the word for bear is ohgwá:ih. The Onayotekaono (Oneida) word for bear is ohkwá:li and for bear clan ohkwaliha·ká·, and the Skaruhreh (Tuscarora) word for bear is uhchírę'.
Bear as clan animal among the Haudenosaunee
Among the Haudenosaunee, the People of the Longhouse, each clan is linked by a common female ancestor with
women possessing a leadership role within the clan. These matrilineal clans are
represented by animals of water, land, and sky. The turtle, eel, and beaver
represent the water element, the bear, wolf, and deer represent the land
element, and the snipe, hawk and heron represent the air element. The
Bear Clan people are known as Medicine People, the healers of the Nation. Ongwe-Honwe
tradition has it that the Bear Clan people were given the gift of Medicine by
an elder woman who had the knowledge of all the medicine plants on Earth (see part 1 in the series).
Bear as clan animal among the Anishinaabeg
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| Click on the image to view details of the ring set |
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Not only is the Bear Clan one of the more
numerous clans among the Anishinaabeg, it is also the most numerous of their
warrior clans; among the Ojibweg for instance, nooke doodem forms one-sixth of
the entire nation. To the Odishkwaagamiig (Algonquin), the Ojibweg/ Misizaagiwiniwag
(Ojibwe and Mississaugas), the Oodaawaag (Odawa), the Bodéwadmiik (Potawatomi),
and the Mamaceqtaw (Menominee), the bear is a powerful and respected bawaagan
(grandfather-appearing-in-dreams) who chose the earth walk
as a spiritual leader in order to show the People the way into the dream world
and teach the Medicine People the medicinal use of herbs.
Mangi-waanakozidan,
or the Large Paws clan group of the Ojibweg Peoples, is headed by Makwa, the Bear, who was selected for
his fierceness and bravery and is therefore in charge of defense. Ojibweg Bear
Clan people are the police force, the medics, the historians, and the
legalists of their Nation. In former times they
were the war chiefs and warriors, keepers of the war pipe and the war club, and
the defenders who acted in the rearguard protecting their Nation against
enemies. Nooke Doodem members have always served and protected their
communities and since they possess “Makwa DNA” and traditionally spend much
time outdoors they have great knowledge of medicinal plants and herbs used
for treating minor diseases and infections. It’s also the bear clan
members whose task it is to guard the entrance (on the eastern side of) the
midewigaan, the Lodge of the Midewiwin (more about this later).
As for their
physical appearance, it is common knowledge that Nooke doodem members possess
thick black hair that seldom whitens even in old age.
The colors
of the Ojibwe Nooke Doodem are maroon, black and white, red, and brown. The predominant color, however, is black - after all, makade makwag, black bears, are the most common species in Ojibwe Aki, Ojibwe land. This is why bear clan people traditionally place
black marks on their ceremonial clothing, on the corpses of the deceased, and
on their grave effigies.
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| Miskwaabik Animikii: "Ancient Bear God of the Ojibwa - Half Human and Animal" (acrylic) |
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THE
DEFENDERS AND HEALERS:
Nooke: Bear Clan heads the clans of the Warrior/Defenders clans. They are also known as a Clan of Decision Makers and Healers ("Protectors").
- Makade-makwa (Black Bear)
- Waabi-makwa (Polar bear)
- Misko-makwa (Red bear)
- Ozaawi-makwa (Brown bear)
Among
the Ojibweg and Misizaawininiwag, Nooke, the Bear clan group, at one time used to be so numerous that it was
subdivided into body parts:
Nooke (Bear)
· Makoshtigwaan (Bear-skull)
(Ojibweg)
· Nookezid (Tender-foot)
(Ojibweg)
· Makokon (Bear's
Liver) (Misizaagiwiniwag)
· Miskwaa'aa (Blood)
(Odishkwaagamiig)
· Waabishki-makwa (White Black
bear) (Ojibweg)
· Mishimakwa (Grizzly
Bear) (Ojibweg)
Nowadays
these sub-clans are one single clan. Nooke doodem members, besides defenders
who patrol the woods around the community to watch for danger, are also
looked upon as medics and as respected guardians of Anishinaabetraditions;
historically, many decision makers – often Midewiwin members - and legal
specialists have also emerged from the ranks of the Bear Clan.
Among the Mamaceqtaw (Menominee),
who have 34 clans in total, Awaehsaeh, the Bear, heads the Speakers and Peacekeepers
clan group. This clan group is made up of eight clan animals:
THE
SPEAKERS/PEACEKEEPERS:
- Awaehsaeh (Bear)
- Namaew (Sturgeon)
- Mekēk (Otter)
- Namaeh (Beaver)
- Maehkaenāh (Mud Turtle)
- Ketaemīw (Porcupine)
- Oqsas (Muskrat)
- Nakūtih (Sunfish)
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| Visit the website to view details of this stylized bear paw belt buckle |
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Bear as caretaker
That the Anishinaabeg chose
Makwa the bear to be a symbol of guardianship and motherhood stems from the origin story of the Anishinaabeg, about how a mother bear volunteered to
give her life to the twins whom Giizhigookwe (Sky Woman) had created and
lowered to the Turtle Island/Earth; when the twins nearly died from
malnutrition after Sky Woman’s breasts had dried up, the bear, who took pity on
them, saved their lives by offering solid nourishment in the form of her meat.
And from the time of her sacrifice, when hunters take the life of a bear, it is
customary to pay tribute to its spirit; in the old days, oftentimes its skull would
be placed in a tree above the camp or village so that its spirit continued to
watch over the Anishinaabeg...
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Wii-da aangishkaakawen
Anaamakamig.
(“Your footprints
will fade
As if deep
into the earth.”)
-
Ojibwe Midewiwin song to
the bear
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| "We Follow the Bear Path". Wedding bands by Zhaawano Giizhik. Click on the image to view details. |
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The close relationship between bear and Midewiwin
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| Midewiwin Bear. Untitled acrylic by Miskwaabik Animikii. |
So great are the spiritual and curative powers possessed by the bear, that Mide healers traditionally follow makomiikana (the bear path) in proceeding from a lower to a higher degree in the Midewiwin society (more about this later). We are reminded here once more that Makwa is symbolic of the Anishinaabeg themselves: both bear and humans are known to “walk the bear path” both inside and outside the Lodge.
Bear women, bush doctors, and guardians of the Midewiwin Lodge
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| "Indian Overpowers Bear Spirit," acryliic by Miskwaabik Animikii |
Makwa,
the bear, is from of old the predominant figure in the Midewiwin ceremonies and
rituals and as such acts on all levels of their age-old society. Images and
effigies of Makwa pervade Midewigaan (the Ceremonial Lodge). The midewewe’igan³ or sacred drum traditionally has a bearskin casing. Birchbark song scrolls carry images of the bear and several
ceremonial objects, such as ritual pipes, stone and water carries, and
drumsticks bear the names of, or are shaped like, some of Makwa’s body parts. In
addition, the stakes of the Lodge itself are referred to as “bear legs.”
Makwa’s
body parts are always treated with great respect and serve many practices in
everyday life as well as in a spiritual sense. Bear’s blood is known to cure
osteoporosis, and mako-bimide, bear fat, besides used for healing practices (it
is known to, among other things, cure liver and bile duct diseases) and frying
and seasonig dried meat and serving as skin and hair oil as a defence against
mosquitos, is considered a powerful antidote for wiindiigoog, the cannibalistic
winter monsters that dwell in the north. The bones are traditionally used by
Mideg (Midewiwin practitioners) for sucking rites and its teeth are fashioned
into whistles and charms.
When
a bear is killed, a handful of its blood, which is considered gichi-manidoowan
(possessing great spiritual power) is poured on the ground and some of it is offered
to the four winds. Smoke
is blown into his mouth, and prayers of forgiveness are offered so that ojiichaag (his spirit) will not
be offended and the sanctity and balance of creation is preserved. Brigtly colored cloth and ribbons, food - mostly
blueberries, or a bowl of maple syrup or manoomin (wild rice) -, and asemaa,
tobacco, are always placed nearby. Traditionally, a feast is given after the
kill but never without placing its paws in position on, for instance, a rush mat or, as is customary among northeastern
Ojibwe and Cree communities, attached to a pole.
In
the old days, to ensure mino-bimaadiziwin (long life) and ensure success in
future hunts, it was customary to paint a bear’s head and skull and shoulder
bones and decorate them with ribbons and beadwork, and sometimes baby clothes. Nowadays,
artists working in the Woodland School of Art tradition (“Medicine painters”) and known for their unique, very powerful line drawings, depict
“X-ray forms” inside bears and “power lines” radiating from bears to demonstrate
great personal spirit power and a continuous, omnipresent, and all-pervading cosmic
energy (see below image).
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| “Ojibwa Midawiin Sacred Bear” acrylic by Miskwaabik Animikii (ca. 1960) |
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Among
the Ojibweg, it is Makwa who guards and protects the midewigaan (Mide Lodge) as
wel the madoodison (sweat, or purifcation lodge) – which is where Mide
candidates cleanse their bodies and minds before entering the ceremony inside
the midewigaan. It was a bear who gifted his hide when the very first Ojibwe
madoodison was built; thus, in a symbolic way, his hide served to cover the
Anishinaabeg as a People.
Traditionally,
of all bagwaj-awensiinhyag (the wild land animals), Makwa the beer is perceived
as the most spiritually empowered. The Woodland Peoples, including the Great
Lakes Anishinaabeg, not only harbored feelings of awe and fear for makwag but
also feelings of gratitude – to them, bears were gifts of Gichi-manidoo as they
had many uses for them; it is safe to
say bears were as important to them as the buffalo was to their cousins, the
Nakawe Anishinaabeg and Ininewuk (Cree) of the high plains in the Northwest.
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| Bear Spirit acrylic by Miskwaabik Animikii, 1970 |
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To the Anishinaabeg and Ininewuk, bears are icons of ziigwan the spring season. We have always mirrored ourselves in Makwa's yearly pattern of hibernation, isolation, and emerging with new life as soon as the winter ends. This is why still today certain initiation rituals, puberty rites, and ceremonies of the Midewiwin - one of three Medicine Societies of the Anishinaabeg Peoples - follow his cyclic pattern and invoke the bear's power of renewal. Anishinaabeg (humans) and makwag (bears) are considered identical,or at least nearly-identical; this is demonstrated in many aadizookaan (sacred tales) about humans transforming into bears ad vice versa and, for instance, in the term wemakiwe (“She Is Going to Be a Bear”) which was used to denote a young girl about to start her first menstrual period. And then there is of course Bagwaanishikwe, the “bag lady,” a shapeshifter bear who plays a role in many a tale as a grandmother dressed in rags who is seldom seen – but more often perceived with the ears - and plays tricks on human beings (see the tale “Giibwanasi and Thunder Eagle Woman: Encounter with a Bear Spirit” presented in the beginning of this blog story, in which the protagonist of the story sees a bagwaanishikwe with his eyes).'
Countless tales, ceremonies, songs, and depictions
on birchbark and other items involve bears as “contraries,” embodiments of the
paradoxal nature of life, and as bush doctors and healers who transform and
renew life and thus randomly shapeshift into humans and vice versa. In many
occasions bear is addressed as “Anishinaabe”: a human being. Up until today
bear plays a pivotal role inside and outside the Anishinaabe Medicine Lodges.
Bears as political leaders
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| Miskwaabik Animikii: Bear walker Society (1992) |
Nooke doodem, the bear totemclan, in addition to determining the life’s path and social obligations of the individual who is a clan member, traditionally conveys important meanings for the Anishinaabeg as a whole. The typically impressive physical characteristics and mental capabilities of bear clan members, often explained as being similar to those of bears, provide a powerful framework for Anishinaabe government. Mideg (Midewiwin members) are looked upon as Elders whom others rely on for advice and decision-making concerning the welfare and stability of the entire community. Therefore they have always had a prominent place in Anishinaabe government.
This is why bear clan members, because their doodem is so important socially, traditionally hold important posts in the Mide Lodges.
Historically, when the Ojibwe Anishinaabeg were confronted with the aggressive expansionism of the Haudenosaunee from the east as well as with the European and American military and political powers and settlers encroaching and flooding the borders of Anishinaabe Aki, Mideg of the Bear Clan, because of their exceptional powers and skills, were chosen to represent the Three Fires Confederacy. Midewiwin members were looked upon by their communities as able war leaders who defended the land against the war parties of the Haudenosaunee and as apt political leaders, advisers, and decision makers fit to represent the Confederacy in trade and treaty negotiations with the Zhaaganaashag (British) and Gichi-mookomaanag (Americans). It was Nooke Doodem, along with the doodem of Ajijkaak (Crane) that welcomed the Europeans to Mikinaakomonisin (Turtle Island). Thus, the Mideg, and particularly those of nooke doodem, earned and achieved the kind of status, prestige, and authority that was otherwise only reserved for hereditary ogimaag (chiefs).
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“Earth Mother” by Norval Morrisseau/Miskwaabik Animikii (Acrylic on
kraft board). In this beautiful and powerful
painting, depicting Manidookwe or Mother Earth, the Earth has
the qualities of a woman with bearlike features who is giving and nurturing,
her breasts heavy with milk, her pelvis and fertile vagina opening
stylistically echoing the (possible) contours of a Miigis cowry shell. Since cowry shells are thought
to possess life-giving and healing powers and held responsible for the origin
of the Midewiwin, the artist possibly suggests that Aki (Earth) and Miigis
(Shell) are passageways through which life emerges.
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Bear medicine
Bear Medicine- a power specifically associated with
the spirit of the bear, particularly the ability to heal - is held in very high
regard by the healers of the Midewiwin, and two of the strongest of these
medicines are known as zaasabikwan, also called makomagizh-ojiibik or makonagizhjiibik (bear entrails root, or dogbane), and
baabiimaakwad-jiibikagisin, which
means “bear root, it is found here and there” (spreading dogbane).
The Anishinaabeg know at least three
kinds of plants/roots that bear the name of "bear." The Ojibwe word
for osha root is makwajiibik; the carrion flower, which is a climbing plant
having small white flowers with an odor of carrion, is called makojiibik in our
language. Both mean "bear root."
Makwajiibik (see image) is probably named so because our ancestors observed bears eating osha when they were sick or weak from hibernation in order to renew their energy. Or perhaps someone dreamt of makwa offering the bear root in a vision. The word osha possibly derives from a Zuni Pueblo word meaning "bear." Makwajiibik should not be confused with bebamakojiibik, dogbane (ee below image) , or baabiimaakwad-jiibikagisin (spreading dogbane, literally, "bear root it is found here and there," which are sacred roots among the Ojibweg.
Bebamakojiibik, also named zaasabikwa, makomagizh-ojiibik, and makonagizhjiibik (“bear root” or “bear entrails root” ), is known throughout Anishinaabewaki (Ojibwe territory) as a very strong medicine handed down for many generations in the Midewiwin. The roots of this bear medicine, which are sometimes chewed to ward off evil charms, are mostly used to make decoctions for the treatment of throat trouble, hemorrhages, headaches, convulsions, heart palpitation, earaches, and a baby’s cold. When stored for use, the roots are cut and strung on a cord, which bears a striking resemblance to a necklace of bear claws.
Baabiimaakwad-jiibikagisin, the
spreading dogbane, is often used for throat trouble, and when one has a headache
the root is placed upon live coals and the incense is inhaled. Under the name
of midewijibik (medicine lodge root) baabiimaakwad-jiibikagisin is also known
as one of the sacred roots that is eaten during the medicine lodge ceremony of
the Midewiwin.
Makojiibik, the osha root, is used as mashkiki (medicine) for
laxative, the urinary system. Makwajiibik no doubt has curative
powers as well among the Ojibweg; an Ojibwekwe recently informed me it is a
medicine that helps relieving breathing problems. Another Ojibwekwe told me it
helps with having a strong voice...in other words, good for pow-wow singers...
I also know that many Native Peoples from Turtle Island associate the Osha bear root with protection, healing, and good luck and use it as a ceremonial incense, and I wouldn't be surprised if at least some Anishinaabe mashkikiiwininiwag and mashkikiiikekwikwewag⁴ carry the root around in their biinjigosanan (medicine pouches).
“Ninge, Nimanaaji’enim (“Honoring
my Mother”) , acrylic on canvas 24” x 24” by Simone mcleod/Aki-egwaniizid.
Since time immemorial makwag (bears) are dreamed of as offering to give medicines for the
healing of man. With regard to herb medicine, Makwa is considered by the herb
specialists of the Anishinaabeg as ogimaa
(leader)
of all animals, which means that if someone dreams of a bear he or she was
chosen by the bear to be expert in the use of medicine made from plants and
berries for curing illness. And it is Makwa who guards the eastern door of
the Midewigaan, the
ceremonial lodge of the MIDEWIWIN, as he protects the healing ceremonies and
sacred rituals that are being performed inside the lodge. Midewiwin members, in
order to advance from a lower to a higher degree in their society, follow the
bear path and in doing so, actually temporarily transform into a bear.
The above painting
is a tribute to Simone’s late mother who was a fourth grade member Mide. The
artist says the following about the painting: “My mother
often shared things from her childhood and talked to me about ceremonies
from back home. This began when I was very young and I was ignorant as to what
she meant, at times thinking that she was not of sound mind. When I was late in
my teen years and life was becoming so hard for me to even want to wake in the
mornings, she took me to my first ceremony where her people are from. It was
there that I found out who the grandfathers knew as Aki-egwaniizid (all that
covers the earth). It was there when I realized that I belonged surrounded by
learning and understanding and growing in more ways than I could ever imagine.
She also used to speak of wanting to gather many miigis shells in which to make
a jingle dress. She was a caring woman with many passions and one of those
passions was for teaching. While our paths together were at times full of trial
and error, she gave me so much of herself and I just did not understand until
she passed into the spirit world. The bear skin she wears across her back
represents a beautiful story Zhaawano told me
about a bear who rose out of the water with
miigis shells clinging to his fur. When I heard this story I thought of her and
painted it into the painting. I have learned so much about myself when I took
that Journey to Dawn Land, the most important thing was that she gave me life
and together we walked side by side. I choose to learn from what she taught me
that was done through actions …I do my best now to walk the path she made for
me and will do my best to show my children this path as well.” Click on image.
TO BE CONTINUED...
About me and my sources of inspiration:
My name is Zhaawano Giizhik.
As an American artist and jewelry designer currently living in the Netherlands. I like to draw on the oral and pictorial traditions of my Ojibwe Anishinaabe ancestors from the American Great Lakes area. For this I call on my manidoo-minjimandamowin, or "Spirit Memory"; which means I try to remember the knowledge and the lessons of my ancestors. The MAZINAAJIMOWINAN or ‘‘pictorial spirit writings’’ - which are rich with symbolism and have been painted throughout history on rocks and etched on other sacred items such as copper and slate, birch bark and animal hide - were a form of spiritual as well as educational communication that gave structure and meaning to the cosmos. Many of these sacred pictographs or petroforms – some of which are many, many generations old - hide in sacred locations where the manidoog (spirits) reside, particularly in those mystic places near the coastline where the sky, the earth, the water, the underground and the underwater meet.
As an American artist and jewelry designer currently living in the Netherlands. I like to draw on the oral and pictorial traditions of my Ojibwe Anishinaabe ancestors from the American Great Lakes area. For this I call on my manidoo-minjimandamowin, or "Spirit Memory"; which means I try to remember the knowledge and the lessons of my ancestors. The MAZINAAJIMOWINAN or ‘‘pictorial spirit writings’’ - which are rich with symbolism and have been painted throughout history on rocks and etched on other sacred items such as copper and slate, birch bark and animal hide - were a form of spiritual as well as educational communication that gave structure and meaning to the cosmos. Many of these sacred pictographs or petroforms – some of which are many, many generations old - hide in sacred locations where the manidoog (spirits) reside, particularly in those mystic places near the coastline where the sky, the earth, the water, the underground and the underwater meet.
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