"Life in the Bosom
of the Earth"
- Updated: Zaagibagaa-giizis (Budding Moon)/Namebine-giizis (Suckerfish Moon), May 16, 2022
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‘‘In the old times, admission to Midewiwin, the Lodge of Those Who Are in a Sacred and Unseen State, required knowledge of plants and herbs and the power of healing. But after some time the Good-hearted Ones - as they were generally referred to - began to feel that mino-bimaadiziwin (how to live a good, upright, and long life) was not to be aquired by knowledge of healing alone. Thus morality was introduced into medicine practice. Possessing integrity, and declaring ones integrity to the plant beings and to the world at large, became essential for both midewininiwag and midekweg, and from that moment on people could become a member by invitation only."
- The principle of Midewiwin.
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‘‘The temperature rises, and together we go back to the beginning"
- The principle of the Sweat Lodge ceremony.
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Today's story is actually more a musing than it is anything else. It is woven around a sterling silver-and-turquoise-and-coral bracelet and a matching pendant handcrafted in my jeweler’s studio. In addition, the story is illustrated with images of a beautiful drawing and an acrylic painting by my artist friend Simone McLeod, from Pasqua, Saskatchewan and two digipaintings by myself. Simone's drawing, which she made in 2013, is titled “Twins in a''Sweat Lodge Womb”; the painting, which she did in 2017, is titled “Otehimin.”
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Because of this, in Ojibwe tradition, after the Sweat strawberries (a reference to Ode'imin) are offered to the participants gathering in open air, and in some cases there is a small, shared feast of, for instance, tea, salmon, and blueberries.
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‘‘In the old times, admission to Midewiwin, the Lodge of Those Who Are in a Sacred and Unseen State, required knowledge of plants and herbs and the power of healing. But after some time the Good-hearted Ones - as they were generally referred to - began to feel that mino-bimaadiziwin (how to live a good, upright, and long life) was not to be aquired by knowledge of healing alone. Thus morality was introduced into medicine practice. Possessing integrity, and declaring ones integrity to the plant beings and to the world at large, became essential for both midewininiwag and midekweg, and from that moment on people could become a member by invitation only."
- The principle of Midewiwin.
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‘‘The temperature rises, and together we go back to the beginning"
- The principle of the Sweat Lodge ceremony.
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Boozhoo! Biindigen miinawaa nindaadizooke wigamigong;
enji-zaagi'iding miinawaa gikendaasong. Ningad-aawechige noongom giizhigad! (Hello!
Welcome back in my Storytelling Lodge where legends and teachings are shared.
Let’s tell a teaching story today!)
This blog story is another episode, the fifth already in a
series named ‘‘The Way of the Heartbeat."
The series features teaching stories that encompass the unique worldview and
cultural and spiritual perspective of the Midewiwin and Waabanoowiwin, both
age-old Medicine Lodges that until today play a pivotal role in the culture and
lives of the Anishinaabe Peoples.
Today's story is actually more a musing than it is anything else. It is woven around a sterling silver-and-turquoise-and-coral bracelet and a matching pendant handcrafted in my jeweler’s studio. In addition, the story is illustrated with images of a beautiful drawing and an acrylic painting by my artist friend Simone McLeod, from Pasqua, Saskatchewan and two digipaintings by myself. Simone's drawing, which she made in 2013, is titled “Twins in a''Sweat Lodge Womb”; the painting, which she did in 2017, is titled “Otehimin.”
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| "Twins in Sweat Lodge Womb," detail of a pencil drawing by Simone McLeod. © 2013 Simone McLeod |
Ceremony of the Sweat Lodge
The Anishinaabe ancestors believed it to be important that a person joined his or her voice on a regular base with the voices of the spiritual world. This concept is called aanji-niigiweshkamong enweying shka-kimi-kweng: ‘‘reconnecting our voice with Creation."One of the ways to reconnect one’s voice with Creation is to undergo a madoodison, or Sweat Lodge ceremony. A madoodoowigamig, or madoodison, or madoodiswan (called inipi by our neighbours and allies of the Oceti Šakowiŋ/Seven Council Fires, the Dakota, Nakoda, and Lakota Peoples) is a domed shaped and circular structure built low to the ground. Symbolizing the womb of Mother Earth, a madoodoowigamig or inipi is a place of purification and refuge and healing but also a sacred place to get answers and guidance by praying to the spirits.
In the darkness of the Lodge, petitions are sent to Aadizookaanag (spirit grandfathers), to Bawaaganag (guardian spirits appearing in dreams), to the personal doodem (clan) helpers, to Gichi-manidoo (the Great Mystery), and to Omaamaa-aki (Mother Earth herself). A Sweat is a sacred commitment to GICHIMANIDOO, the Great Mystery of Life, and to the true energy of Omizakamigokwe, Our Mother the Earth.
The Anishinaabe ancestors believed it to be important that a person joined his or her voice on a regular base with the voices of the spiritual world. This concept is called aanji-niigiweshkamong enweying shka-kimi-kweng: ‘‘reconnecting our voice with Creation."
One of the ways to reconnect one’s voice with Creation is to undergo a madoodison, or Sweat Lodge ceremony. A madoodoowigamig, or madoodison, or madoodiswan (called inipi by our neighbours and allies of the Oceti Šakowiŋ/Seven Council Fires, the Dakota, Nakoda, and Lakota Peoples) is a domed shaped and circular structure built low to the ground. Symbolizing the womb of Mother Earth, a madoodoowigamig or inipi is a place of purification and refuge and healing but also a sacred place to get answers and guidance by praying to the spirits.
In the darkness of the Lodge, petitions are sent to Aadizookaanag (spirit grandfathers), to Bawaaganag (guardian spirits appearing in dreams), to the personal doodem (clan) helpers, to Gichi-manidoo (the Great Mystery), and to Omaamaa-aki (Mother Earth herself). A Sweat is a sacred commitment to GICHIMANIDOO, the Great Mystery of Life, and to the true energy of Omizakamigokwe, Our Mother the Earth.
The Lodge is basically a place where a small group of people combine their spirits ‘‘to create an opening through which this Great Mystery can flow freely." Only those persons chosen, trained, or otherwise specifically directed by qualified tribal Elders are allowed to work with the Sweat Lodge.¹ Among the Ojibweg, it is Makwa the bear who guards and protects both the midewigaan (Mide Lodge) and the madoodoowigamig (sweat, or purifation lodge) – which is where Mide practitioners cleanse their body, spirit, and mind before entering the ceremony inside the midewigaan. It was a bear who gifted the hide when the very first Ojibwe madoodoowigamig was built; thus, in a symbolic way, Makwa’s hide served to cover the Anishinaabeg as a People. Madoodoowasiniig (stones of a sweat lodge) play a central role in the madoodison (sweat lodge ceremony). The grandfathers and spirit-helpers are awakened in the stones by heating them in a sacred fire placed to the east of the lodge, until red-hot. Thee water and sacred herbs that are poured on the grandfather stones and the steam that is caused by this ritual act are meant to purify those who enter, allowing each of the participants to “go back to the beginning” and to emerge reborn._________________________________________________
The Sweat Lodge, Portal to the Grandfathers © 2022 Zhaawano Giizhik Click here to view details and order information.
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As the Grandfather
stones glow inside the fire pit the midewewe'igan (Sacred Water Drum)
sounds and calls forth the aadizookaanag and niiwin inakakeyaa wenaanimak (the Four Directions). At this point water is poured and giizhik aniibiishan (cedar leaves) are sprinkled on the stones; the person in charge keeps pouring and smudging until told by the spirits to stop. Cedar, honored with the name Nookomis Giizhik (Grandmother Cedar) and used for its medicinal and cleansing uses, is the tree that absorbs the rainwater to clean it with its roots and holds the nest of the birds that fly and regenerate life. In the
steaming hot vapor and intense scent released by the stones and the cedar the participants begin their prayers, songs, and
chants in petition of purification and guidance. There are usually four sessions in which there is song and prayer, presided over by the attending Elders. Traditionally, Sweat Ceremonies play an important role in the coming-of-age rituals for boys - and sometimes girls. Sometimes Sweats are part of longer ceremonies, and they always proceed important ceremonies that may last for several days - such as the Sun Dance.
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The Lodge is basically a place where a small group of people combine their spirits ‘‘to create an opening through which this Great Mystery can flow freely." Only those persons chosen, trained, or otherwise specifically directed by qualified tribal Elders are allowed to work with the Sweat Lodge.¹
Among the Ojibweg, it is Makwa the bear who guards and protects both the midewigaan (Mide Lodge) and the madoodoowigamig (sweat, or purifation lodge) – which is where Mide practitioners cleanse their body, spirit, and mind before entering the ceremony inside the midewigaan. It was a bear who gifted the hide when the very first Ojibwe madoodoowigamig was built; thus, in a symbolic way, Makwa’s hide served to cover the Anishinaabeg as a People.
Madoodoowasiniig (stones of a sweat lodge) play a central role in the madoodison (sweat lodge ceremony). The grandfathers and spirit-helpers are awakened in the stones by heating them in a sacred fire placed to the east of the lodge, until red-hot. Thee water and sacred herbs that are poured on the grandfather stones and the steam that is caused by this ritual act are meant to purify those who enter, allowing each of the participants to “go back to the beginning” and to emerge reborn.
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As the Grandfather
stones glow inside the fire pit the midewewe'igan (Sacred Water Drum)
sounds and calls forth the aadizookaanag and niiwin inakakeyaa wenaanimak (the Four Directions). At this point water is poured and giizhik aniibiishan (cedar leaves) are sprinkled on the stones; the person in charge keeps pouring and smudging until told by the spirits to stop. Cedar, honored with the name Nookomis Giizhik (Grandmother Cedar) and used for its medicinal and cleansing uses, is the tree that absorbs the rainwater to clean it with its roots and holds the nest of the birds that fly and regenerate life. In the
steaming hot vapor and intense scent released by the stones and the cedar the participants begin their prayers, songs, and
chants in petition of purification and guidance. There are usually four sessions in which there is song and prayer, presided over by the attending Elders. Traditionally, Sweat Ceremonies play an important role in the coming-of-age rituals for boys - and sometimes girls. Sometimes Sweats are part of longer ceremonies, and they always proceed important ceremonies that may last for several days - such as the Sun Dance.
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According to Anishinaabeg izhitwaawin (our cultural belief) and Anang Nibwakawin (our star wisdom) the Madoodison star constellation, besides representing the sweat lodge on earth, is also regarded as a Thunderbird's nest among the stars. Alongside the Sweat Lodge/Thunderbird constellation - which is called Corona Borealis on the Western star maps - are the seven madoodoowasiniig (sweat lodge stones) and the sweat lodge poles shining in the night sky; see the above image. The 7 stars of the Sweat Lodge constellation represent many things to the Anishinaabeg... to some they signify the stones or the poles of the Sweat Lodge, to others the eggs of the celestial Thunderbird... there are so many stories. One aadizookaan (story) tells of Ode'imin (Heart Berry), the boy who founded the Midewiwin, who one day traveled the Stars and visited the Elders in the celestial Sweat Lodge. It is said that, upon returning to Earth, Ode'imin ogii-waawiyetoon iwe omadoodison: he taught the People to make the sweat lodge round...
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| "Otehimin" (Heart Berry), detail of acrylic painting by Nakawe Ojibwe (Saulteaux) Medicine Painter Simone McLeod. © 2017 Simone McLeod. |
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Because of this, in Ojibwe tradition, after the Sweat strawberries (a reference to Ode'imin) are offered to the participants gathering in open air, and in some cases there is a small, shared feast of, for instance, tea, salmon, and blueberries.
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| The Sweat Lodge, Doorway to Our Origin © 2022 Zhaawano Giizhik Click here to view details and order information. |
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THE SWEAT LODGE AS A DOORWAY TO OUR ORIGIN
Other Anishinaabe aadizookaanan (Ojibwe stories) tell of the Bagonegiizhig, the Hole in the Sky star cluster called Pleiades on Western Starmaps, which is the celestial counterpart of the Sweat Lodge on earth.
It is through the Hole in the Sky that the jiibayag (soul-spirits) of deceased humans ascend and travel toward their final destination in the Jiibay-miikana (Milky Way). Two important ceremonies are related to Bagonegiizhig: the madoodison, or sweat lodge purification ceremony (see the image above), and the jiisaakaan, or shaking tent ceremony. In these stories, the Bagonegiizhig - who sits directly opposite of the brightest star in the Madoodison constellation, the Nimitaaman anang- is considered to be "aaniindi nitam anishinaabeg gaa-ondaadiziwad": OUR ORIGIN. It is the place of Niizhwaaso gikinoo'amaagewinan (the 7 Grandfather and Grandmother Teachings). It is where, according to some of our origin stories, our mitigwakik (water drum) originates from and where our doodem/clan system comes from. So many stories come from it! We have stories of spider woman and sky woman, of the 7 sisters, and of our 13 grandmothers, and so on...Geget sa, whether we see the Sweat Lodge in the Madoodison constellation or the Bagonegiizhig star cluster or in both, the night sky is full of stories of the Anishinaabeg...
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| Click here to see details of the Birth and Regeneration jewelry set. |
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The jewelry set: A promise of Life and Regeneration
This above set of matching bracelet and
pendant, titled Akiiwin Mizakamig (‘‘In The Bosom of the Earth"),
belongs to a shadowbox jewelry series named Niigiwin miinawaa Aanji-niigiwin (‘‘Birth And Regeneration"). The highly
polished design and the theme of the unique set – note how the turquoise stones
are mounted in shadowbox settings; this style is characterized by deep,
darkened recesses set with “floating” stones in high bezels - do not just bear witness of my partially Native American
background; they're particularly inspired by the ancient teachings of the
Midewiwin, the Lodge of Medicine and Ethics of my ancestors, the Anishinaabe
Peoples.
The Mide teachings dictate that each person has a path
to follow, called The True Path of Life, a journey-through-life that every human
being must follow, from their prenatal state to old age and death/passing on.
By living through all the stages and living out the visions, a person gains
wisdom, which he/she must pass on to those still to walk the path of life.
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The oval-shaped turquoise stone in the
silver bracelet is mounted in a setting called shadowbox; this dramatic style -
originally a Dineh’ (Navajo) silversmithing way of stonesetting - is characterized
by deep, darkened recesses set with “floating” stones in high bezels.
In the case of this jewelry set, a high
bezel for holding the turquoise cabochon is soldered inside a large oval
shadowbox frame that I - with the aid of a jeweler's saw - cut out of the
slightly domed pendant and bracelet head. I made the bezel of a slightly
smaller size than the shadow box it has to fit into. This consequently leaves a
rather narrow “trough” around the bezel. Then the “trough” becomes oxidized in
order to highlight the raised bezel, and the shadowbox design is completed. See the website for more details of the set.
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The oval turquoise cabochons in
the shadowboxes (the oxidized, oval interior segments around the stone bezels)
in both bracelet and pendant represent a seed inside a pregnant woman's womb -
or a baby inside the mother's womb, in which it is conceived and nourished
while developing before birth. The stones, therefore, hold a promise of life
and regeneration. The small red coral cabochons that I placed inside of the shadow box refer to the ceremony of madoodison, the Sweat Lodge; the red color represent the glow of madoodoowasiniig, the grandfather stones that play a central role in the purification ceremomy.
The stylized leaf of an aagimaak
(ash tree) with a turquoise cabochon mounted on the tip that I attached to the
pendant represents growth and decay, and, in a deeper sense, the cycle and
infinity of life. The round hand-hammered wires supporting the head of the
bracelet as well as the quadripartite pendant connector symbolize the cardinal
directions of the Universe; in conclusion, the balls constructed at the ends of the bracelet
wires represent the sun and the moon, the first grandfather and grandmother of
all Life on earth.
The way I see it, this set, which
I carefully handwrought of sterling silver, has a design that is both
quintessentially Native and absolutely modern and provides testimony to the pride
I take in my ancestry.
Above all, the story behind the
bracelet and pendant celebrate the beauty and wisdom of the world of my Ojibwe
Anishinaabe ancestors, which will always be my main artistic inspiration and design
source.
Giiwenh.
So goes the story about the In the Bosom of the Earth jewelry set; so goes the
tale about what the Sweat Lodge means to the Peoples of Turtle Island.
Miigwech gibizindaw
noongom mii dash gidaadizookoon. Thank you for listening to my
storytelling today. Giga-waabamin wayiiba, I hope to see
you again soon...
¹ Source: Sweat Lodge Stories.
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About the author and his 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.
Above all, the story behind the
bracelet and pendant celebrate the beauty and wisdom of the world of my Ojibwe
Anishinaabe ancestors, which will always be my main artistic inspiration and design
source.
Giiwenh. So goes the story about the In the Bosom of the Earth jewelry set; so goes the tale about what the Sweat Lodge means to the Peoples of Turtle Island.
Giiwenh. So goes the story about the In the Bosom of the Earth jewelry set; so goes the tale about what the Sweat Lodge means to the Peoples of Turtle Island.
Miigwech gibizindaw
noongom mii dash gidaadizookoon. Thank you for listening to my
storytelling today. Giga-waabamin wayiiba, I hope to see
you again soon...
¹ Source: Sweat Lodge Stories.
________________________________________________________________
About the author and his 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.
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