Tag: history

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Most Popular Existence Revealing Treasures in your Own Backyard

Turtle Mountain Chippewa

Its been a week since I got home from Turtle Mountain Reservation, North Dakota. It feels like I was there yesterday. My heart misses the learning, the deep immersion in the knowledge of my people, the love of my new teachers and friends, the land full of space.

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This past week has been a rollercoaster emotionally.

I am happy to be home with my family. Happy to have time to rest and process all that I’ve learned and the things I’ve been through. Excited to have time to clean out things that no longer serve me in my emotional and physical space.

But all of this comes with a longing to be back in the immersion of the knowledge, surrounded by the land that my ancestors and family call home.

Realizing who I am and where I come from is huge. I mean, I thought I knew myself…but I was only skimming the surface. I am realizing that you do not know yourself until you dive deep into where you’ve come from and the lineage that your connected to.

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The events and situations my mother has gone through…
The events and situations my grandmother and grandfather went through…
The events and situations my great mothers and great grandfathers went through…
all of these things have built the foundation for me to be who I am.

And again thats only skimming the surface, I still have my fathers side to learn.

Its interesting the difference I feel when I think of learning about my mothers side versus my fathers side.

My father is German…we have a family tree and written history…the Germans have integrated into American culture almost so completely.  When I ask people their ethnicity, a lot of people say German. When I want to look into the history, I find a lot of it in textbooks, many written accounts, as well as stories from my fathers relatives.

Though as I sit here and write this I think there must surely be something I do not know about my German heritage as well. I feel in my heart it is just as important and valuable to learn about my fathers side, however there is something about being Turtle Mountain Chippewa that is calling me and drawing me to know more. Something about my Ojibwe lineage that feels close to my being.

I learned so much about the ancient traditions, ceremonies, legends, and stories of my people. I learned so much about life on the reservation, yet I still only know very little.

Turtle Mountain

The Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation is only 6 miles by 12 miles wide. Only a small percentage of people practice our traditional Ojibwe ways. Only a small percentage of people know the traditions of their people.

The most eye opening thing to me is how little people know about themselves even though we might think we know who we are because we know where are parents are from, and we know our favorite people, places and things…we know how we feel about certain issues, and what we think about certain topics… but it wasn’t until my trip that I realized most of us know nothing of our true selves.

We are all connected to a lineage of people who have gained and sacrificed things which have allowed us to become who we are and to have what we have today. Our lineage is an important aspect of ourselves that we don’t always think about, nor have an opportunity to know.  There are many cultures that have lost the knowledge of their ancestors, due to natural disasters, diseases, as well as colonization. Its sad that colonization plays a major role in the lost of knowledge, when we are taught that colonization is about gaining knowledge.

Imagine if people would have celebrated each others differences and learned from one another in brotherhood… how much more prosperous and thriving the human race would be. If we could see each other through eyes of love and curiosity instead of fear, we would know all the mysteries of the universe.

I am home from being fully immersed in the tradition and culture of my Ojibwe lineage, to reintegrate into the culture which comes more from my German lineage. I will to walk the middle way, realizing that both are important to making me who I am and receive all the universe has in store for me.

As I learn more about myself… I realize the magnitude of what I have to share. I realize what I am called to do. I see now the importance of deeply knowing ourselves.

Boozhoo!
Raining in the Dawn Woman
Turtle Mountain Chippewa

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Existence Most Popular

The Ojibwe Creation Story

My giwaa directed me to read the Mishomis Book written about the history and teachings of our people, the Ojibwe.
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This book is fantastic! Edward Benton-Banai wrote this book so that in sharing these teachings, together we can begin our journey to rediscover a way of life that is centered on the respect for all living things.
I love how he puts this journey as one to find the center of ourselves, so that we can know the peace that comes from living in harmony with the energy of the Universe.
“…with the teachings of yesterday we can better prepare ourselves for the uncertainties of tomorrow.”
The first chapter is about the Ojibwe Creation Story, how man was created on this earth. Ojibwe stories were usually handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation, and sometimes recorded on scrolls made from wee’gwas (birchbark).
“When Ah-ki’ (the earth) was young, it was said that the Earth had a family.  Nee-ba-gee’-sis (the Moon) is called Grandmother, and Gee’-sis (the Sun) is called Grandfather.  The Creator of this family is called Gi’-tchie Man-i-to’ (Great Mystery or Creator).”
As in many cultures, the Earth is said to be a woman because from her come all living things.
Water is her life blood, flowing through her, nourishing and purifying her, and with her all living things.
The Creator gave the Four Sacred Directions to the Earth, North, South, East and West, each with physical and spiritual powers. He then sent the birds to carry the seeds of life to all of the Four Directions to spread life across the Earth. On earth he placed the swimming creatures of the water, gave life to the plant and insect world, placed the crawling things and four-leggeds on the land. All of these parts of life lived in harmony with each other.
Gitchie Manito then took the four parts of Mother Earth and blew into them using a Sacred Shell…the Megis Shell. From the union of the Four Sacred Elements and his breath, man was created, and lowered to the Earth as the last form of life to be placed on Earth.  From this Original Man came the A-nish-i-na’-be people.
In the Ojibwe language if you break down the work Anishinabe it translates to “people from whence lowered.” Another definition refers to “the good humans,” meaning those who are on the right road or path given to them by the Creator. The Ojibwe historian, linguist, and author Basil Johnston wrote that its literal translation is “Beings Made Out of Nothing” or “Spontaneous Beings,” since the Anishinabe were created by divine breath.
The Original man was created in the image of Gitchi Manito. He was a natural man, apart of Mother Earth, living in brotherhood with all that was around him.
All tribes came from this Original Man.  The Ojibwe are a tribe because of the way we speak,  believing that we are nee-kon’-nis-ug’ (brothers) with all tribes, separated only by our tongue or language. No one way is better than another.
There are many roads to the High Place. The teachings of one tribe will shed light on those of another.
This knowledge runs through my veins, and is one of the reasons why I am going to North Dakota. To know my native language, teachings and ceremonies so that I will be able to pass this sacred way of living on to my children and all that I encounter along my path.
<3 Migwetch
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Art Class Most Popular

Finding The Story

A few Fridays ago I was given the opportunity to take my GT art students to Hampton National Historic Site to see plays that were being put on by students at The Baltimore School for the Arts. Sophomores at the school are asked to develop a project that shows history through drama. These students used the Hampton National Historic Site for historic research and inspiration to create plays based on the theme “Find your Park.”

 

 

My 8th grade students enjoyed watching the plays, and hearing from the students afterwards about everything that went into completing their project. The quality of the story line, character profiles and costumes made this an amazing event to attend. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful experience with Ridgely Middle School.