Mother Earth Water Walk 2009

Miigwetch to my friend James who has informed me about his cousin's efforts to raise awareness of the dire situation facing the Great Lakes water. Josephine Mandamin is an elder from Thunder Bay who is originally from Manitoulin Island. She has walked 17,000 km over the past 6 years to raise Great Lakes awareness. Mandamin was moved by the spirits to speak out for the water and she felt it was natural for her to pick up her copper pail and start walking. Her message is that the water is sick and that people really need to fight for the water, to speak to the water and to love the water. Mandamin stops at every tributary and talks directly to the water, offering prayers, tobacco and thanks. She is doing it for the betterment of the next generations. To read more of her journey and the campaign of awareness including valuble water information please visit : www.motherearthwaterwalk.com . This year at our community school we plan to focus our activities on water (Nbiish) and to raise donations for Josephine.

Waawiindaasowin - Naming Ceremony

I had the pleasure of attending a Naming Ceremony in the community last week for 3 young children. The 2 boys and 1 girl were welcomed into the community with their Spirit Names with a traditional feast, pipe, 7 traditional colours,eagle whistle and little boy water drum. After smudging, each child was offered water from their father and strawberries from their mother and then they were given their names in the language. All of the ceremony participants faced the East and spoke the Spirit Name 4 times after which we turned to each of the 4 directions and repeated this process. It was beautiful and simple and was a powerful expression of Anishnaabek culture and tradition. Miigwetch to the families and to Dan for conducting the ceremony. if any families are interested in having this ceremony done please contact me and we can arrange future ones.

Nooziwinike - giizhigad : Naming Ceremony Day
Waawiindaasowin : Naming Ceremony
Manidoo - nooziwinan : Spirit Names

Stone : Poem #4

stone
hand on stone,
heart thumps,
mind on family,
words fall silent,
tears pour,
we breathe as one and this stone supports us,
we walk as one on this sacred ground,
step,
step,
step,
we climb to the next level,
the vista is a gift,
a glimpse into the heavens,
into skyworld,
we stand with wind supporting us,
breathing and standing strong,
step,
step,
step,
we make our way down,
we climb to the next level,
the decent was a gift,
this stone,
this mountain, this relation of ours,
so strong and steady,
hand on stone,
heart thumps,
tears dry,
stone

Ki : Earth : Poem #3

Ki
Earth
our mother
thump, thump, thump,
Ki
alive and flourishing,
covered in water,
rock ,
and vegetation,
thump,
a heartbeat so strong ,
that it brings us,
together,
it brings our hearts and spirits,
and hands as one as we,
reach for the sky,
feet planted to the ground,
thump,
together we join hands,
across the Earth our chain reaches,
thump,
smiles and bright eyes,
songs and kind words,
Ki,
thump,thump,thump,
our hands and arms stretch ,
our feet and legs dance,
thump
heartbeat of our nations
our mother
Earth
Ki

Shkode : Fire Journey : Poem #2

shkode
from the darkness,
a spark lept,
light,
heat and flame crept,
from the quiet,
a rumble,
rippling,
through the air,
from the east,
the light spread south,
from the south the heat blanketed the west,
we gathered in the north,
and we felt,
the joyous emotional ,
blast,
laughter,
shouts of joy,
whistles,
back to the eastern door,
we sat and watched the embers,
radiate,
rain fell,
to the ground to clense,
the fire's last resting place,
we smiled and closed our eyes,
in prayer,
what a journey this flame took us,
thank you,
fire,
shkode

Gindaaswinag : Numbers (in Anishnaabe)

aaniish mnik wi = how much is that
miinwaa = and

sample question :

"niizh (2) miinwaa niiwin (4) aaniish mnik wi ?" translates to "2 and 4 how much is that ?"..... the answer would be ngodwaaswi (6)

0=gaa gegoo
1= bezhig
2=niizh
3=nswi
4=niiwin
5=naanan
6=ngodwaaswi
7=niizhwaaswi
8=nshwaaswi
9=zhaangswi
10=mdaaswi

20=niizhtana
30=nsimdana
40=niimdana
50=naanmidna
60=ngodwaasmidna
70=niizhwaasmidna
80=nshwaasmidna
90=zhaangsimdana

100=ngodwaak
200=niizhwaak
300=nswaak
400=niiwaak
500=naanwaak

1000=mdaaswaak

For numbers in between each of the multiples of ten you can build the Anishnaabe number by using the word "shi" in between each number. Some examples....

15 = 10+5=mdaaswi-shi-naanan
77 = 70+7=niizhwaasmidna-shi-niizhwaaswi
123 = 100+20+3=ngodwaak-shi-niizhtana-shi-nswi
1234= 1000+200+30+4=mdaaswak-shi-niizhwaak-shi-nsimdana-shi-niiwin

Nbiish : Water Poem #1

they gathered at the edge of the banks,
water that was once a trusted source had disappeared,
caked dirt,
mud but too dry to stick,
they knelt and prayed and cried and wept,
their tears flowed mightily,
tears of pain and loss for the lifeblood of our nations,
our nations shuddered and wept and,
slowly,
surely,
quietly,
the waves of anguish flowed and flushed and the waters rose,
quickly,
swiftly,
powerfully,
dried mud turned to dark pools but over a short time the emotion infused water,
turned clear and,
the water turned calm,
and those that had gathered backed away from the banks
we, us, united,
we did it,
they sang ,
and the skies opened and clensed them and thanked them for their deed.
our need to help heal our Mother and her lifeblood
water