The Traditional Anishinaabe World View.pdf
Illustrated glossary offering a cross section of the traditional worldview of the Ojibwe Anishinaabeg, who for the past 1000 years or more inhabit Gaa-zaaga'ekanikaag, the Land of Many Lakes ( the North American Great Lakes area).
Illustrated glossary offering a cross section of the traditional worldview of the Ojibwe Anishinaabeg, who for the past 1000 years or more inhabit Gaa-zaaga'ekanikaag, the Land of Many Lakes ( the North American Great Lakes area).
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<strong>The</strong> Universe of <strong>The</strong> Ojibwe <strong>Anishinaabe</strong>g by Zhaawano Giizhik - 2014<br />
Migizi teaches humankind that Nibwaakaawin (wisdom) and Zoongide’ewin (courage)<br />
cannot exist without each other. He teaches us that there is wisdom in understanding<br />
that one cannot walk the path of life without making changes once in a while and that it<br />
takes courage to actually bring about the change.<br />
As GICHI MANIDOO, after creating Aki, the <strong>World</strong>, spoke about the importance of minobimaadiziwin,<br />
living a life according to the Seven Grandfather Teachings, Mishoomis<br />
Migizi became inspired and told Great Mystery that he, since his feathers symbolized the<br />
intermediate region between things of the spirit world and the earth, would like his<br />
feather to be gifted to the <strong>Anishinaabe</strong> person who’s the most brave and who’s guided<br />
the most by the Teachings conferred on the humans by the Spirit Grandfathers. Migizi’s<br />
generous offer prompted GICHI-MANIDOO to tell the <strong>Anishinaabe</strong>g of the teachings of<br />
the feather and the power of spirit flight, and he instructed them that no Eagle be<br />
harmed for their feathers since they were manidoog (spirits) in themselves, and that<br />
whenever a person saw an Eagle fly overhead, this mighty spirit-bird must be honored<br />
with asemaa (sacred tobacco) in hand. GICHI-MANIDOO added that any person, no<br />
matter what age, living their life according to the Seven Teachings would be gifted with a<br />
feather!<br />
As the eagle is anami`ewin mizhinawe, a prayer carrier of messages and giving thanks,<br />
<strong>Anishinaabe</strong> healers sometimes envision themselves turning into eagles as they pray for<br />
another person and to GICHI-MANIDOO, the Great Mystery, asking the eagle to carry<br />
the sickness up to GICHI-MANIDOO in order to heal the patient. So highly esteemed are<br />
his spiritual powers that an <strong>Anishinaabe</strong> person would never gaze up to a flying eagle<br />
without offering a prayer with asemaa (the sacred tobacco) in his or her hand.<br />
Feathers of Migizi and Giniw, the bald eagle and he golden eagle, convey human<br />
thoughts and feelings and provide persons with an opportunity to speak directly to the<br />
spirits with debwewin (a straight mind) and bekide’ewin (a pure heart). According to<br />
tradition, it were the animikii-binesiwag, the thunderbirds, the most powerful birds in<br />
creation and metaphorical representations of migiziwag (eagles) and gekekwag<br />
(hawks), who imparted to eagle feathers a fragment of their celestial power; it is even<br />
said that they gave each eagle four of their feathers. Elders tell us that carrying an eagle<br />
feather is a sacred act and that it comes along with great responsibilities since the power<br />
of a feather comes from the Thunderbirds; a person who is worthy of bearing an eagle<br />
feather must therefore acknowledge that he is recognized by the Thunderbirds<br />
themselves as being able to use their formidable spirit powers…<br />
<strong>The</strong> Universe of <strong>The</strong> Ojibwe <strong>Anishinaabe</strong>g by Zhaawano Giizhik - 2014<br />
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