Ojibwe Language and Culture Camp Held at Ponemah

For the second year in a row, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians hosted an Ojibwe Language and Culture Camp for youth. The camp was held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, August 5, 6, and 7, 2014, appropriately at the Ponemah Round House.

The three-day Gabeshiwin (camp) hosted by Red Lake Chemical Health, Red Lake Economic Development and Planning, and the Boys and Girls Club featured eating traditional foods, lacrosse, games, plant gathering practices and identification, birch bark crafts, traditional Anishinaabe teachings and more. Gabeshiwin is a part of Red Lake Nation's Ojibwemowin Revitalization efforts.

Concerned that language and tradition will disappear as elders die, natives of Red Lake Nation - and across the country - are focused on language revitalization and related efforts to retain tribal culture. Much of indigenous culture depends on native language, as many concepts just cannot be translated to English.

As said earlier, the camp was held at the Round House on the way to Ponemah Point, the peninsula home to more than half of the remaining fluent Ojibwemowin speakers in the United States.

Sam Strong, Director of Red Lake Economic Development, and a major sponsor of Gabeshiwin provided some background. "Our language was basically stripped from us a generation or two ago. The children were forbidden to talk their native language."

A living generation still remembers how US government authorities swept onto reservations and carried Ojibwe children off to boarding schools to assimilate to the white culture. The ripple effects of that action are still being felt by American Indians today.

"We feel if we can raise people's self esteem their chance of using alcohol and drugs will be less,'' said elder and fluent speaker Murphy Thomas. "Self esteem is all tied up with knowing who you are and having a sense of pride in your heritage, language and culture."

"The overall philosophy is to re-connect all people to nature and inevitably to themselves,'' explained Spiritual Advisor Eugene Stillday, an elder and first speaker. "We know that history is a living part of the present.''

Daily Schedule

Things started off at 10:00 AM each day with a hearty breakfast of traditional foods, which was served throughout the campout as part of the curriculum. Everyone fed; an Ojibwe a cultural activity would take place (e.g., language activities, crafts, games, or cultural lessons like the use of tobacco, sage, sweet grass, and cedar). Lunch followed around noon.

Mostly traditional foods were served in addition to a few bologna sandwiches. John and Carol Barrett were the cooks who parked their "chuck-wagon" (RV) close to the roundhouse and kept everyone well fed including mid-afternoon snacks.

Afternoon activities included plant identification, working with birch bark, natural foods lessons, lacrosse, and Ojibwemowin. Day three included swimming at the cut-off. At each days end, Miigwechiwendam (Circle Time) was held. During this while, youth would hear words from elders and teachers, and review the day's activities.

Staff from the Red Lake Chemical Health Programs, Economic Development & Planning, and Red Lake Schools along with several fluent Ojibwemowin speakers of all ages, staffed the camp.

Day One, Tuesday, August 5

"Ladies will talk with girls, and men with boys," began an orientation at the day's start, which included an emphasis on safety.

But first kids were taught how to introduce themselves with their Spirit or Indian name. It was explained that it is important to know your family, where you come from, your clan or doodem. Kids quickly learned to say Indizhinikaaz Makoons (My Name is Little Bear), for example.

"When you use your spirit name, remember that it connects you to everything, to everything that lives, " said Obaashiing elder and first speaker Anna Gibbs. "These are all our relatives, we share life, all life, animals and plants."

Now the kids separated, girls with women and boys with men for "gender talks." Following lunch, some kids went on nature walks, while others did other activities including lacrosse, and language lessons.

Baga'adowe and Field Trips

In the afternoon a mixed groups went on field trips of plant identification for eating and medicine. Frances Miller said before the kids went off with younger teachers, "There are many natural medicines all around you, pay attention to this. Sweet grass, sage, cedar, and tobacco are used in our ceremonies. Before you take from Mother Earth, offer tobacco for thanks. Don't be afraid to ask questions."

Ben Bonga and others led groups on a nature walks. Along the path the group identified and discussed the uses of various, trees, shrubs and other plants. Staff showed different kinds of berries, some good to eat some for medicine, some not good to eat.

When coming across joomanan (grapes), Bonga instructed, "If you take, put tobacco down and give thanks." The walk continued; "ininaatig [sugar maple), provides sugar and syrup; all the several types of mitigomizh (oak), have acorns good for eating," said Bonga. "From the ash we make lye for soap or for tanning hides. Rose hips are good for Vitamin C. Many of the berries are gone, look and see where makwa (bear) has been picking in the area.

Meanwhile several boys and girls played Baga'adowe (Lacrosse) with Dan Ninham tutoring. Ninham's first order of business was explaining, and demonstrating the use of the baaga'adowaan (lacrosse stick). The young people picked up the basics of the game quickly.

At the days closing circle, Spiritual Advisor and first speaker Miskwaanakwad (Red Cloud/Eugene Stillday) offered words of the importance of what the youth were learning.

Day 2, Wednesday, August 6

After a prayer and hearty breakfast many activities for the day were planned. Tami Liberty, a teacher at Red Lake schools played a game to help the kids learn Ojibwemowin words and phrases. Each child on the first day received a folder full of language tables.

Language tables included not only the months of the year and days of the week, but also body parts, feelings, and pages of verbs from this verb based language. Another word list described language sounds and use of the double vowel system for writing and reading. The list included several pages of phrases one might use daily, and a page devoted just to mitigoog (trees).

The first page of one of the word lists gave the youth assembled a lesson in good living, the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers as taught by Chi-Ma'iingan (Larry Stillday); Nibwaakaawin (Wisdom), Zaagi'idiwin (Love), Minaadendamowin (Respect), Aakode'ewin (Courage), Gwayakwaadiziwin (Honesty), Dabaadendiziwin (Humility), and Debwewin (Truth).

Anokaajigan (Crafts)

After lunch, more breakout groups were held. Spiritual Elder Anna Gibbs and teacher Zack Mitteness taught several children how to work with wiigwaas (birch bark)...most making small jiimaanan (canoes) and other arts and crafts, still others played Lacrosse or went for nature walks.

The day closed with Circle time; review of the day and what the kids hope to gain tomorrow followed by a traditional food dinner

Day 3,Thursday, August 7

After a prayer and hearty breakfast of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, potatoes and sausage, time was used to go over the activities of the first and second day. Much conversation ensued between new or better friends following the morning circle review, while nearby...more Lacrosse.

In the afternoon youth boarded vans traveling to the "cut-off" to swim. Elders stayed back talking story to each other in Ojibwemowin, for non-speakers, a language lesson in itself.

The warm August sun encouraged smiles and energy as Gabeshiwin (The Camp) was coming to an end.

"Wisdom is here," said Murphy Thomas in a conversation. "Each child has a gift, we provided an opportunity. We provided a place for them; this is where they are from. Our youth will pick it up; we just have to give them the opportunity. This has been nothing but learning, all will go away with something, all will go away as better people."

Post Script

Ojibwemowin was heard and spoken throughout the three day Gabeshiwin by elders, teachers, and encouragingly...some youth.

Fluent speaking elders taught cultural values for youth to remember, the Ojibwe creation story, and the importance of gratitude among the lessons.

Among other revered practices, youth learned the practice of making tobacco offerings to the Creator for providing waawaashkeshina (deer) and to the deer for giving up its life. "This is practiced with all living things taken from Mother Earth," Frances Miller reminded all.

The elders formed relationships with the young people as they taught them Ojibwemowin everyday phrases such as the often-heard ambe (let's go), and gego (don't), along with being taught native names for plants and animals.

"The camp turned shy young men and women campers into more self-confident youth, and with that self-assurance comes better behavior in school and at home," Murphy observed.

The Ojibwemowin Revitalization Advisory Committee consists of; Elizabeth "Pug" Kingbird, Frances Miller, Anna Gibbs, Susan Johnson, Mary Lou Stillday, Eliza Johnson, Murphy Thomas, Eugene Stillday, Donald Iceman Sr., Violet Patterson, Arnold Kingbird, Greeting Spears, Lee Whitefeather, Carol Barrett and John Barrett.