Babaamaajimowinan (Telling of news in different places)
Babaamaajimowinan (Telling of news in different places)
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It is time we activated the clans. Red Lake Clans are unique Anishinabe institutions and can be service organizations that can solve problems in ways that belong uniquely to the Red Lake Anishinabeg. There are a number of questions that need to be answered in order to activate the clans: Is there a need for the clans that is not being filled now? Much (but not all) of the organization of the tribe is based on borrowed non-Anishinabeg modes of government. We have a constitution, and departments, and programs, which implement the ideas expressed...
I have many heroes in Red Lake, some great, some small, but I would like to write about the one who I think exemplifies the best qualities found in true Red Lakers. Maydwaygwanonind or He Who Is Spoken To His Anishinabe name was Mādwāgwănōnĭnd. His translated name is “He Who Is Spoken To”. The funny thing is, non-Indians could never get his Indian name right. I came across quite a few different--and strange--spellings for it in my web search. There is not much in print about Maydwayg...
Once there was an old Head Chief in Red Lake. His name was Maydwaygwanonind. Roughly translated, I believe his name meant “He who is spoken to”. Family legend has it that this was because when there was a tribal council in the old days that everyone would have their say and at the end they would ask him what he thought. After deliberating he would speak. Historically, perhaps his greatest achievement was keeping Red Lake from allotment. (He didn’t do too badly personally either when they drew...
An anthropologist friend asked me the following question: “I’m teaching Indians of North America this year. One of my students (Anglo) objected to another student’s presentation, because she showed a film clip of a Crow elder, which also included a clip from the sun dance (re-created). He says the sun dance should never be shown. What is your opinion?” This causes me to ask myself some questions: “What is the nature of something sacred?”, and “What is the nature of something secret?” “Are the two intertwined, or can they be exclusive?” “What...
Have you ever played the game “Telephone”? You gather a bunch of people in a circle and the first person whispers a phrase to the next person and so on until the phrase comes around to the first person again. The rules are you can only whisper the phrase once and once you’ve heard the phrase you have to whisper what you think you heard as correctly as you can to the next person in line. Afterwards, it is great fun to compare what each person heard to what was actually said and how the phrase became mangled as it went around the circuit. Telep...
I asked mom if we could stop at the Episcopal cemetery before we went home as I wanted to look at May Dway Gwo No Nind`s grave. The cemetery is right next to the highway, a couple of blocks west of downtown Redby. It is kitty-corner from the Art Thunder Memorial Ballpark. Even though it is next to the highway, there is a peaceful feeling here. One I find in other cemeteries and graveyards as well as a rare few other places. Perhaps this is one thing that makes this sacred ground. It takes mom a while to find dad`s, uncle Ruggy`s, and great...
Responsibility. To me, responsibility means the ability to respond. If something bad (or good) happens, and we are responsible for it, we must be ready to respond as a part of the consequences. President George W said that he was responsible for bad intelligence for starting the war in Iraq. He also said that he was responsible for failures in dealing with hurricane Katrina. But beyond saying he was responsible, his office as president was little affected by the consequences. I am impressed by all that the Band does for its members. We have...
Adolescent elephants can often get into a lot of trouble when not supervised. They do things like harass and sometimes kill Rhinos in their “neighborhood”. But if you put them together with an old bull they tend to settle down. Our human condition is a bit more complicated, but I assume that if mom asked a number of male members from her dodem to find some creative ways to supervise junior that he would settle down too. The nice thing about the dodem running through the female line is in dealing with cases of familial abuse. Hubby or boyfriend...
