Today we remember Wounded Knee

WOKIKSUYE CANKPE OPI

29.December 1890

Wocekiya - My Prayer

Wakan Tanka,
Wowahwala mak'uye hecel taku
blutokca owakihi sni hena iwacu kte

Great Mistery,
grant me the Serenity to accept
the things I cannot change

Na Wo'ohitika un taku blutokca
owakihi kin hena ecamun kte,
Na Woksape un lena slolwayinkte

Courage to change the things I can,
and the Wisdom to know the difference


Mitakuye Oyas'in
We are all related

Today bleeds my heart
~U-ne-ga-wa-ya~

Merry Christmas @ all

Merry Christmas @ all



Whitewolfe and pack

A Christmas Giveaway Mail from my Lakota friends

Hau Kola,

We are pleased to announce our Christmas Giveaway!
As you know Giveaways are a solid part of Lakota culture,
however living in this Non-Lakota society, we also have to make a living.
Therefore we are combining our traditional Giveaway
with the endeavor of a few Lakota artists who are trying to pay bills,
buy the families Christmas gifts and support each other
in the tiospaye by means of money earned through sale of crafts.

To be entered into the Giveaway all you have to do is buy one
of our items on Ebay between the dates of December 6th and December 31st.
Each time you buy an item you will be earn an entry into the Giveaway.
You will also earn multiple entries when you purchase a higher priced item,
you will earn one entry for each $25 or part thereof spent.
The drawing will be held January 7, 2009. Once again the drawing
will be done by one of our artists youngest daughter
and the winner will be notified by e-mail
and also be announced on the website.

Our artists have donated the following items for the Christmas Giveaway:

1 End of Trail Arrowhead woodburning, ready to be hung on the wall,
14 inches tall, valued at $75

1 pair of green dreamcatcher earrings, valued at $24

1 hitched beaded horsehair bracelet valued at $35

1 eagle box valued at $15

1 wolf box valued at $15

1 Lakota beaded staff with horse hair tassels valued at $45

1 beaded bear paw medicine bag valued at $45



New items will be listed every day!

Good luck and thank you for supporting the Lakota!

Mitakuye Oyasin,

Robert Apple, Phyllis White Bear, Diane Mousseaux

Whisper Rose Crafts;



MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It`s Christmas time my friends

Merry Christmas in many native Languages

Aleut: Kamgan Ukudigaa

Western Apache: Gozhqq Keshmish

Aymara: Sooma Nawira-ra

Blackfoot: I'Taamomohkatoyiiksistsikomi

Central Ahtna: C'ehwggelnen Dzaen

Cherokee: Danistayohihv & Aliheli'sdi Itse Udetiyvasadisv

Cheyenne: Hoesenestotse & Aa'eEmona'e

Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito

Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi

Creek: Afvcke Nettvcakorakko



Dine/Navajo: Ya'at'eeh Keshmish

Gwich'in: Drin tsal zhit shoh ohlii & Drin Choo zhit zhoh ohli

Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka & Hauoli Makahiki Hou

Inupiaq: annaurri Aniruq & Paglaun Ukiutchiaq

Inupiatun: Quvianaq Agaayuniqpak
inupik Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!

Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson homungradon nagwutut &
Ojenyunyat osrasay

Koyukon: Denaahto' Hoolaanh Dedzaanh Sodeelts'eeyh

Kutchin: Drin Tsal Neenjit Goozu'

Lakota: Wanikiya tonpi wowiyuskin & Omaka teca oiyokipi

Maya/Yucateco: Utzul mank'inal

Metis: Gayayr Nwel



Ojibwe (Chippewa) : Niibaa' anami'egiizhigad & Aabita Biboo

Oneida : Wanto'wan amp; Hoyan

Naskapi: miywaaitaakun mikusaanor

Quechua: Sumaj kausay kachun Navidad ch'sisipi & Mosoi Watapi sumaj kausay kachun

Retvara: Mamaka wejejerãka

Salcha: Dzeen chox teedle 'aay nayilkaa

Seneca: a:o'-e:sad yos-ha:-se:'

Tanaina: Natukda Nuuphaa

Tewa: Hihchandi Núuphaa

Tlingit: Xristos Khuwdziti kax sh kaxtoolxetl

Yupik Inuit, Alaska: Alussistuaqegtaarmek Piamceci!

AHO with the best wishes from Germany
~Whitewolfe~ (U-ne-ga-wa-ya)

Hiya friends all over the world...

Hiya friends all over the world...

Please help us to fight our freedom fight....

Republic of Lakotah....

Please bookmark this website
and help our native sisters and brothers....

http://www.republicoflakotah.com/

"Welcoming all self-sufficent People
who come with an open Heart, a Passion for Freedom
and a Love for Grand Mother Earth"

Thanx
~U-ne-ga-wa-ya~

A Lakota story

A Lakota story

A Minneconjou camp which had settled
down for the winter was raided by Crow Indians.
The Crow stole many horses and took
a Lakota woman back to their camp.



The Lakota woman was unhappy staying in the Crow camp.
She missed her people.
Some of the Crow women saw this
and took pity on her.
They gave her food and a blanket
and told her to hide by a creek near the camp.
She hid herself in the bushes along the banks of the creek.
A short time later some of the Crow men came looking for her.
While the Lakota woman was hiding, two wolves came upon her.
The wolves growled at her and circled around her.
The woman thought the wolves were going to kill her.
But the wolves treated her kindly and guided
her along a path to the east. The wolves and the woman traveled
together while the Crow were chasing them.

A raging blizzard caught the woman and her wolf friends
in the open prairie. Two more wolves joined them
as they walked through the blowing snow.
The small wolf pack and the woman struggled through
the snowdrifts and the cold winds.

There is power in this story.
The woman was able to get safely away
from the Crow because of the blizzard.
If one is travelling in a blizzard and remembers
this story- one need not be afraid.

After many days of traveling, the small band reached
Squaw Buttes near present day Opal, South Dakota.
They came to a cave in the rocks and the wolves forced her inside.
The cave had an awful smell. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness,
she saw many wolves in the large den.

She thought that the wolves would tear her apart.
Instead the wolves dragged her in a deer,
tore it apart and shared it with the woman.



The wolves were one big family.
Many generations of wolves lived together in the cave.
Each wolf had its own place in the family.
The hunter wolves brought in the meat.
The other wolves kept watch over the den.
In this way- they all looked after each other.

The woman made herself a home in the den.
She learned to speak and understand the wolves language.
The woman would dry and store the meat for the winter.
She got along well with the wolves and they got along well
with her. Soon she smelled just like the other wolves.

The wolves knew their country well.
They always knew whenever the two-legged ones passed through.
The wolves usually stayed away from the two-leggeds.
The wolves did not like the way they smelled.

At turnip digging time of the year -
the woman's mother was still mourning.
She thought that her daughter had been killed.
One day the hunter wolves saw the mother near the den.
The wolves went back and told the woman.
The woman wanted to go back to her people.
She was worried that they would not accept her back.
The wolves told her to wave her blanket two times
if she wanted to stay with her mother.
If she waved once - the wolves would come
and take her back to the den.

When the mother saw her daughter coming -
she was so happy to see her that she cried.
The woman waved her blanket twice to the wolves who
were watching her from the hills.
The wolves saw this and went back to their cave.
The woman's name became Iguga Oti Win -
"Woman who lived in the rock".
The rock is now considered a sacred area to the Lakota.

Be Careful of this tale
because if it is told on a winter night
it might cause a blizzard!

*****************************************************

Hohwoju oyate eya wani ti pi icuhan kangi wicasa kin
sung manu ahi na ota mawicanu pi na nakun
Lakota winyan ko akiyagla pi. Kangi wicasa ti pi heciya winyan
ki le aki pi ca titakuye wica kiksuye na lila cante sice na ceya ke,
winyan ki ableza pi na heya pi ske,

"Sina ki le ena, woyute ki lena icu,
na wakpala ta inahma ye."



Hoca mni aglala inahma ke, na oiyokpaza ca gla cu ke,
icuhan sungmanitu tanka nump el hipi na oksan hlo omanipi ke,
takinnas ena kte pi kta kecin ke.
Sungmanitu tanka ki waste ca pi ke ca ob wancok wi
yohinyanpata kiya si glu hapi ke.
Blaye cokan gla pi ehanl osiceca tanka wan hihunni na icuhan
sungmanitu tanka a ke numb hel opa pi ke.
Hetan tehiya mani pi eyas hecena gla pi,
kangi wicasa kanyela u pi k'on hetan kawinga pi.



Wooyake ki le wowas'ake yuha.
Lakota winyan ki le osiceca ahi ca heon kpapte.
Tuwa osiceca icuhan omani ki le wooyake ki kiksuye ehantans
takuni toka. Anpetu ota mani pi ehanl "Winuhcala Paha"
eya pica hel ihunni pi, iguga ohan ohloka wan ca sungmanitu tanka
ki winyan ki etkita agla pi. Ohloka ki tima iyaia yukan lila sicamna ke,
ista ki ecel itaya ca oksanksan etunwan sungmanitu tanka
ki ataya tima hpaya pi ke.

Tokinnas ahiyu pi na kiza pi kta kecin eyas etan tahca
wan yaslohan yutimahel icupi ca ob wota.

Sungmanitu tanka ki lena ataya ti ospaye hecapi.
Wicooncage tona ataya hel on pi.
Hunh hoksi azin kiya hpaya pi.
Hunh tanktankpi ca hena wakuwa heca pi.
Hunh ocinsice k'on hena ti awanyanka pi.
Sungmanitu tanka wicahcala ki ins cikcikala
ki lena tokel wakuwa pi hecel onspe wica kiya pi.
Ataya a'wan kica yanka pi.
Waniyetu ata hel ob wogla ke na iye nawicahun.
Winyan ki lila wakabla na pusye.
Sungmanitu tanka ki waste wicalake na insiya wastelaka pi.
Winyan ki insiya sungmanitu tanka mna aya ke.
Sungmanitu tanka ki makoce ki le slolya pi.
Tohanl hu numpa ki opta hiyaya pi can slolya pi,
sungmanitu tanka ki lena hu numpa ki iheyab sna ecun pi.



Lakota ki tonka mna pi ca he wahtela pi sni.
Wana tinpsinla wasteste ki walehanl winyan ki le hunku
ki hehantan wasigla, cuwintku ki t'a kecin.
Sungmanitu tanka ki ehake tunweya i pi ca hehan winyan
ki le hunku ki wanyanka pi ca okiyaka pi.
Winyan ki wancok taoyate ki ekta gla cin,
eyas hekta kiya ikikcu pi ki he slolye sni.
Sungmanitu tanka ki heya pi, tohanl taoyate el ki na,
ob on kta ehantans sina ki numpa koz si pi na e e ku cin,
ehantans wanjala kos si pi.

Wana, sungmanitu tanka ki kanyela hunku
ki wawopta keya pi ca winyan ki etkiya iyaya.
Ata kici yapi na ceya pi.
Sina ki numpa koza ca sungmanitu tanka ki hektakiya kigla pi.
Ho, le winyan ki "Iguga Oti Win" eciya pi ca ohloka
ki he Lakota ki wakan glawa pi.
Wico'oyake ki le wowos'ake ikoya ke ca waneyetu ehanl Olake
ki ungna osiceca wanji hihunni kte.

Aho
~u-ne-ga-wa-ya~
(Whitewolfe)

The Seven Teachings of the Abenaki

The Seven Teachings of the Abenaki

Honesty

To achieve honesty within yourself
to recognize who and what you are,
do this and you can be honest with all others.

Humility
Humble yourself and recognize that
no matter how much you think you know,
you know very little of all the universe.

Truth

To learn truth,
to live with truth and to walk with truth,
to speak truth.

Wisdom

To have wisdom is to know the difference
between good and bad
and to know the result of your actions.

Love

Unconditional love to know that
when people are weak they need your love the most,
that your love is given freely
and you cannot put conditions
on it or your love is not true.

Respect

Respect others, their beliefs and respect yourself.
If you cannot show respect
you cannot expect respect to be given.

Bravery

To be brave is to do something right
even if you know it's going to hurt you.

This is an old Teaching of the Abenaki,
a old culture from Canada,
they have such right, it`s so easy!



~U-ne-ga-wa-ya~

@ all friends who read my blogs

I do this all here,
to learn more about my native brothers and sisters,
and help others to learn, too.

But now i have a real problem....
peoples flag my pages, thats not okay....
this peoplz are cowardly, without backbone.

I work many hours on my blogs,
this are my inner feelings......

When I delete all my pages....

you know now why !

Walk in Balance
toksa ake
~Whitewolfe~

The tree of life

The tree of life

A tree is an image of the life.
It grows.
If he is badly, he heals himself.
If it is exhausted, he died.

A tree reflects the life.
It changes itself.
When changes, he restores himself
...and the same always remains.

A tree gives life.
He is steady.
He grants lives,
but its own remains without reduction.

Trees give me everything,
everything that I need.
I do not have to give anything to the tree
…as my praise singing.

When I look at a tree,
thus I remember that:

The apple tree can my hunger satisfy,
the maple can delete my thirst,
the spruce can heal my wounds and cuts,
the bark of the birch can form my home
....and can form my canoe and my receptacles,
that the skin of the birch the pictures to take up,
which I paint,
the fruits of the grapevine can my feathers give color.
the Hickory bends itself to my bow
...and the wood of the cherry tree
becomes the shank of the arrow.



The fern can bed my body for my sleep,
the lime tree can form the doll for my daughter,
the ash, my snow shoe, can carry me over the snow,
the tobacco can carry my prayers to God,
The sweet grass can fulfill my tepee with smell,
the root of the evergreen can hold my carriage
and my boat together,
stub and branch can warm my Tepee,
the rose and the daisies can warm up
the soul of the woman,
the leaves in the wind can open my spirit.

The elder says, "Kitche Manitu (our Creator)
have create the world in a certain order.
First the material world, the sun, moon, earth and stars;
afterwards the plant world, the trees,
flowers, grasses and fruits.

Thus in former times there were the plants
and the animals bevor the Anishnabeg (Ojibwa).
They could exist alone; they were not dependent for their life
or well-being issued on other natures.

Aho
~u-ne-ga-wa-ya~
(Whitewolfe)

Tse-tsehese-staestse

Tse-tsehese-staestse is what the Cheyenne call themselves.
The word Cheyenne was believed to come
from the French word chien for dog.
The French traders called these people this because
of the famous dog soldiers of the Cheyenne nation.
This is erroneous. The now accepted etymology
of the word Cheyenne is that it is
the anglicized word Shyhela, which is Sioux.

The Cheyenne people are the most western
branch of the Algonquian people.
They originally came from the great lakes area.
There are many theories about
why the Cheyenne moved from the great lakes area.
Most of them involve competition in the area
with the Ojibwe, Ree, and Mandan.



They originally lived as sedentary farmers in northeastern Minnesota,
from which they began migrating westward in the late 1600s;
they later settled along the Cheyenne River of North Dakota.
Dislodged ca.1770, they gradually moved southwestward;
when encountered (1804) by the Lewis and Clark expedition,
they were living as nomadic buffalo-hunters
in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Religiously,
the Cheyenne were guided to the plains area by MaheÛo.
They also were sent a prophet named Sweet Medicine
who helped organize themselves, and developed a code to live by.
He gave them their first sacred item - the four sacred arrows.
It was at this point the Cheyenne became
a powerful force to be reckoned with.
Their hunting territory extended from the Platte River
to what is now eastern Montana.
A southern group also had hunting grounds
around the Arkansas River.
Another group of people known as
the Sohtaio also joined the Cheyenne.
It is said that these two groups of people
were one day fighting,
when the Cheyenne overheard the Sohtaio speak amongst themselves.
To their surprise, they could understand the people.
Peace was quickly pursued and these people
have lived with the Cheyenne ever since.

AHO

Ways of the Ojibwe

Grandfather Sun/Mother Earth

The Ojibwe People have always honored the physical world:
the sun, the earth, the moon, and the stars,
as well as other natural wonders,
such as lightning and thunder.
The most important of these are the sun and the earth.

The sun, which is often referred to as "Grandfather Sun,"
is typically associated with the male and fatherhood.
Similarly, the female and motherhood are associated with "Mother Earth."
Ojibwe traditional beliefs teach us that just as men
and women are very different, so are the sun and the earth.
To put it very simply, the sun puts life into all things
and the earth sustains all life. As always in the Ojibwe tradition,
all natural beings are intertwined,
so whether you are talking about the man and the woman,
or the sun and the earth, it is important to remember
that one cannot give or sustain life without the other.



The Ojibwe believe that the natural elements
and the human experience are also interconnected.
Take for example the daily occurrence of dawn and dusk.
Each day, with the rising of the sun,
a human being is given a new day just as the flowers open
and the animals stir with life. In the same way,
when the sun sets, all life rests: animals, plants
and humans go back to sleep.
The Ojibwe People thank the Great Creator every day
for giving them life.

Another connection between human experience
and nature is the concept of ownership.
Ojibwe tradition says that no man can own his mother,
and no man can own the earth. But, just as a mother grows old
and must be taken care of by her children,
so must Mother Earth be taken care
of by her inhabitants, or children.

As you can see, Ojibwe beliefs are rich
with explanations about the secrets of life.
These are just explanations - the Ojibwe People
do not believe that they have solved the mystery
of our universe or the Great Creator,
for it is that unsolved mystery which is the beauty of life.

AHO

The Role of Ojibwe Elders

The Role of Ojibwe Elders

People sometimes hear about Indian Elders and wonder,
what is the role of Elders in Ojibwe life?
A big part is teaching and giving advice.

Elders have been through life.
We know what it’s going to be.
We know what you have to do in order to survive.

One thing that is very important for Elders
to do is to teach the customs
that were taught to us by our grandparents.
From our ancestors comes wisdom.
The things my gramma told me are the things
my children and grandchildren need to learn, too.

Elders pass along information about
the Ojibwe culture, such as why we use tobacco
in our ceremonies, why we go to drum feasts,
or why we have naming ceremonies.

We teach our children and grandchildren
about the different ways our People have lived
and the things we do. For example, in the fall,
the Ojibwe traditionally go out to harvest wild rice.
I taught my daughters and my sons
what they’re supposed to do when they go ricing,
and hopefully they will pass that knowledge
on to their children.

Elders also teach about hunting,
fishing and berry picking. We teach that whatever you do,
you shouldn’t be greedy.
Take what you need and leave some for someone else
and for the Great Spirit as well,
so he can give us some more rice or game
or fish or berries next year.

It is also an Ojibwe custom to help others and take care of them.
When folks used to leave their homes
and go somewhere for a while,
they would leave a little food on the table
in case someone who was hungry came by.

All the old customs are what have kept
our People going over the years,
so Elders try to make sure those customs are carried on.
It’s knowing all these things that have kept me going,
and that will keep my children and grandchildren safe and strong.



We also give advice on how to live, how to get along,
and how to help those who are unable to help themselves.
I give advice to my children, my grandchildren,
and whoever else will listen.
I’ve got oodles and oodles of relatives – grandsons,
granddaughters, nieces and nephews.
I tell them don’t try to be better than someone else.
You’re just as good as anybody else,
but you’re not better than anyone else, either.

Most of us Elders are this way.
We want our People to have good lives after we go,
so we try to be a good role model
for them now so they will live right.

By Beatrice Taylor
(Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe)

Wolf Band of the Me`tis Nation

The Wolf Band of the Me`tis Nation

A mixed blood ethnic race of people who are of aboriginal American heritage, with European and/or African Heritage.

The Me'tis people of today are a combination of various races who derive from aboriginal American Indian ancestry. The Me'tis people vary from each other in respect to religious beliefs, traditions, and tribal culture. The reasons make no difference as long as it brings you closer to your Creator.

The Me'tis are the product of European Immigrants and/or African slaves, and North American aboriginal peoples. The Me'tis government was formed in 1869 by Louis Riel. Through many battles and many years, the Me'tis fought to protect their land rights, preserve Native traditions, and prevent further encroachment of white settlers. The Me'tis Nations civil rights are enshrined in the Canadian Constitution alongside the First Nation and Inuit peoples Bill of Rights. These are the ONLY THREE nations recognized by the Canadian government.

The United States government does not yet fully recognize the Me'tis Nation. However, with over 30 Million Me'tis, and the full support of the Canadian government, who does recognize the Me'tis, our time is now! The Me'tis Nation of the United States is a rapidly growing nation of people governed by the Me'tis National Council. In 1997, the Me'tis Nation was formed under the guidance of the Canadian Me'tis Council. The Me'tis of the United States bases their constitution on the Canadian Me'tis Constitution.

The Me'tis people have become a distinct race of people in the North American Continent. Today there are approximately 30 million Me'tis people in the United States, alone. The full bloods who reside on reservation land often have difficulty accepting Me'tis for a variety of reasons, some of which are because of laws imposed upon reservations for rations, money, or land. The Whites have difficulty accepting Me'tis because of our Indian blood and thus, considered us "savages" like our cousins, the full bloods. The Me'tis are tired of being "outcasts", or being ashamed of their Indian bloodlines. We are fighting for our rights to exist in this country as a People who are proud of their Unique Heritage!

Read more here....
http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/jungle/6001/

A-ho! Ho wa!

Über mich ~ about me

Ich denke es ist an der Zeit,
einen deutschen Blog über mein natives Denken zu eröffnen,
ich spüre das dies Sinn macht,
und das auch einige Menschen zuhören oder lesen.

Ich bin ganz ehrlich!
Ich hatte fast das Vertrauen zu den Deutschen verloren,
aber es bringt nichts sich in ein Schneckenhaus zu verkriechen .......

Ich stehe zu dem was ich bin,
Ich bin Ich



I think now it is the right time,
to open a German Blog about my native thinking,
I feel now to make sence, and some people listen or read.

I`am now absolute honest!
I lost almost my trust to all Germans,
but I think it is not so good to creep away in a snail shell.....

I stand by what I`am,
I`am I

Walk in Balance
~Whitewolfe~

A short view around the World !

A short view around the World !

The world finance stand
to be on the edge of a precipice

My grandmom tell me for many years.....

Lies have short legs...

This is also the truth.....

I`am proud to walk my own path,
with a lil smile on my face......

Only when the last tree has died
and the last river been poisoned
and the last fish been caught
will we realize we cannot eat money

Cree Indian Proverb

This words are so simple, so truth.....
and so near......

Toksa ake
~U-ne-ga-wa-ya~
(Whitewolfe)

Inuit & Native Art Bulletin

Please visit also a friendly page from me,
wonderful handicrafts you find.....

Its for me important to support native american artists

Inuit & Native Art Bulletin

Interesting coverage of Eskimo Inuit art and Native American Indian art as well as news from aboriginal art producing communities. This blog has both RSS and Atom feeds for your convenience.

http://inuitnativeart.blogspot.com/

AHO
~U-ne-ga-wa-ya~

Northeast Woodland/Northwestcoast Drums

Northeast Woodland/Northwestcoast Drums

Watercolour,
pencil on paper of Ojibwe Ceremonial Drums by Paul Kane (1810-71).
Presented to Royal Ontario Museum by Raymond A. Willis



Painted Frame Drum
Cree/Nehiyaw Hand drum used for personal and social occasions
Rawhide stretched over wooden frame and elaborately laced at back;
painting includes feathers, moon, sun, and animal footprints Padded beater
similar to those used for powwow drum 41.8 cm. long Wood
and tanned hide Purchased in Winnipeg by Elaine Keillor in 1987.



Octagonal Painted Frame Drum
Ojibwe Hand drum used for personal and social occasions
Painting of stylized bird on rawhide head, and other designs usually
triangular in nature; relatively thick wooden frame wrapped on outside
with white rawhide decorated with beading in groups of three.
Unpadded beater 36 cm. long Carved wood Purchased ca. 1984
at Rama Reserve by Elaine Keillor



Butterfly Painted Frame Drum
Butterfly painted frame drum, single membranophone -
Front Tlingit Rawhide skin painted with butterfly design,
over cedar wood frame and complex rawhide lacing at back Hand drum
used for personal and social occasions Padded beater 33.8 cm. long
Made by Odin Lonning, b. 1953. Purchased by Elaine Keillor
in Vancouver, 1990s.



Frame drum, double membranophone - Side view
Ojibwe, Used in Akwesahne ceremony Scraped rawhide used for heads
but haired skin covers wooden frame and provides the lacings
Purchased 1995 near Cape Croker Reserve, Bruce Peninsula,
by Elaine Keillor Circular beater, wound with tanned leather at beating
end 48 cm long. Made by Rohahes Iain Phillips.



Log Drum
Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation shaped from a solid log of red cedar
Used by a team of skilled singers at the potlatch ceremony.
These singers practice for many hours to learn the special songs
that have been composed the Chief's potlatch ceremony.



Raven Wolf Drum
Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation painted raven and wolf design
used by a team of singers at the potlatch ceremony



Halibut Drum
Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation UCC 88-.07.01 painted halibut design
by George Hunt Jr. of the Kwagu'? First Nation in 1988 used by
some singers at a potlatch ceremony drum made by the Sam family
from Ahousaaht, BC



Sculpin Drum
Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation Sculpin design painted by
Eugene A. Hunt used by singers at a potlatch ceremony.



Iroquois Water Drum
The water drum was used to keep time during songs,
it was traditionally made out of birch wood.
The inside of the drum is filled with water



~U-ne-ga-wa-ya~

Eeyou - Eastern Cree : Our Dance Stories

Eeyou - Eastern Cree : Our Dance Stories

by Stan Louttit

Elders of Eeyou Istchee tell us that Eeyou peoples
made beautifully decorated hunting drums from cedar trees
and stretched caribou hide in order to drum,
sing and dance as a way of expressing their love,
gratefulness and happiness to the land and animals
that provided life for the Eeyou. Today, a few Elders
in some Eeyou communities still continue to make hunting drums,
but the drum's spiritual and religious meanings
are largely absent for modern Eeyou hunters.

From Eeyou oral tradition, what we know today
about traditional Eeyou dancing has been passed
down to us from the memories of Eeyou Elders
who heard stories while still in their youth.
These stories were usually told by parents,
grandparents or great-grandparents. One such story
passed down through many generations,
and related by an elderly Eeyou woman from Chisasibi, Quebec,
concerns a young hunter in a teepee who stood up
and began to sing with his small drum,
likely before or after a feast. He sang about
the women in the camp, of his respect and recognition
of the women who performed many difficult
and important duties in the camp.
For it was the women who kept the camp clean
and supplied with water, wood and other forest materials
while the hunters were out hunting.

The women cut wood, collected spruce boughs
for the flooring of the teepee, skinned and prepared the hides
of animals while cooking the meat for all the families to eat.
The young hunter knew this and sang his song to respect
his mother-in-law’s role as a woman, mother and provider.

~U-ne-ga-wa-ya~

Ojibway Culture - Part 3

Ojibway Culture

Most Ojibwe lived in the northern Great Lakes
with a short growing season and poor soil.
They were hunter-gatherers who harvested wild rice
and maple sugar. Woodland Ojibwe had no salt to preserve food
and generally mixed everything with maple syrup as seasoning.
They were skilled hunters and trappers
(useful skills in war and the fur trade). Fishing,
especially for sturgeon, provided much of their diet
and became progressively more important in the northernmost bands.
As a rule, Woodland Ojibwe rarely used horses or hunted buffalo.
Dogs were the only domestic animal and a favorite dish
served at their feasts. The Ojibwe used birchbark
for almost everything: utensils, storage containers, and,
most importantly, canoes. Coming in a variety of sizes
depending on purpose, the birchbark canoe was lighter
than the dugouts used by the Dakota (Sioux)
and other tribes. Birchbark was also used to cover their elliptical,
dome-shaped wigwams. When a family moved,
the covering of the wigwam was rolled up and taken along
leaving only the framework.


(Birchbark Canoe)

Summer clothing was buckskin with fur outer garments added for winter.
The men wore breechcloths, but both sexes wore leggings.
Moccasins were the distinctive puffed seamed style
that gave Ojibwe their name. These were often colored with red,
yellow, blue, and green, dyes made by the women. Long,
cold winters were spent confined inside their wigwams
also allowed time to add intricate quill and moose-hair designs.
The Ojibwe often passed these times and entertained
each other with stories, an art for which they are still renown.
Generally, men and women wore their hair long and braided.
In times of war, men might change to a scalplock. Ojibwe scalped,
but as a rule they killed and did not torture.
Like other Great Lakes warriors, there was ritual cannibalism
of their dead enemies. Polygamy was rare.
Their social organization was based on approximately
15-20 patrilineal clans which extended across band lines
and provided their initial sense of tribal unity.


(Ojibway beads)

According to their tradition,
and from recordings in birch bark scrolls,
they came from the eastern areas of North America,
or Turtle Island, and from along the east coast.
According to the oral history, seven great miigis (radiant)
beings appeared to the peoples in the Waabanakiing
(Land of the Dawn, or Eastern Land) to teach the peoples
of the mide way of life. However, the one of the seven great miigis
beings was too spiritually powerful and killed the peoples
in the Waabanakiing whenever the people were in its presence.
The six great miigis beings remained to teach while
the one returned into the ocean. The six great miigis
beings then established doodem (clans)
for the peoples in the east.


(Turtle island)

Of these doodem, the five original Anishinaabe doodem
were the Wawaazisii (Bullhead), Baswenaazhi (Echo-maker, or Crane),
Aan'aawenh (Pintail Duck), Nooke (Tender, or Bear)
and Moozoonsii (Little Moose), then these six miigis
beings returned into the ocean as well.
If the seventh miigis being stayed,
it would have established the Thunderbird doodem.


(Crest of the Anishinaabe people)

Most Ojibwa, except for the Plains bands,
lived a sedentary lifestyle, engaging in fishing, hunting,
the farming of maize and squash, and the harvesting
of Manoomin (wild rice). Their typical dwelling
was the wiigiwaam (wigwam), built either as a waaginogaan (domed-lodge)
or as a nasawa'ogaan (pointed-lodge), made of birch bark,
juniper bark and willow saplings. They also developed
a form of pictorial writing used in religious rites
of the Midewiwin and recorded on birch bark scrolls
and possibly on rock. The sacred scrolls are complicated
with a lot of historical, geometrical, and mathematical
knowledge communicated through the many complex pictures.
The miigis shell (cowry shell) was also used in ceremonies,
and this shell can only be found from far away coastal areas,
indicating a vast trade network at some time across the continent.
The use and trade of copper across the continent
is also proof of a very large area of trading
that took place thousands of years ago,
as far back as the Hopewell culture.
Certain types of rock used for spear and arrow heads
were also traded over large distances. The use of petroforms,
petroglyphs, and pictographs was common throughout
their traditional territories. Petroforms
and medicine wheels were a way to teach
the important concepts of four directions,
astronomical observations about the seasons,
and as a memorizing tool for certain stories and beliefs.


(Ojibway wigwam)

The Ojibwe people and culture are alive and growing today.
During the summer months, the people attend jiingotamog
for the spiritual and niimi'idimaa for a social gathering (pow-wows)
at various reservations in the Anishinaabe-Aki (Anishinaabe Country).
Many people still follow the traditional ways of harvesting wild rice,
picking berries, hunting, making medicines, and making maple sugar.
Many of the Ojibwa take part in sun dance ceremonies
across the continent. The sacred scrolls are also kept
hidden away until those that are worthy
and respect them are given permission to see them
and then to interpret them properly.

The Ojibwa would bury their dead in a burial mound;
many erect a jiibegamig or a "spirit-house" over each mound.
Instead of a headstone with the deceased's name
inscribed upon it, a traditional burial mound would typically
have a wooden marker, inscribed with the deceased's doodem.
Due to the distinct features of these burials,
Ojibwa graves have been often looted by grave robbers.
In the United States, many Ojibwa communities safe-guard
their burial mounds through the enforcement
of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

Several Ojibwa bands in the United States cooperate
in the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission,
which manages their treaty hunting and fishing rights
in the Lake Superior-Lake Michigan areas.
The commission follows the directives of U.S. agencies
to run several wilderness areas. Some Minnesota Ojibwa
tribal councils cooperate in the 1854 Authority,
which manages their treaty hunting
and fishing rights in the Arrowhead Region.

~Whitewolfe~

The Ojibway Indians - Part 2

The Ojibway Indians - Part 2

The Ojibway tribe is scattered throughout the Dominion
and embraces several branches, including the Ojibways proper,
Missisaugas and Saulteaux.

The name of the tribe has been spelled in various ways,
as Achipoes, Outchepoues, Otchipwes, Ojibways,
Ojibwas, Chippewas and Chippeways. The term Ojibway,
signifies "pucker", derived from the peculiar pucker of the moccasin,
or to "roast till puckered up",
reffering to the inhuman method employed by this tribe,
as well as others, of burning the captives taken in war.
Some writers have sought the origin of the Ojibway,
and indeed of numerous Indian tribes,
from the lost tribes of Jewish history,
a solution more satisfactory to their own minds
than to those of their readers.
When the white people first came in contact with the Ojibways,
early in the seventeenth century,
they found them inhabiting the south-eastern
shores of Lake Superior, especially in the vicinity
of Sault Ste. Marie. This does not, however,
appear to have been their original home,
as their traditions assert that,
long before the advent of the white race,
they were living as the salt water in the east,
probably on the St. Lawrence.



Henry Warren, a native Ojibway,
relates a tradition which he heard in a speech
delivered by one of the native priests
wherein their religion is symbolized
in the figure of a sea-shell,
and the migrations of the people recorded.
(from A.F. Chamberlain, "The Mississaugas")

"Our forefathers were living on the great salt water
toward the rising sun, the great Megis (sea shell)
showed itself above the surface of the great water,
and the rays of the sun for a long period
were reflected from its glossy back.
It gave warmth and light to the An-ish-in-aub-ag (red race).
All at once it sank into the deep,
and for a time our ancestors were not blessed with its light.
It rose to the surface and appeared again on the great river,
which drains the water of the Great Lakes,
and again for a long time it gave life to our forefathers
and reflected back the rays of the sun.
Again it dissappeared from sight,
and it rose not till it appeared to the eyes
of the An-ish-in-aub-ag on the shores of the first great lake.
Again it sank from sight, and death daily visited
the wigwams of our forefathers,
till it showed its back and reflected
the rays of the sun once more at Bow-e-ting (Sault Ste Marie).
Here is remained for a long time, but once more,
and for the last time, it disappeared,
and the An-ish-in-aub-ag was left in darkness and misery,
till it floated and once more showed its bright back
at Mo-ning-wun-a-kaun-ing (La Pointe Island),
where it has ever since reflected back the rays of the sun
and blessed our ancestors with life, light and wisdom.
Its rays reach the remotest village of the wide-spread Ojibways.



Mr. Warren relates another tradition reffering to the same matter,
only in another form: "There is another tradition told
by the old men of the Ojibway village of Fond du Lac (Lake Superior)
which tells of their former residence
on the shores of the great salt water. It is, however,
so similar in character to the one I have related
that is introduction here would only occupy unnecessary space.
The only difference between the two traditions is that the otter,
which is emblematical of one of the four Medicine Spirits
who are believed to preside over the Midawe rites,
is used in one in the same figurative manner
as the sea shell is used in the other,
first appearing to the ancient An-ish-in-aub-ag
from the depths of the great salt water:
again on the River St.Lawrence: then on Lake Huron at Sault Ste.Marie:
again at La Pointe: but lasly at Fond du Lac,
or end of Lake Superior, where it is said,
to have forced the sandbank at the mouth of the St.Louis River.
The place is still pointed out by the Indians
where they believe the great otter broke through"



According to tradition,
the Ojibways separated into different bands,
some traveling toward the south and others westward
and northward on the shores of Lake Superior,
while the main body remained in the vicinity of the Sault.
It is evident that a large band of them must have entered Pigeon River,
on the north shore of Lake Superior,
and traveling westward become scattered widely throughout Algoma,
locating at various points in the Thunder Bay
and Rainy River districts, where their descendants still remain.
As they became known as the Bois Forts, the "Hardwood or Timber People",
they must have lived for quite a long period in these districts,
having entered Manitoba and the North-West Territory.

(From the book, Canadian savage folk the native tribes of Canada)

~Whitewolfe~

Simple and honest words......

Simple and honest words......

"The traditional Hopi spiritual elders say
that we have not learned our lessons
in the past from our use of technology.
Technology is now having a world of its own.
We are using technology to accumulate wealth and power.
We are now using technology for the wrong reasons.
Technology is now out of control.

Hopi elders say that developers only see money,
profit and gain from Mother Earth.
For one thousand years the Hopi have grown corn
in the desert and offered eagle feathers
to the spirits giving thanks.
The Hopi say that we come from Mother Earth
and we go back to Mother Earth when we die.

Native Americans have great respect
for Hopi spiritual leaders, because the word Hopi
means peaceful people and Hopi are praying for harmony
and balance Mother Earth. Hopi spiritual elders
believe they are caretakers of Mother Earth
as do most Native Americans who follow their traditions."

I hope you all find this way,
the way of inner balance....

I learned so much from the Hopi,
we can go two ways, both ways are okay,
but one way, the wrong way end soon....

I found for me the right way, and its so easy...
I hope many people starts to think about this simple,
honest words......

AHO
~U-ne-ga-wa-ya~