First People: Words of Wisdom : George Copway - Ojibwe

George Copway (Kahgegagahbowh) - Ojibwe Native American Wisdom The time has come to listen to echoes from our land...the wisdom and teachings of our Native American Indians. Their words are simple and their voices are soft. We have not heard them, because we have not taken the time to listen. Perhaps now is the time to open our ears and our hearts to the words of wisdom they have to say. No written laws I was born in Nature's wide domain ! The trees were all that sheltered my infant limbs, the blue heavens all that covered me. I am one of Nature's children. I have always admired her. She shall be my glory: her features, her robes, and the wreath about her brow, the seasons, her stately oaks, and the evergreen - her hair, ringlets of earth - all contribute to my enduring love of her. And wherever I see her, emotions of pleasure roll in my chest, and swell and burst like waves on the shores of the ocean, in prayer and praise to Him who has placed me in her hand, It is thought great to be born in palaces, surrounded with wealth - but to be born in Nature's wide domain is greater still ! I would much more glory in this birthplace, with the broad canopy of heaven above me, and the giant arms of the forest trees for my shelter, than to be born in palaces of marble, studded with pillars of gold ! Nature will be Nature still, while palaces shall decay and fall in ruins. Yes, Niagara will be Niagara a thousand years hence ! The rainbow, a wreath over her brow, shall continue as long as the sun, and the flowering of the river - while the work of art, however carefully protected and preserved, shall fade and crumble into dust ! George Copway (Kahgegagahbowh) - Ojibwe Among the Indians there have been no written laws. Customs handed down from generation to generation have been the only laws to guide them. Every one might act different from what was considered right did he choose to do so, but such acts would bring upon him the censure of the Nation.... This fear of the Nation's censure acted as a mighty band, binding all in one social, honorable compact. George Copway (Kahgegagahbowh) - Ojibwe

·       First People: Words of Wisdom: George Copway-Ojibwe

My journal

Dear Journal,
                   Today, me and my brother went fishing. It was so much fun. On the way to the lake we saw our dad kill a buffalo with one arrow from 25 feet away. We helped him bring it up and then we skinned it. We asked our sister if she can turn the skin into some clothes so me and my brother can wear them.  She said yes and I hope it looks good. After that, me, my brother and my dad went to catch fish. I caught the biggest fish, my dad caught the smallest and my brother did not catch a fish at all.  On the way back home, my brother saw a bow and some arrows just laying next to a tree, picked it up and caught a raccoon, 2 squirrels ,and a wild turkey.  We got to pick some fruit. When we arrived home my sister finished my clothes. They looked so cool... who knew she was so good! Mom and some of her friends cooked the food we caught. They cooked the fish, squirrels, raccoon, a wild turkey, some rice and corn. Everything was delicious and after that I got to meet the oldest warrior.  It was a honor to meet him and one day I want to be like him. Anyway I have to go bye.

The first fire

The first fire

8:00 A.M Thursday, August 16

“Thunder Chief we need food”, said the young fisherman.  “So you and your son go catch some fish, you are one of the fishermen of Chippewa Tribe right”, said the Thunder Chief. “Yes, Yes, and we did, but the white government threatened to kill us if we didn’t give them the fish we caught”, said the young fisherman. “Did you try offering something you had”, said the Thunder Chief. “I offered some rice, but they took the bag and poured it all out on the ground”, said the young fisherman. “Selfish, ignorant people!  Did you try offering something to give them, like clothes”, said the Thunder Chief.  “All I have is bead work”, said the young fisherman. “Then I guess you can give them the beadwork since that’s all you have”, said the Thunder Chief. “I will try.  I hope they will accept it”, said the young fisherman. The Chippewa fisherman goes down to the pond and goes up to the white government. “Here I will give you some of my finest beadery instead of fish”, said the young fisherman.

Native American Beads

The white government took the beadery, and ripped the beadery apart.  The white government said, “I will make you a deal.  You bring your so called “Chief” to meet with me and I will give you all the food you want”. “But why do you want to meet with my Chief”? , said the young fisherman. “Because it would be such an honor to meet a Chief”, he said as he laughed and walked away.
“Thunder Chief come quick! I have caught the biggest fish you will ever see”, said the young fisherman.  “The government did not take it away?”, asked the Thunder Chief.  “No, I hid it in the bushes”, said the young fisherman. “Aren’t they always watching you young Chippewa”, said the Thunder Chief.  “No, not this time”, said the young fisherman. “I don’t trust what you are saying, you have a distrustful look in your eyes”, said the Thunder Chief.  “Please, Thunder Chief come with me so I can show you my big, big fish I caught”, said the young fisherman. The Thunder Chief comes out of his teepee and goes with the fisherman to the pond. “So you did bring this chief of yours”, said the white government.  “Yes, isn’t that what you wanted”, asked the young fisherman. “Fisherman, I thought you said that you wanted to show me a fish”, asked the Thunder Chief. “I know, but the white government said he would give me all the food I wanted if we came down here”.  “And you trusted him after he took all of your fish, poured out your rice, and broke your beads?”, said the Thunder Chief. “I was desperate”, said the young fisherman.  “No, you were foolish”, said the Thunder Chief.  “Sorry to interrupt, chief, but I think it is an honor to”….BOOM!  The white government shoots the chief while laughing and gloating in his face.  Dying the Thunder Chief says, ”tell my wife and kids I love them and will always be with them spiritually”. “Yes, Thunder Chief, I will do anything you say”, said the young fisherman. The young fisherman was crying.  The fisherman yells at the white government man “you mean, evil person. Why would you do such a thing?  Do you know how you’ve just hurt my tribe?”, said the young fisherman. “Like I care, your tribe is nothing to me”, said the white government. “This means war”, yelled the young fisherman. “Come on chief I am going to take you up to our village so we can pray then you are going to buried.

6:00 A.M Friday, August 17

The warriors of Chippewa went to war with the government and his army. They were giving all their best, but it was just not enough. The Chippewa’s were dying and losing, but they weren’t going to give up. They did the sun dance and prayed to the spirits for help.  Then, they sent the rest of their men to war. When there were only 26 men left, the Thunder Chief was watching from above and he was sad that his people were dying. He had an idea.  He put all his power into six zigzag rods that later became known to us as lightning bolts. 

Lightening

He threw them down to earth and hit six trees.  The six trees fell and caught on fire near the white governmentand his army. The white government had never heard such a loud noise or seen a fire, so he ordered his army to retreat.



Fire



The Indians knew their prayer reached the Thunder Chief. They knew the Thunder Chief was the one who made the trees fall and catch on fire so they were not afraid of the fire. 

                                              

Instead, they used the fires to cook their fish instead of eating it raw. They white government and his army never went near the Chippewa’s again.

THE END

  

Climate

The Chippewas are one of the largest American Indian groups in North America.  There are nearly 150 bands of Chippewa Indians living in the northern U.S. and southern Canada.  In the U.S., people call them Chippewa and in Canada, people call them Ojibway, but they are both the same tribe.

Religion

Ojibway religion was based on the individual and was the belief in power received from spirits during dreams and visions.  Ojibway believed the spirits guided them through life. 

During summer, many Ojibway attended religious social gatherings called pow-wows and did the Sun Dance .  The Sun Dance is a religious dance where people sing and dance to the drums with the sacred pipe. 

Religious ceremonies were pictographed on birch bark scrolls and passed along for generations.  Today, these scrolls are locked up and only worthy people are allowed to look at them.

Appearance

Chippewa women wore long dresses with removable sleeves and the men wore breechcloth and leggings.  Everyone wore moccasins on their feet and cloaks or ponchos in bad weather.

Chippewa women and men both wore their hair in long braids and leather headbands with a feather sticking up in the back.  When the men went to war, they shaved their heads in the Mohawk style.  Some men also tribal tattoos and wore a porcupine roach. 

The Chippewa painted their faces and arms with bright colors for special occasions.  They used different patterns for war paint and festive decoration.

Language

Today, most Ojibway people speak English, but many of the old people speak their native Ojibway language, called Anishinaabemowin.  The Ojibway people call themselves Anishinabe in their own language, which means original person.

Food

Indian woman picking huckleberries

Woodland Chippewas were mostly farming people.  They harvested wild rice, squash, and corn, fished, hunted small game, and gathered nuts and fruit. 

The plains Chippewas were big-game hunters and mainly ate buffalo meat. When Plains Ojibway men hunted buffalo, they set fires to herd them into traps. Woodland Chippewas used spears or fishhooks with sinew lines for fishing.

Buffalo

Entertainment

The Ojibway drew pictures to pass on knowledge and information.  This is called pictographs.pictographs are the same thing egyptians put on the wall of pyramids.ojibway also did beadwork.bead work can be turned into necklace and wrists.The Ojibway created the dreamcatcher.  A dreamcatcher is a hoop with a net in the middle that is decorated with personal items like feathers.  A dreamcatcher is placed at the head of Belle’s bed in the movie Twilight. 

Culture

Each Chippewa community lives on its own reservation.  Reservations are land that belong to the Chippewa and are under their control.  They have their own government, police, and laws.

Indian Reservation 

Wigwam

There were two types of homes used by the Chippewas.  In the woodlands, they lived in villages of birch bark houses called wigwams.  On the Great Plains, they lived in large buffalo-hide tents called tipis.  Today, most ojibways live in modern houses and apartment buildings.

Ojibway women were farmers and did most of the child care and cooking.  Men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families.  Both men and women worked together to harvest wild rice.

Ojibway warriors used bows and arrows, clubs, flails and hide shields.