Note: The Hownikan will share a series of columns this year by Minisa Crumbo Halsey. This is the third in a series that focuses on traditional Anishnabé star knowledge. Crumbo Halsey recommends viewing the Star Chart created by Kyle Malott, Pokagon Band Language Department, and downloading the Sky Guide smartphone app to locate the constellations in the series.
By Minisa Crumbo Halsey
GAA BIBOON KED
Winter Wisdom Teachings
Ahau and Bozho nikanek,
We enter the fourth quarter of the Medicine Wheel on a resonant completion chord of our Nishnabé Creation Story and the seasonal Star Map…it is by these original gifts, teachings and certain things that we do find our WAY.
BIBOON
This season of Biboon brings the gathering and harvesting season, which invites us to celebrate the harvest and the preceding year’s labors and gifts with remembrance, gratitude and honoring words. This season seats but one of the times within which we may individually or collectively consider setting aside four days of ceremony…for we would remember that if one can take one’s life into four days of dedicated, personal ceremony, we can change it. How? For moving into a dedicated structure of this kind. These days can and will lead us, through feasting, speaking, dance and song, onto a renewed path connecting us with the mind of Giche Manidoo and the original dream of life that opened a vital chord for us to travel to this Sacred Land.
The Original Thanksgiving
The honoring memories and words are fused with the hearts, minds, bodies and Spirits of Sekmekwe, Gizes and all of the other Powers, Directions, Colors: the elemental helpers of the noden (wind beings), mine (water beings), sen (rock beings), shkodé (fire beings) and the skebyak (green beings). The ones that fly, swim, crawl and walk as well as those sentient and insentient beings of which do not or cannot know or name. These ones that came into original agreement with the sacred emissaries of Jijak (the crane), Maak (the loon), to receive and support those of us making a petition to Giche Manidoo for a place to live.
Jijak and Maak
It is for these things that we make the gratitude and recognition prayers. These two beings were the first of the physical celestial beings which journeyed from their constellations and their star bodies are among those that announce the changing of the seasons. Jijak, known as the Summer Cross, and Maak, known as the North Star. Other winter constellations are Ajik Negos, known as Fisher, or Ursa Major, and Majo Negos (moose), known as Pegasus.
Ponde’se’ Negos
WINTER MAKER OR THE CONSTELLATION OF ORION
It is Winter Maker, with the three sacred center stars known as the Belt of Orion, that positions itself to be easily seen in the early night sky, riding above the southeastern horizon. This constellation unmistakably announces to all that winter has arrived.
The winter migrations are complete. Mko the bear has made the fat and sought the winter dream time hibernation deep within the resting body of Sekmekwe.
The Neshnabé Creation Story is who we are and what we have. We “make marriages” with these gifts and by doing so, “we are breathed alive.” By doing so we breathe with all of Creation. When we took two-legged physical form, as Spirit Beings living within the concept of duality, we are told that there were two things we wanted. Firstly, we wanted to know. Secondly, we wanted things to do. From these things, we lived and grew.
There are many, many Creation Stories, blessed and given by the Creator to the myriad individuals, tribes and cultures upon Sekmekwe mine Gizes, for which the various peoples may live and grow in peace, truth and beauty, now and forever more. For these things we are grateful and raise voices of praise and connection with you, of which many are the names by which you are known, Creator.
The Seven Grandfather Teachings
These teachings and the story are inextricably intertwined in beauty for all wisdom and knowledge are encoded in the heavens, earth and being of every being.
Some would suggest to now, to consider telling or thinking the Creation Story back to source, thereby completing the sacred hoop, the original sacred Medicine Wheel…and then, to return home again to the center of our personal Medicine Wheel upon Sekmekwe as the sacred two-legged beings that we are. To gather this season by the deep internal fires, to feed the Shkodé (fire) a tobacco offering — that the fire spirit has everything it needs to live in “a good way,” to count, sort, bless and pray over the seeds of the coming season…tell the stories, sleep, heal, make fat and laugh…for this is the time, way and ceremony of the past, the now and of the coming Mnokme or Spring.
AHO! IGUIEN…MAMOGOSNAN, FOR ALL OF THE GIFTS.
CHI MIGWECH, WEWENE MIGWECH
The following books are available in the CPN gift shop to learn more:
Inhabiting the Earth, by Leonard and Mary Moose
Nishnabé Creation Story
Note: Minisa wishes to thank Justin Neely, CPN Language Department and staff for all ongoing and outreach programs; Dolores and Don Neaseno Perrot; and Kyle Malott, Pokagon Band Language Department, for his Bode’wadmi Nengo^sek Star Chart and gracious support.