Anishinaabe

Nokomis and the spider: the story of the dreamcatcher

Picture of Ojibwe dreamcatcher

“I spent over 10 years traveling to Native American pow wows across the United States, visiting a different reservation almost every week. Dreamcatchers were everywhere, from grandmother-made heirlooms to commercial versions sold at gift shops. Understanding the difference matters. This article tells the real story.” — Raven SiJohn, AAANativeArts.com (Est. 1999) The dreamcatcher comes from the Ojibwe people, one of the largest Native American nations in North America, and the story behind it is more beautiful than most people realize.…

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Louis Cook (1737-1814) was a chief and warrior of the Seven Nations

Picture of Louis Cook, Seven Nations chief

The Seven Nations, also known as the Seven Fires Council, was a confederation of seven Algonquin-speaking tribes that lived in the northeastern region of North America. The member tribes were the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Odawa (Ottawa), and Potawatomi, who were known as the Three Fires, as well as the Nipissing, Mississaugas, Algonquin, and Wendat (Huron). Together, these tribes formed a powerful political and military alliance that helped them to resist colonial forces and maintain their sovereignty over their traditional lands.

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Origin of the Midewiwin

Commonly among the Anishinaabeg, Midewiwin is ascribed to Nanabozho as its founder. However, among the Abenakis, Midewiwin is ascribed to Mateguas, who upon his death and needing to comfort his brother who is still alive, bestowed the Midewiwin to his grieving brother Gluskab. Here is the creation story.

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Origin of the Ojibwe

According to the Ojibwe oral history, seven great miigis (radiant/iridescent) beings appeared to the peoples in the Waabanakiing (Land of the Dawn, i.e., Eastern Land) to teach them the mide way of life. One of the seven great miigis beings was too spiritually powerful and killed the peoples in the Waabanakiing when they were in its presence. The six great miigis beings remained to teach, while the one returned into the ocean.

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