Anishinaabewomin

Ojibwe Language

 

The ‘bird figure’ they hung up to which they’d sing. They used to make these bird figures. It would hang underneath the flag. There they’d leave it. They’d sing it with the bird facing them. This is what the old men did.

The way they looked at this was like the thunderbird ‘making a noise’, you see. This is why they did this because they just didn’t do this on a whim. They knew what to do. They also addressed the thunderbirds. This is why they did this. The warriors, the ones who sang.

You see the Sioux donning feathers. This was the same thing with the ancient Anishinaabeg. This is why they were knowledgeable about how they were to heal someone when they were sick. It is true that their efforts were very significant.

-- Maureen Matthews

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