The Seekers continue to enjoy the beautiful early green season weather here in the Northwoods. The waters are warming rapidly, which makes swimming comfortable, and the biting insects have barely begun to emerge, which no one is complaining about.

A few suns (days) ago, we had a particularly special visit from Native Elder Maani Assinewe and her daughter Linda from the Sagamok Ojibwe Band on the north shore of Canada’s Georgian Bay.  They traveled here to take part in a Naming Commemoration Feast for Diindiis, one of the children at camp, and share their support of the school’s mission of remembering the Old Ways. Maani has been coming here for many turns of the seasons (years) to celebrate Diindiis’ name, which she gave him when he was three winters old. Both Maani and Linda are fluent Ojibwe speakers, which gave Lety, an aspiring Ojibwe language teacher, an opportunity to practice.

Everyone gathered at the Wabanong Family Camp feasting hearth adorned with fresh balsam fir boughs collected that morning by the Seekers. A ceremonial fire was started by Chris with his bow drill. Sunny skies and a warm breeze gave us weather that couldn’t have been better for the occasion. After each guest was smudged with cedar, they were given asema (tobacco) to offer to the fire, after which the story of Diindiis’ naming was told by Maanii, Lety, Tamarack, Chris, Susan, and Rabin, who were present at his original Naming Feast.

The Naming Commemoration Feast for Diindiis is held twice every turn of the seasons:  when the leaves are budding and when the leaves are dropping. The feast is a time of remembrance for the meaning of Diindiis’ name and the special life journey it reflects. At the same time, Maanii is honored as the Receiver of the Name, and the whole circle celebrates the unique contribution Diindiis brings to it.

During the course of the ceremony, many of Diindiis’ old and new friends added to his shkipdagen, a sacred buckskin bag that holds gifts he will carry with him his whole life and eventually be buried with. Everyone was given a chance to speak to Diindiis, to express their thoughts, memories, and wishes for the future, along with gratitude for him being a part of their life.  After the ceremony, everyone feasted on wawashkeshi (deer), giigoon (fish), minomin (wild rice), and wild greens (collected by the Seekers in the surrounding forest).

After the feast, there was still plenty of time left in the long green season day. The children went swimming, the men went to work on food storage pits, and Maani and Linda lead the women on a hike  along the ridge to a sacred clearing on the edge of the bog for the opening ceremony of the women’s Moon Lodge. The lodge and surrounding area were smudged and blessed. Afterwards, the women discussed traditions around women’s circles and ask Maanii for her experiences as a young Native woman. The long and full day ended with everyone sharing feelings of gratitude.

For nearly two decades, Maanii has been an invaluable support to the Teaching Drum, and her and Linda’s recent visit was a wonderful gift. We cherish the fact that we have Native Elders from our area giving first-hand guidance on local traditional knowledge. Maanii grew up on the reserve, trapping and snaring, skinning animals with her father, and making medicines with her mother. Both she and Linda grew up speaking the Ojibwe language. Maanii says it is the language of the land, in which the culture of our indigenous ancestors resides. Both she and Linda are dedicated to keeping the language alive.

The Seekers are learning some Ojibwe—the language of the land—as they grow in kinship with their circle of relations. If you’d like more information about traditional naming, you can check out Tamarack’s booklet Your Sacred Name: The Native Within.