Living Our Language_ Ojibwe Tales & Oral Histories - Anton Treuer [17]
[12] And all the Indian people went to different places when they participated in this medicine dance. And over there at the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation as it’s called, there at Whitefish, right there the Indians held the medicine dance long ago. We walked everywhere to participate in the medicine dance as my father was summoned to go over and help out, assisting those old men who did the medicine dance. It took us three days to get there. That’s how the Indian did things in former times when he approached where his life originated. Today the Indian doesn’t do this when he goes to where his life comes from. And the spirit told him of this medicine dance, that he was to come to do that which he had been given together, that this was the reason his life started as the spirit handed it down to him. That’s how these Indians did things long ago, when they went to where the Indian people did certain things.
[13] And this too, this Drum, was set down here by that strange speaking Indian [Dakota] in this direction. Over there on the prairies as they are called, it’s over there that the strange speaking Indian came from to Neyaashiing there at Mille Lacs Lake as it’s called. It’s there that he put that Drum from which the Indian started his life. That’s why he put it there. And that’s why the Indian started it there. And that strange speaking Indian, as these strange speaking Indians stood before [the onslaught] of the white man, he was told he would be used up, destroyed. But the spirit did not look favorably upon this. For once, he was thwarted as the Indian sounded his voice. And that’s why the head spirit placed among him these Drums that are spoken of here today.
[14] This is how that Indian did things in former times. I have been impressed with [the Indian people] myself as I have seen them doing these things. That’s why I know a little bit myself, which I use to help the Indian. That’s how they taught me, that is to say my grandfather, the old man named Neweyaash. He is the one who told me what I would come to do in helping the Indian with certain things. I can’t dictate to him. I can’t just dictate something to him when he asks me. And I only tell him things he wants to know about.
[15] And these names, the Indian names, I fasted for them a long time ago when I was a boy. Out there is where I received them, those Indian names. Today not enough [Indian people] have Indian names. They are losing it. The Indian is losing everything I saw them [do] long ago.
[16] And these bark lodges, every spring these women made them, they laid the beds for them on the mats, the ones that have been talked about. And while the birch bark was being hung, at this time they took it and made them, those birch bark shingles. And they lined up those birch bark roofing rolls in a certain way on the lodges. They used those birch bark coverings there on top of the lodges. That’s how they made the places they lived in.
When Wenabozho Decapitated the Ducks
[1] Wenabozho was hungry as he walked along; he hadn’t eaten anything. When he started to come to the shore of the lake he sees the ducks, getting hungry here on the beach. Then a certain duck tells them, “My fellow ducks! Wenabozho is coming to the shore. Swim for the middle of the lake. Wenabozho is up to something.”
[2] Wenabozho hears the ducks. “No my little brothers! We are going to have a pow-wow this evening there in the forest.” Then he went inland, making an arbor there, bending it to shape. The arbor was planted in the ground there. Then he tied a pair of pants in place like this, bundling up some moss here and carrying this off on his back.
[3] Then he tells those ducks this, “My little brothers!” He tells them like so, “My little brothers! I’m carrying it this way,” he says. “I’m carrying these on my back for the [give-away] songs. Over here at Montreal as it’s called, I’m from over