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as Minneapolis. However, he never relinquished Mille Lacs as his home base and spiritual center. In his retirement, Melvin is busier than ever. He was recently seated as the first Oshkaabewis on the Big Drum at White Earth, and he uses that position to teach the proper means of conducting the ceremonies. He also travels frequently to participate in Drum ceremonies at Round Lake, Lake Lena, East Lake, and elsewhere.

In December 1997, I was in Mille Lacs for the dance at which Melvin’s Big Drum was being used. I stayed at Melvin’s house to visit and to record some Ojibwe stories. As I flipped on the tape and Melvin began to speak, I was astounded by the depth of his knowledge and experience, as well as his gift for gab. Melvin filled up one side of my 120-minute tape and, when I flipped over the tape, he continued to speak, nearly filling the second side as well. He only used one English word—Batiste—the name of a Mille Lacs elder. Everything else was unwavering, fluent Ojibwe, full of inspiring thoughts about the importance of language and culture as well as humorous reminiscences about Melvin’s learning process and the actions of various elders around him. I had goose bumps at parts of his story and laughed out loud at others.

By the time he was finished speaking, Melvin had shared a great deal of information about numerous learned elders—gekendaasojig—and the process of acquiring their knowledge himself—gikendaasowin. Ultimately, we broke his long narration into several stories for ease of access and reference. However, all of Melvin’s stories in this book were originally connected as one piece of verbal art. Humble, open, and very entertaining, the stories vividly describe Ojibwe cultural beliefs from hunting to Big Drum ceremonies—the Anishinaabe gift of gikendaasowin.

Gimishoomisinaan

[1] Ahaaw-sh iwidi mewinzha go daa-gii-pi-agaashiinyiyaan iko gii-pabizindawagwaa akiwenziiyag gii-pizindawagwaa ko waawiindamawiwaad gegoo iwidi ko mewinzha o’ow indazhindaan. Owidi mewinzha ko gii-kichi-naaniimi’idiiwaad Gaa-waababiganikaag gii-izhaa gii-pi-onjibaad gaa-onji-ondaadiziyaan gaye niin. Wa’aw akiwenzii iwidi Gaa-waababiganikaag gii-onjibaa. Owidi gii-pi-niimi’idiid omaa, omaa o’ow ikwe-dewe’igan omaa gii-tibendaagozi omaa nookomis. Miish imaa nimishoomis gaye gii-pi-wiidigemaad gii-pi-niimi’idiiwaad ko. Mii imaa gaa-izhi-ondaadizid nimaamaa.

[2] Miinawaa-sh gegoo nisiwag ingiw gwiiwizensag imaa, iwidi Gaa-waababiganikaag. Ma’iingaansag gii-izhinikaazowag. Miinawaa aya’aa iwidi bezhig a’aw wiijikiwending. Gaawiin ingikenimaasiin ezhinikaazod a’aw akiwenzii gii-wiidigending Gaa-miskwaawaakokaag. Mii gaye wiidiged imaa-sh gaye wiin akiwenzii imaa-sh besho iwidi Gaa-waababiganikaag. Mii iwidi gaa-onjibaawaad ingiw Ma’iingaansag gaa-izhinikaazojig.

[3] O’ow dash akiwenzii imaa ingii-waawiindamaag ko gii-pi-naaniimi’idiiwaad iko biboong gii-paa’igoowaad iko miinawaa go sa ingoji aabita gii-tazhi-daawag ko gii-pi-azhegiiwewaad imaa gii-pi-niimi’idiiwaad. Mii eta ko gii-pi-anokiiwaapan gii-niimi’idiiwaad miinawaa go mawadishiwewaad gaye wii-ishkwaa-niimi’idiiwaad gigizhebaawagak. Miinawaa aangodinong ko niiyogon ko gii-niimi’idiiwag omaa. Mii omaa Neyaashiing akeyaa gii-kichi-naaniimi’idiiwaad iko ongow dewe’iganag.

[4] Mii iwidi akeyaa dewe’iganag gaa-pi-onjibaawaad bwaanakiing. Niibowa eyaajig omaa o’ow dash dagoshinowaad omaa ingiw dewe’iganag. Mewinzha ko ongow anishinaabeg gii-miigaanaawaad iniw bwaanan. Gaawiin igo sa gikendanziiwag. Gii-maanendiwag apane ingiw bwaanag miinawaa go anishinaabeg, gii-miigaanaawaad iniw bwaanan. Gaawiin ongow anishinaabeg odaa-gii-miigaanaasiiwaawaan iniw bwaanan. Ayi’iin dash iniw baashkiziganan ogii-ayaanaawaan wiinawaa go anishinaabeg iwidi gii-pi-onjibaawaad akeyaa wendaabang. Omaa gii-pi-dagoshinowaad gii-minwendamowaad o’ow aki. Mii gaa-onji-miigaanaawaad iniw bwaanan. Gayesh imaa gii-izhaawaad ingiw bwaanag akeyaa bangishimog gii-kiizhikawaawaad. Gayesh ingiw bwaanag gaa-shawenimaawaad iniw dibishkoo gii-maanendiwag sa go. Miish ingiw bwaanag gaa-izhi-inendamowaad i’iw wii-miinaawaad