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The Ojibwa, Aanishanabe or Chippewa (also Ojibwe, Ojibway, Chippeway, Anishinaabe, or Anishinabek) are the largest group of Native Americans/First Nations north of Mexico, including Métis. They are the third largest in the USA, surpassed only by Cherokee and Navajo. They are about equally divided between the USA and Canada. Because they formerly were located mainly around Sault Ste. Marie, at the outlet of Lake Superior, the French referred to them as Saulteurs; Ojibwa who subsequently moved to the Prairie provinces of Canada have retained the name Saulteaux. The major component group of the Anishinaabe, in the US they number over 100,000 living in an area stretching across the north from Michigan to Montana. Another 76,000, in 125 bands, live in Canada, stretching from western Québec to eastern British Columbia. They are known for their canoes and wild rice, and for the fact that they were the only Native Americans to defeat the Sioux. *

Name

The name "Chippewa" is an anglicized corruption of "Ojibwa". Although "Chippewa" is more common in the USA and "Ojibwa" predominates in Canada, both terms do exist in both countries. "Anishinabe(k/g)" is becoming more common in Canada. The exact meaning of the name "Ojibwe" is not known; however, two most common explanations are 1) it is derived from "Ojiibwabwe" meaning "Those who cook until it puckers" referring to their fire-curing of moccasin seams to make them water-proof and 2) the most likely, it is derived from the word "Ozhibii'oweg" meaning "Those who keep Records of a Vision" referring to their form of pictorial writing pictograph used in Midewiwin rites.

Language

The language of the Ojibwa, which many of whom still speak the Ojibwe language known as Anishinaabemowin or Ojibwemowin, belongs to the Algonquian linguistic group, and is descended from Proto-Algonquian. Among its sister languages are Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Cree, Fox, Menominee, Potawatomi, and Shawnee. Anishinaabemowin is frequently referred to as a "Central Algonquian" language; however, Central Algonquian is an areal grouping rather than a genetic one. Ojibwemowin is the fourth most spoken in North America (behind Navajo, Cree, and Inuktitut). Due to the Ojibwa presence in the Great Lakes region and for hundreds of years as their fur trading with the French increased the Ojibweg’s power, the language became one of the handful of key trade languages of the area and for the northern Great Plains, which lead to an extremely significant presence in the northern US. This was furthered by the popularity of The Song of Hiawatha, which lent to toponyms having their origin in the Ojibwa words found in this epic.

History

According to their own tradition, and from recordings in birch bark scrolls, they came from the eastern areas of North America, or Turtle Island, and from along the east coast. According to the oral history, six great miigis (radiant/iridescent) beings appeared to the peoples in the Waabanakiing (Land of the Dawn, i.e. Eastern Land) to teach the peoples of the mide way of life. However, the one of the six great miigis beings was too spiritually powerful and killed the peoples in the Waabanakiing. The five great miigis beings remained to teach while the one returned into the ocean. The five great miigis beings then established doodem (clans) for the peoples in the east. Of these doodem, the five original Anishinaabe doodem were the Echoer (i.e., crane), Tender (i.e., bear), catfish, loon and marten, then these five miigis beings returned into the ocean as well. At a later time, one of these miigis beings appeared in a vision to relate a prophecy. The prophecy stated that if the Anishinaabeg did not move further west, they would not be able to keep their traditional ways alive because of the many new settlements and European immigrants that would arrive soon. Their migration path would be symbolized by a series of smaller Turtle Islands, which was confirmed with miigis shells (i.e., cowry shells). After recieving assurance from the their "Allied Brothers" (i.e., Mi'kmaq) and "Father" (i.e., Abnaki) of their safety in having the Anishinaabeg move inland, they advanced along the St. Lawrence River to the Ottawa River to Lake Nipissing, and then to the Great Lakes. First of these smaller Turtle Islands was Mooniyaa, which Mooniyaang (Montreal, Quebec) now stands. At their "third stopping place", the Anishinaabeg divided into six divisions, of which the Ojibwa was one of these six. The first significant Ojibwa culture-centre was their "fourth stopping place" on Manitoulin Island. Their first political-centre was referred as their "fifth stopping place", in their present country at Sault Ste. Marie. Continuing their westward expansion, the Ojibwe divided into the "northern branch" following the north-shore of Lake Superior, and "southern branch" following the south-shore of the same lake. The two branches came together at their "sixth stopping place" on "Spirit Island" located in the St. Louis River estuary of Duluth/Superior region where the people were directed by the miigis being in a vision to go to the "place where there are food (i.e. wild rice) upon the waters." Their second major settlement, referred as their "seventh stopping place", was at Shaugawaumikong (or Zhaagawaamikong, French, Chequamegon) on the southern shore of Lake Superior, near the present La Pointe near Bayfield, Wisconsin. Along their migration to the west they came across many miigis, or cowry shells, as told in the prophecy.

Their first historical mention occurs in the Jesuit Relation of 1640. Through their friendship with the French traders they were able to obtain guns and thus successfully end their hereditary wars with the Sioux and Foxes on their west and south, with the result that the Sioux were driven out from the Upper Mississippi region, and the Foxes forced down from northern Wisconsin and compelled to ally with the Sauk. By the end of the eighteenth century the Ojibwa were the nearly unchallenged owners of almost all of present-day Michigan, northern Wisconsin, and Minnesota, including most of the Red River area, together with the entire northern shores of Lakes Huron and Superior on the Canadian side and extending westward to the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota, where they became known as the Plains Ojibwa or Saulteaux.

The Ojibwa were part of a long term alliance with the Ottawa and Potawatomi First Nations, called the Council of Three Fires and which fought with the Iroquois Confederacy and the Sioux. The Ojibwa expanded eastward taking over the lands alongside the eastern shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. The Ojibwa allied themselves with the French in the French and Indian War, and with the British in the War of 1812.

In the USA, they were never removed as so many other tribes have been, but by successive treaty sales they are now restricted to reservations within this territory, with the exception of a few families living in Kansas.

In Canada, the cession of land by treaty or purchase was governed by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and subsequently most of the land in Upper Canada was ceded to the Crown. In northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta the numbered treaties were signed. British Columbia had no signed treaties until the late 1900's, and most areas have no treaties yet. There are ongoing treaty land entitlements to settle and negotiate. The treaties are constantly being reinterpreted by the courts because many of them are vague and difficult to apply in modern times.

See Treaty Timeline below - and see Individual Treaties with maps at *.

Culture

Most Ojibwa, except for the Plains bands, lived a sedentary lifestyle, engaging in fishing, hunting, the farming of maize and squash, and the harvesting of Manoomin (wild rice). Their typical dwelling was the wiigiwaam (wigwam) or the waaginogan, made of birch bark, juniper bark and willow saplings. They also developed a form of pictorial writing used in religious rites of the Midewiwin and recorded on birch bark scrolls. The scrolls are complicated with a lot of geometrical and mathematical knowledge communicated through the pictures. The miigis shell (cowry shell) was also used in ceremonies, and this shell can only be found from far away coastal areas, indicating a vast trade network at some time across the continent. The use and trade of copper across the continent is also proof of a very large area of trading that took place thousands of years ago, as far back as the Hopewell culture. Certain types of rock used for spear and arrow heads were also traded over large distances. The use of petroforms, petroglyphs, and pictographs was common throughout their traditional territories. Petroforms and medicine wheels were a way to teach important concepts of four directions, astronomical observations about the seasons, and as a memorizing tool for certain stories and beliefs.

The Ojibwe people and culture are alive and growing today. During the summer months, the people attend pow-wows or "pau waus" at various reservations in the US and reserves in Canada. Many people still follow the traditional ways of harvesting wild rice, picking berries, hunting, making medicines, and making maple sugar. Many of the Ojibwe take part in sundance ceremonies across the continent.

The legend of the Ojibwa "Windigo," in which tribesmen supposedly identify with a mythological cannabalistic monster and prey on their families is mentioned in the fiction of Thomas Pynchon. In his story 'Of Father's and Sons', Ernest Hemingway uses two Ojibway as secondary characters.

Several bands of Ojibwe cooperate in the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission which manages their treaty hunting and fishing rights. The commission cooperates with U.S. agencies to run several wilderness areas. See List of U.S. state and tribal wilderness areas.

Clan system

The Ojibwe people were divided into a number of doodem (clans) named for animal totems. This served as a system of government as well as a means of dividing labor. The five main totems were Crane, Catfish, Loon, Bear and Marten. The Crane totem was the most vocal among the Ojibwe, and the Bear was the largest — so large, in fact, that it was sub-divided into body parts such as the head, the ribs and the feet.

There were at least twenty-one totems in all, recorded by William Whipple Warren: Crane, Catfish, Loon, Bear, Marten, Wolf, Reindeer, Merman, Pike, Lynx, Eagle, Rattlesnake, Turtle, Moose, Black Duck, Sucker, Goose, Sturgeon, White Fish, Beaver, Gull, and Hawk. Some totems indicate non-Ojibwe origins, such as the Wolf Clan for Dakota or Eagle Clan for American. There are other totems considered rare today among the Ojibwe because the totems have migrated to other tribes, such as the Merman Clan, which shows up as the Water-spirits Clan of the Winnebagoes

Spiritual beliefs

The Ojibwa have a number of spiritual beliefs passed down by oral tradition under the Midewiwin teachings. These include a creation narrative and a recounting of the origins of ceremonies and rituals. Spiritual beliefs and rituals were very important to the Ojibwa because spirits guided them through life. Birch bark scrolls and Petroforms were used to pass along knowledge and information, as well as used for ceremonies. Pictographs were also used for ceremonial use, and Medicine Wheels also. The Sun Dance ceremony was revived in Canada following many years of persecution and certain parts of the ceremonies being outlawed in Canada. The sweatlodge is still used during important ceremonies about the four directions and to pass along the oral history of the people. Teaching lodges are still common today to teach the next generations about the language and ancient ways of the past. These old ways, ideas, and teachings are still preserved today with these living ceremonies.

In Popular Culture

During the 6th season of The Sopranos, an old Ojibwe proverb is shown in prominence and quoted in at least 3 episodes.

In the comic strip For Better or For Worse, Elizabeth was a schoolteacher in a fictional Ojibwa village in Northern Ontario.

Bands and First Nations of Ojibwe people

Bands are listed under their respective tribes where possible

Other Tribes known by their Ojibwa/Ottawa Names

Known
Name 		Ojibwa
Name 		Ojibwa
Meaning 		Own
Name
Arkansas Aakaanzhish Damn little Kansas Quapaw
Assiniboine Asiniibwaan Stoney 'Asp' (i.e. the Sioux) Nakota
Blackfoot Makadewanazid Black-foot Siksikawa
Chipewyan Ojiibwayaan Pointed Skin Dënesųłiné
Chowanoc Zhaawanoog Southerners Shawnee
Eskimo Ashki-amaw Eats It Raw Inuit
Flathead Nebagindibe Flat-head Salish
Kansas Aakaans at the Little Hell-hole Kaw
Kaskaskia Gaaskaaskeyaa Hide-scraper
Kickapoo Giiwigaabaw Stands here-and-there
Menominee Omanoominii Wild Rice People Omāēqnomenew
Miami Mayaame Sturgeons Miimii
Micmac Miigimaa Allied-Brothers Mi'kmaq
Moingwena Moowiingwenaa Have a Filthy Face
Ottawa Odaawaa Trader Odawa
Potawatomi Boodewaadamii Fire Keeper Bodéwadmi
Sauk/Sac Ozaagii at the Outlet Asakiwaki
Sioux Naadawensiw Little like the 'Adders' (i.e. the Iroquois) Aioe-Dakota-Lakota-Nakota
Snake Ginebig Snake Shoshoni
Winnebago Wiinibiigoo at the Murky Waters Ho-čąk

Ojibwa Treaties

References

  • F. Densmore, Chippewa Customs (1929, repr. 1970)
  • H. Hickerson, The Chippewa and Their Neighbors (1970)
  • R. Landes, Ojibwa Sociology (1937, repr. 1969)
  • R. Landes, Ojibwa Woman (1938, repr. 1971)
  • F. Symington, The Canadian Indian (1969)

External links

Ojibwa tribe | First Nations governments in Alberta | First Nations governments in Ontario | First Nations governments in Manitoba | First Nations governments in Saskatchewan | First Nations governments in Quebec | Native American tribes | Native American tribes in Michigan | Native American tribes in Minnesota | Native American tribes in Montana | Native American tribes in North Dakota | Native American tribes in Wisconsin | Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Chippewa | Anishinabe | Ojibwé | Ojibway | Ojibwa (stam) | オジブワ | Odżibwejowie | Ojibwa | Ojibwayt

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Ojibwa".

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