By Joe Nayquonabe Sr. (transcribed by James Clark)
Editor’s note: Orignally published in April 2024 in the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Inaajimowin newspaper.
This subject is one that is very difficult to discuss; it’s one of the more serious ceremonies that we do at the ceremonial dance. It is a very important piece that was given to us by the Creator to help those who are very ill. These illnesses that we speak of, more often than not, don’t have good outcomes.
We, the drum keepers, are offered asemaa by the individual who is ill or their relatives, and once we’re given that asemaa, we will do the ceremony no matter what. Those that have asked for this ceremony to be done will be asked to bring gifts for the veterans and also four dishes of food.
The food will consist of natural foods; we ask them to be in a dish or bowl so that the veterans can eat out of them without utensils like the animals that they’ll represent in the ceremony to come. Things like wild berries, maple sugar, wild game meat, and other things that Anishinaabe were given. These dishes will then be placed on the north side close to the veterans.
There are four songs associated with this ceremony. The first is the Ayaabens (the young buck). They get into that position, then the head veteran will dance. One, the head Ogichidaa, dances around the sick individual. They’ll make animal-like sounds and behaviors (huffing, charging), and before his last circle he’ll come to the back of the person and blow on their back/neck. Once he’s done with that, he’ll move to the left side of the person, then the speaker will get up and tell everyone why that Ogichidaa could dance to that song and the animal that helped the person.
They’ll get on all fours then and the head Ogichidaa will eat out of all four of those dishes as the animal would in the wild. Then the second song will be sung, the Waawaashkeshii (the deer). The second Ogichidaa will also dance around the person four times with blowing on their back.
Finally, the speaker will get up again and speak to the Ogichidaa and how the deer helps. The second Ogichidaa will follow the first and eat out of those bowls.
Then comes the Makwa (the bear) song, same as the first two, to dance around, blow, and the speaker eats the food.
Then the fourth song, I’ve heard it called the wild cow and/ or the wild beast. The final veteran dances the same as the last three. I’ve participated in a number of these, normally I have been the fourth Ogichidaa as the wild beast, merely filling in. Then we’re done.
I have been very fortunate lately. There’s an individual who comes here and shared those very spiritual songs with our community. Through sickness and health he’s come in the past and helped us during all of these ceremonies that have taken place on the ceremonial drum that my nephew and I take care of.
These ceremonies are rare in nature, not done very often but they are available. In fact, I’ve seen less than five preformed here in the last 20 years locally. I’ve seen this done in the other communities. It is not used much anymore but something that the ceremonial drum has to offer.
Since I haven’t seen much of it, it’s something even I need to learn a little bit more about. Sometimes the results of this ceremony have been good and sometimes not good, and it’s never a guarantee that the ceremony will fully fix the individual. We’re not healers or medicine men — we’ve just been raised with this ceremony to help the gravely ill Anishinaabeg.
At desperate times our people look for answers, people look for miracles, and this is not one. We’re meant to leave this earth when it’s our time. Perhaps as a community, we need to find out more about this ceremony so that we can all have a better understanding. Do we need outside assistance? No. Never underestimate the knowledge our people have. We just have to have an open discussion as a community. The answer has always been here.
I hope to see you all at the dances and the language activities going on within the communities. We have a reoccurring meeting at the District I dancehall every Wednesday at noon to answer questions and discuss topics about the drums. Come see us if you have questions during the season.
