OJIBWAY INDIANS

THE OJIBWAY ARE THE LARGEST GROUPS OF NATIVE AMERICANS NORTH OF MEXICO. THEY WERE FORMALLY LOCATED MAINLY AROUND SAULK ST MARIE - THE FRENCH CALLED THEM SAULTEURS. SOME OJIBWAY WHO WENT TO SOUTHERN ONTARIO ARE CALLED MISSISSAGAS. THEY HAVE 56,000 FOLKS IN THE U.S. FROM MICHIGAN TO MONTANA. THEY ARE KNOWN AS MAKING BIRCHBARK CANOES. THEY USE COURIE SHELLS, WILD RICE AND USE GUNS FROM THE BRITISH.

THEIR LANGUAGE IS ANISHINASBEMOWIN. THEY HAD BIRCH BARK SCROLLS AND CAME FROM TURTLE ISLAND IN THE EAST COAST. THEY TRADED WIDELY FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. ACCORDING TO THEIR ORAL HISTORY, SEVEN GREAT MIIGIS
APPEARED TO BE PEOPLE OF THE DOWN. THESE SIX GREAT MIIGIS CAME TO TEACH WHILE ONE WENT INTO THE OCEAN. LATER ONE MIIGI RELATED A PROPHESY -THAT IF THE OBJIBWAY DID NOT MOVE WEST THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP THERE TRADITIONAL WAYS OF ALIVE.

AFTER 1640 THEY GAINED GUNS FROM THE FRENCH AND GREW DEPENDANT UPON THEM FOR TRADE GOODS. THEY DOMINATED THEIR ENEMIES, THE SIOUX AND THE FOX. BY THE LATE 1700S THEY WERE UNCHALLENGED OWNERS OF OF MICHIGAN, NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA AND SOME OF THEM LIVED IN NORTH DAKOTA. THEY ALLIED WITH THE ANISHINAABEOTTAWA AND POTAWATONI AND WERE CALLED THE THREE FIRES.

IN THE LATE 1700'S THE U.S. WANTED TO REMOVE ALL OF THE OBJIWAY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. HUNDREDS WERE KILLED IN THE SANDY LAKE TRAGEDY. ONCE SETTLERS INVADED THE NATIVE AMERICAN LANDS AND THIS IS CALLED THE NORTHWEST INDIAN WAR. MANY LAND TREATIES THE BRITISH MADE FOR THE OJIBWAY PROVIDED FOR RITES FOR HUNTING, FISHING, AND GATHERING OF RESOURCES FOR HUNTING, FISHING, AND GATHERING OF RESOURCES. IN 1830 THE GOVERNMENT TRIED TO REMOVE ALL INDIANS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. BY THE 1890'S THEY WANTED THEM ON RESERVATIONS.

MOST OBJIBWAY LIVED IN GROUPS WITH A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE. THEY FISHED AND HUNTED AND THE WOMEN PLANTED CORN AND SQUASH AND HARVESTED WILD LIFE THEY LIVED IN BIRCH BARK WIGWAMS. THEY DEVELOPED A TYPE OF PICTORIAL WRITING USED IN RELIGIOUS RITES. THE PICTOGRAPHS COMMUNICATE HISTORICAL, GEOMETRICAL, AND MATHEMATICAL KNOWLEDGE. THEY HAD A GREAT TRADE NETWORK. THEY USED EDUCATIONAL PICTOGRAPHS. AND MEDICAL WHEELS TO TEACH THE IMPORTANT CONCEPTS OF 4 DIRECTIONS AND ASTRONOMICAL DATA.DURING SUMMER THEY HAVE POWWOWS THAT ARE SPIRITUAL AND SOME ARE SOCIAL. MANY PEOPLE FOLLOWED TRADITIONAL WAYS OF LIFE, THEY USED BURIAL MOUNDS.

THEY VIEWED THEIR WORLD IN ANIMATE AND INANIMATE OBJECTS. THEY HAVE SEVERAL WILDERNESS AREAS. THEY LIVE WITH EXTENDED FAMILIES. THEIR SPIRITUAL BELIEFS HAVE BEEN DOWN THROUGH ORAL TRADITION. THEY HAVE A CREATION STORY AND RITUALS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT. THEY BELIEVE IN THE DREAM CATCHER TO KEEP THE BAD DREAMS FROM HAPPENING.

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